0 semester hours
Tuesdays 6:00 p.m. – 6:50 p.m. in Pereira 140
Instructor: Ray Toal, Doolan 110, rtoal@lmu.edu, +1 310.338.2773
Slack channel (lmucs.slack.com): cmsi1900-fall-2022
Learning Outcomes
The purpose of this course is to help you develop the skills you need to excel in the Computer Science major and to give you a view of modern Computer Science and possible career paths. One of the main goals of this course is that you develop close relationships with the other students in the class since these are the people with whom you will be completing homework, studying, working on projects, and attending conferences. In addition, you will meet each of the faculty. Most importantly, our goal is for you to feel a sense of belonging as we welcome you into our community. 🤗
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Get along with with many of the LMU Computer Science community members
- Have developed strategies for success in the Computer Science major
- Describe various fields of Computer Science and career opportunities
- Name several famous computer scientists
Prerequisites
You should be a computer science major in your first semester of college.Workload
In accordance with the LMU Credit Hour Policy, this 0-unit course has no specific hourly outside-of-class work or study requirements, though attendance at community and social events may be part of the expectations for the satisfaction of the learning outcomes.
Assignments and Grading
This course is pass/fail based on (1) attendance and participation and (2) completion of a presentation on a famous computer scientist on the last day of class.
In addition, students will be (3) responsible for attending a number of department and college events as a part of your orientation to all things LMU and LMU CS. These events include student organization meetings, college events, and socials. These events will announced on Slack well ahead of time. Also, if you know of an LMU-affiliated meeting taking place, please add the name, date, time and an RSVP to the Slack Channel. You will be rewarded with much respect and appreciation from the teaching staff and your fellow students for your sharing!
Student Rights and Responsibilities
You have the right to:
- A syllabus with stated learning outcomes
- Have those learning outcomes addressed
- Chats with the instructor during office hours
- Have questions answered via email (one-day turnaround max)
- Video and text chats with the instructor
- Feedback on your work
- A challenging experience (you should be working a little outside your comfort zone)
- All lecture sessions recorded and stored online for you to access
- An experience beyond what you would get from books, websites, online tutorials, and discussion forums
- Feel like you belong (if you are experiencing impostor syndrome or stereotype threat, please see the instructor)
- Leave the course better skilled than when you came in
In return, you are expected to:
- Use the lab resources, TA time, and instructor time when you need them
- Stay on top of all course announcements, both on BrightSpace and Slack
- Watch the course recording if you miss class
- Perform work conscientiously, neatly, and in a timely manner
- Be considerate and respectful to your fellow students
- Be honest with yourself and others
- Finish the course or withdraw by the withdrawal deadline
For online courses, I recommend your camera be turned on unless you have bandwidth problems or need to step away.
Two Tips for Success
You've probably seen hundreds of these, but there are two that stand out.
First, be aware of how many students trick themselves in to thinking they’re learning. Cramming and rereading do not move information from your working memory into long-term memory. Short-term working memory is not “learned.” Recall is the most effective. Please work through Nicky Case’s interactive essay How to remember everything forever-ish. (Also, this article backs up the importance of recall.)
Second, use checklists, as these are incredibly effective. Read Atul Gawande’s The Checklist and think about how you apply these to your studies.
