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Syllabus, Spring, 2009 CSci 1121: Introduction to the Internet

Instructor: Dr. Carl Sturtivant, carl@cs.umn.edu

Required Textbooks: "The Web Wizard's Guide to XHTML", Cheryl M. Hughes, Addison-Wesley 2005. "The Web Wizard's Guide to XML", Cheryl M. Hughes, Addison-Wesley 2003. "The Web Wizard's Giude to JavaScript", Steven G. Estrella, Addison-Wesley 2001.

Read this document very carefully, as it defines what is required to perform effectively in this class. Approximate Course content

Concepts of the internet, analog vs digital communication, networking, packet switching, software protocols. File transfer (ftp), remote login (ssh). Creating web pages using XHTML and Cascading Style Sheets, and simple JavaScript. XML. Advanced programming concepts: Java, Python, CGI, Database Servers.

Evaluation: The following rules will be strictly enforced. Evaluation will consist of assignments (7), a Midterm exam, and a Final exam. Assignments are a vital part of the learning process: persons who do not submit reasonable attempts at all seven assignments will receive an F for the course. Due dates for assignments are strict: all assignments must be received by electronic submission on or before 11:59pm on the due date in order to receive credit. Keep a copy of each of your submissions and the electronic acknowledgement of submission as evidence that you have indeed submitted each assignment. Do not ever put your assignment under the instructor's office door. Grading is absolute (i.e. not on a curve). The overall grade will be based upon: 7% for each homework, 11% for the midterm, and 40% for the final. A minimum of 60% is necessary for an S or C- grade. Grading will be as follows: 95.0% or above yields an A, 90.0% an A-, 85% = B+, 80% = B, 75% = B-, 70% =: C+, 65% = C, 60% = C-, 55% = D+, 50% = D, and less than 50% yields an F. Percentages are not rounded when using this scheme, because this would be tantamount to moving all of the grade boundaries down by 0.5%. Grading is performed by the TA. If you have a question about grading, address it to the TA. Only if something wholely unreasonable has occurred will the instructor intervene. And this has not yet proved necessary. Furthermore, there is a limit of ten (10) days from the point a grade for an assignement or examination is posted in GRIT for grading problems to be rectified. After that period, such will not be considered. The sole exception to this rule is the final examination. Please ensure that you verify promptly that your assigment and examination grades have been recorded on GRIT, and complain to the TA if a grade record is missing. Incompletes (or make up exams) will in general not be given. These options will be considered only when a provably serious family or personal emergency arises, proof is presented, and the student has already completed all but a small portion of the work. Scholastic conduct Scholastic conduct must be acceptable. Specifically, you must do your assignments and examinations yourself, on your own. Any code that is not your own must be treated as a quotation would be in an essay: i.e. fully acknowledged.