Course Information
Welcome
Instructor
-
Nery Chapetón-Lamas (he/him/el)
- Email: nery@miracosta.edu
- Text: 760-695-6379
- Student Office Hours: Tues 10am-12pm, Zoom
- Times above don't work?
- Book an appointment here!
Meeting Time & Location
- Asynchronous, Online
Important Dates
- Last Day to Drop w/o W: 02/03/2025
- Last Day to Drop w/ W: 04/24/2025
- P/NP Date: 05/23/2025
- Final Exam: online, see Canvas
Course Description
This course introduces beginning or exploring students to core principles, theories, and topics in computer science while emphasizing their relevance in society. Topics include general computational problem-solving techniques, design of digital devices, how computers work, and how to design, implement, test, and document programs in both an interactive and a high-level programming language (Python). This course is highly recommended for students prior to taking a beginning programming class (CS 111, CS 150, CS 130, CS 138, or CS 155), non-computer science majors, or those interested in exploring computer science.
Course Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate the following outcomes:
- You will be able to understand the breadth of Computer Science as a discipline and evaluate its impact on societal challenges and transformations.
- You will be able to apply critical thinking to take a computational problem through the process of design, implementation, documentation, and testing.
- You will be able to determine appropriate solutions to programming problems through analysis of programming fundamentals and application of computer science principles.
- You will be able to work collaboratively and cooperatively in pairs to develop their understanding of computer science topics and principles, as well as create computer programs that implement proposed solutions.
Course-Level Question
Course Topics
The semester is broken up into multiple units, each unit organized 3-4 weeks of material into a bigger idea in our course. Each week, we cover a new skill/concept and connect it to the unit theme. The following is an overview of the units and topics for this course:- Unit 1: Intro to Programming
- Welcome + OKR
- Intro to Snap! and Python
- Abstraction, Data, and Functions
- CS in Education
- Unit 2: Programming Fundamentals and Solving Problems
- Software Development Lifecycle - Planning + Analysis
- Conditionals, Lists, and Algorithms
- Algorithmic Bias
- Human Computer Interaction and Accessibility
- Unit 3: Advanced Programming Concepts
- Software Development Lifecycle - Design
- Recursion, Higher Order Functions, File input/output (I/O)
- Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) in Python
- Privacy
- Unit 4: Project Implementation
- Software Development Lifecycle - Implementation & Testing
- Programming Paradigms
- Saving the World with Computing
Grade Policies
In this class we don’t value perfection at a specific time, we value learning at our pace and getting to the finish line together. The policies below reflect that, and although they may be new to you and confusing at times, please trust they are flexible to accomodate our diverse set of students and are designed to support all of you! Please don’t hesitate to ask me about the policies, specific examples, or where you are grade-wise at any point this semester!
Deadlines
The only hard deadline is at the end of week 16, for anything. All deadlines for this course are guidelines to give you some structure, treat them as recommendations to help you keep up with the pace of the course materials. No matter what comes up this semester, you can automatically assume that you can take the extra time you need to submit anything! No late penalties and unlimited resubmissions, the whole point is to learn the material regardless of how much time it takes. Obviously, staying as close to those guidelines will ensure you don’t fall behind as things inevitably pile up during the semester.
I’ll use the deadlines as a guide for keeping up with grading. I’ll also use them to check in with you, so if you haven’t participated in the week’s materials by those dates you can expect a message from me to see how I can help you keep up and thrive in our class!
Grading
My goal is for you to learn as much as you can in this course, and traditional grading can get in the way of that. That is why we’ll be using Specifications Grading: each assignment will have a rubric stating the expectations for Complete (✓) and Incomplete (✘). That means you’ll know exactly how to earn the grade you want, no mysteries or guessing! As mentioned above in the Deadlines section, you have unlimited resubmissions to get the grade you’d like. You get to try until you get the grade you want at the end of the semester!