Topics
In-class Topics
| Date | Topics and Activities |
|---|---|
| Aug 30 | Welcome and overview of LMU Computer Science (LMUCS). Slack signup. Pointer to Student Guide. Key people. Curriculum overview. |
| Sep 6 | Guest: Dr. Forney. First Year Advising Committee (FYAC). Academic Honesty. Bytes and Nybbles. In-depth Slack activity themed around ACM Tech News. Students will learn Slack threads and tagging. |
| Sep 13 | Computing and Computer Science landscape. Fixed and Growth Mindsets. Related disciplines and careers. Slack activity: non-traditional careers in CS |
| Sep 20 | Dr. Johnson introduction and research (project management and networking). Early alert reminder. Grace Hopper and her contributions to languages and compilers. The GHC. Slack activity: share bio, fun facts, and pictures of Grace Murray Hopper. |
| Sep 27 | Dr. Toal intro and research (Programming languages and security). Code along! 3-D graphics in JavaScript. Slack activity: Share your code. |
| Oct 4 | Dr. Yazdansepas introduction and research (ubiquitous computing, realtime activity recognition, wearables). |
| Oct 11 | Slack welcome: Favorite dessert. Dr. Korpusik introduction and research (AI, NLP, Spoken Dialog Systems). Tips for College success. |
| Oct 18 | Slack welcome: Emojis for the feels. Guests: Dr. Farzindar and alum Chris Dellomes. Academia + Industry Double Header. Industry careers. Academic research. |
| Oct 25 | The department-wide Faculty Lightning Talks will take place at the regular class time. Attendance is required (Checkin on slack). Keck-O-Ween party follows the talk. |
| Nov 1 | Slack welcome: What did you learn at the lightning talks last week? Dr. Forney introduction and research, with a presentation on PsycholgAI and opportunities for research in our Applied Cognitive Technologies Lab. |
| Nov 8 | Dr. Korpusik on Metacognition. Dr. Toal on belonging in tech, avoiding impostor syndrome, and avoiding stereotype threat. |
| Nov 15 | Grad school opportunities. Slack Activity: your thoughts on grad school. Activity: Muddy City. Slack activity: post your solutions as pictures, also with a text description of the algorithm you discovered. |
| Nov 22 | Slack welcome: Coolest use of computers in medicine. Dr. Freitas introduction and research (networking, data management systems, sound). Activity: Tourist Town. |
| Nov 29 | Dr. Dionisio research: Interaction Design, Genomic Mapping. Preparation and research for final projects. Tell us who you will be reporting on on Slack. |
| Dec 6 | Grad School Opportunities. Industry Careers, presented by Gregory James from LMU’s Career and Professional Development Office. |
The final project will be a video presentation on a famous or infamous computer scientist, which students will post on Slack.
Community and Social Events
These may or may not be scheduled during our Tuesday Meeting Time. Attendance is encouraged for all, but required for two.
- Keck Welcome Day
- Bytes and Nybbles Social
- Keck-o-ween
- Faculty Lightning Talks
- Kecksgiving
- Fall Fun Programming Contest
- Keckmas
Additional Information
Tentative Nature of the Syllabus. If necessary, this syllabus and its contents are subject to revision; students are responsible for any changes or modifications announced or distributed in class or posted online.
Course Evaluation. Student feedback on this course provides valuable information for continued improvement. All students are expected to fairly and thoughtfully complete a course evaluation for this course. Course evaluations for the Seaver College of Science and Engineering are administered online through the Blue™ evaluation system. You will receive an e-mail notification at your Lion e-mail address when the evaluation form is available. You may also access the evaluation form on Brightspace during the evaluation period. A few minutes of class time will be reserved for you to complete a course evaluation near the end of the semester. Please bring a laptop, smart phone, tablet or other mobile device to class on this date so that you can access the online evaluation platform.
Academic Honesty. Loyola Marymount University is a community dedicated to academic excellence, student- centered education and the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. As such, the University expects all members of its community to act with honesty and integrity at all times, especially in their academic work. Academic honesty respects the intellectual and creative work of others, flows from dedication and pride in performing one’s own best work, and is essential if true learning is to take place. As an LMU Lion, you are pledged to join the discourse of the academy with honesty of voice and integrity of scholarship.
Academic dishonesty will be treated as an extremely serious matter with severe consequences that can range from receiving no credit for an assignment or test to failing the class, to expulsion. It is never permissible to turn in any work not been authored by you without properly acknowledging the source. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work meets the standard of academic honesty set forth in the “LMU Honor Code and Process” which appears in the LMU Bulletin.
Special Accommodations. Students with special needs who require reasonable modifications, special assistance, or accommodations in this course should promptly direct their request to the Disability Support Services (DSS) Office. Any student who currently has a documented disability (ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning, Physical, or Psychiatric) needing academic accommodations should contact the DSS Office in Daum Hall, as early in the semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please visit LMU DSS for additional information. Please request any needed assistance as early in the semester as possible.
Wellness. Please familiarize yourself with, and make use, of the resources at Lion Wellness as needed.
Reporting Requirements of Sexual or Interpersonal Misconduct. As responsible employees, faculty are required to report any case of suspected sexual or interpersonal misconduct and cannot protect student confidentiality. For information about confidential counseling on campus and for general information about consensual relationships, sexual harassment, and sexual assault, please visit LMU Cares.
Emergency Preparedness. To report an emergency or suspicious activity, phone the LMU Department of Public Safety (x222 or 310-338-2893) or at the nearest emergency call box. In the event of an evacuation, follow the evacuation signage throughout the building to the designated safe refuge area where you will receive further instruction from Public Safety or a Building Captain. For more safety information and preparedness tips, visit LMU DPS.