You need to get a Complete (✓) score on the number of assignments below. ALL of the row must be complete to earn that final grade. The requirements for each final course grades are below:
| To earn a(n): | # HW Programming Projects | # Labs | # Discussion Posts | # Final Project Deliverables | # Parts of Personal OKR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | >= 14 | >= 6 | All 4 | All 3 Parts |
| B | 2 | >= 12 | >= 5 | All 4 | All 3 Parts |
| C/P | 1 | >= 10 | >= 4 | All 4 | All 3 Parts |
| D/NP | >= 6 | >= 1 |
Note that to pass the course, you MUST complete all parts for Final Project and Personal OKR. Remember that you can resubmit any assignment multiple times, the feedback I provide will be specific to what is needed to receive a complete on that specific assignment.
How To Succeed
All of the course material can be found through our Canvas course. Each of the following are learning opportunities, the more thoughtfully you engage the more learning can happen! In an asynchronous online course, we don’t have the usual weekly meetings. However, your flow each week will be similar except for the meeting time. The following structure will help you keep up with the pace of the materials, but remember you always have me to check in with and I’ll be doing the same with you! Each week will go by this structure (see Canvas for each weeks specific topic materials and breakdown):
Learning Opportunities
There are multiple assignment types to help you learn as much as you can this semester. Please take full advantage of all opportunities provided. Your ideas and contributions are important and I hope you share them with us.
Discussion Posts
These are opportunities to connect with your classmates, as well as with deeper concepts in the course.
- Usually based off a reading or video, all accessible online for free, no textbook cost for this class!
- Reflection questions are provided for you to answer, as well as details on providing thoughtful replies to your classmates posts
Lab Exercises
These assignments are a teaching tool to give you hands-on experience with a programming language (Snap!, a visual block language, and Python, a traditional typed language)
- For online courses, you can pair up with students you’d like to work with at your convenience
- A lab solution video, called a lab demo, is provided at the end of the week that contains the instructor walking step-by-step through one possible solution, going over the weeks concepts and connections to our industry
Homework
The purpose of the homework is to apply what you’ve learned through the labs on a more challenging problem.
- Larger projects and no solution (lab demo) videos are provided to assess your learning
- You can still collaborate and get support from your instructor and the STEM Center! Remember, you’re not in this alone!
Personal Objective and Key Results (OKR)
Customizing the class to fit your needs and goals. This goal can be personal, academic, career-oriented, the possibilities are endless!
- At the start of the semester you’ll set a goal or intent that aligns with the course
- Not programming (Snap!/Python) related, it can be but you’re encouraged to think outside the box! Not any course assignments either, something completely YOU!
- You’ll create milestones towards your objective that will be part of your final grade
Final Project
This culminating assignment will be a collection of your work demonstrating your mastery of the learning outcomes. It will include…
- A programming project, in your choice of either Python or Snap!, that hits the main programming concepts of the course
- This project is proposed, designed, and built over the whole semester and introduces you to the software development lifecycle
- Your reflection of your learning and personal OKR
- A presentation of your course final project and OKR Assessment
Recommendations
It is strongly recommended you use the following resources as needed and as early as possible, not just to pass the course but to thrive. These good habits will definitely be expected of you as a CS major in more advanced courses!
- Review prep material by the start of the week, understanding whatever parts you didn’t before and ask questions on anything that is still unclear
- Visit the STEM Learning Center for tutoring appointments/drop-ins, this can be done for the prepwork, working on a lab, or better yet both! I especially recommend tutoring appointments, they’re what got me through so many of my CS/STEM classes!
- Use our communication platform to talk with other students and myself, get any questions answered (including extra/beyond material questions!)
- Set up an appointment with me for a 1-on-1 breakdown of the material. The best part of my job is interacting with students, it’s why I chose teaching over industry!
Course Policies
“I feel that if we don’t take seriously the ways in which racism is embedded in structures of institutions, if we assume that there must be an identifiable racist who is the perpetrator, then we won’t ever succeed in eradicating racism.” -Angela Davis
Academic Integrity
First of all, be aware of your rights in how the college defines academic integrity and the appeal process in case you’re ever accused of cheating.
As far as our class, we encourage collaboration and learning in community. Such deep collaboration can make it hard to learn when these policies are on your mind. Please know that all the grace and best intention are assumed of you, it is also why our grading and deadline policy are the way they are! I am not in the business of policing and trying to catch you cheating. My purpose is to support your learning.
However, sometimes blatant academic dishonesty happens and our courses are especially easy to find answers for and give into. Should you and/or any involved parties be so obvious, I’ll facilitate a conversation about what got us there and create an action plan on how:
- I can better support you to ensure the challenge of the material is attainable in our time together
- You can reach the learning objective without resorting to shortcuts that cut off learning
Most classes would assign all involved parties a zero and move on. But that means you didn’t reach the learning objective! Instead, like any other graded assignment, I will also provide feedback in that meeting on what is needed for you to still reach that learning objective.
Generative AI Policy
We are living in an explosion of generative AI technology (ChatGPT, GitHub CoPilot, etc.) that has shaken several industries, including education. Like most tools, we work in this class to understand their limitations and how to best apply them to a given problem that factors in a real-world context. The scale for impact is enormous, and again likemost tools can be used for good but is often disastrous because of the systemic barriers and oppression that exists in our society.
As far as this course, you are encouraged to use these tools to support your learning. Examples of this include, but are not limited to:
- generating ideas for projects
- explaining a concept from our course
- explainin line(s) of code
- debugging your code
Can you use these tools to complete projects? Absolutely! But if you love this field, are passionate about the good you can do in society and your future academic/professional goals, I have no doubt that you’re using it for academic dishonesty. Instead, I invite you to share with me and your classmates how you use it to learn. That’ll teach me new ways I haven’t explore and can bring into the classroom too!
Finally, our academic integrity policy above withstanding, the best thing you can do is not trust generative AI. Take everything it says with a grain of salt, be critical and verify its answers. Just like you’re learning in various college classes to research and check trusted sources, it is especially important you do the same with tools like ChatGPT that have been known to have “hallucinations” or perpetuate human biases that we’ve built into them. Bring what you find into our classroom discussions, that’s what a learning environment is meant to do!
Online Etiquette
Are you struggling with the online environment? Are you new to online learning? Regardless of in-person/onground, Zoom, or fully asynchrnous online classes, a lot of your learning is done online! Checkout resources like the Student Support Hub and the Online Help Hut and Student Support Desk. The college has tons of Online Education Resources, like Student Online Academic Readiness (SOAR) 1-hour workshops online and in person throughout the semester.
What about day-to-day studying and participating in class? This guide on “Reshaping Your School Schedule During Remote Instruction” might help. The following are good guidelines for most classes and are expect for any online meetings (like student office hours, etc.) as well:
- Mute your mic if you are not talking/participating. Feel free to turn it on whenever you have a question or would like to answer, this is to minimize background noise.
- Raise your hand (or click the button for it). It really helps keep us organized on Zoom.
- Dress for your online class as you would in your in-person class. Online learning is uncomfortable as it is, we don’t want to see inappropriate videos of each other.
- Be kind to one another. Including yourself! Checkout our Discord for more details.
Policy On Children In Class
Currently, the college does not have a formal policy on children in the classroom. The policy described here is just a reflection of my own beliefs and commitments to student parents:
- There are times where you may have your camera/microphone on, or are simply in class participating in an activity, and your child(ren) need(s) you for whatever reason. No need to apologize, simply click the Away status button 🕓 in Zoom in case anyone in the class needs your attention. You can also mute your camera/microphone for your own privacy and to minimize distractions for other students.
- If you need to leave for any reason, you can directly message me in the Zoom chat to give me a heads up or simply logoff, and handle the more important situation. We can always reconnect after class.
Finally, I understand that often the largest barrier to completing your coursework once you become a parent is the tiredness many parents feel in the evening once children have finally gone to sleep. While I maintain the same high expectations for all students in my classes regardless of parenting status, I am happy to problem-solve with you in a way that makes you feel supported as you strive for school-parenting balance. Keep in mind, this is exactly why our grading and deadline policies are what they are!
Attendance
Note that if you do not interact with the course in first week of class you may be dropped from the course. MiraCosta’s policy for attendance “in an online environment, nonparticipation in class activities will be interpreted as nonattendance.” That means, not participating in the first week’s activities like discussion board posts and labs.
Each week I’ll be checking everyone’s progress, if you’re missing all (or some) activities by the end of the week you can expect me to reach out (through our communication platform, email, Canvas message, etc.) to check-in and see how you’re doing. It’s very easy to fall behind, in an online class especially, trust me I’ve been there as a student and faculty! My job this semester is to support you the way you need to keep you on pace to the finish line.
By having a conversation, we can figure out the best way to support you so you can succeed in the class! Do not assume, however, that you will be automatically dropped if you are not active in the class. I will reach out multiple times to check-in, but ultimately it is your responsibility to withdraw from class in SURF before the appropriate academic deadline.
Student Resources
“As a classroom community, our capacity to generate excitement is deeply affected by our interest in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, in recognizing one another’s presence.” - bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress
Student Communities
You’ll be learning a lot each semester, but you don’t have to do it alone! The following are some awesome organizations and clubs our department supports:
ASE Programs
Academic Success and Equity (ASE) Programs intentionally center communities that have been historically marginalized in traditional higher education settings: students who are Black & African-American, Latinx & Chicanx, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, Undocumented, DACAmented, mixed status, former foster youth, formerly incarcerated, justice/system impacted, and LGBTQIA+ students.
MESA Program
The Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program was established in California in 1970 to support students from underrepresented and underserved communities successfully transfer to 4-year institutions in calculus based STEM majors through services like one-on-one counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and internship opportunities. The MESA program is open to all students who meet the eligibility criteria: 1st gen college student, intent to transfer to a 4-year institution, declared in a calculus-based STEM field, have no previous Bachelor’s degree in any field, demonstrate financial need (such as qualifying for a PELL grant, Cal Grant, CA DREAM Act, GI Bill, Federal Work Study, Cal Fresh, or other need-based/subsidized Financial Aid).
CSCG Club
The Computer Science for Common Good (CSCG) Club, formerly known as the Computer Science and Women in Computer Science Clubs, is a student organization whose purpose is to empower disenfranchised members in the Computer Science field such as —but not limited to— Women, Black, PoC, Undocumented, LGBTQIA+ and Disabled students in order to help them succeed and thrive as future Computer Scientists, Software Engineers, Data Scientists or any other related occupation.
Game Design Club
The Game Design Club wants to connect students in collaborating, sharing community resources, participating in game jams, and learning from projects and tutorials. Story writers, musicians, visual artists, or programmers, students from all backgrounds and interests are encouraged to join. Games capture such a variety of skills and experience we would love to help all students on the steps to making the games they have dreamed of. You can join their Discord Server for announcements and meetings.
CS-Specific Support Services
Having trouble with a CS concept or homework? We have lots of services to support CS students, here’s a flowchart to help you find what might work best for you:
STEM Learning Center
The STEM Learning Center provides free and superior student support to all MiraCosta students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses utilizing a friendly, inviting environment with qualified instructors, professional subject matter experts, and trained tutors and staff. All CS courses are supported, with in-person dropin hours/appointments Mon-Fri and online Zoom hours Sun-Fri!
MESA Student Tutoring
Are you a MESA student? Then you qualify for additional free peer tutoring in the MESA Center to support you in your STEM courses!
Internships
Internship information and more in our CS Department site.
Student Support Services
Support doesn’t just come in the form of clubs/tutoring, here are just a few you can find links to in the full Student Support guide:
Technology Needs
If you are in need of a laptop and/or mobile hotspot for fall, the library will be loaning equipment for the fall semester for enrolled credit students (that’s you!). Please fill out a CARE Referral form. Equipment will be loaned on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you’ve completed the form, the library will contact you with further information and pickup options. If you currently have equipment from the library, it must be returned before you can apply to borrow equipment again. If you have further questions, please contact Michelle Ohnstad, Library Operations Manager.
Academic Accommodations
If you have a disability or medical condition impacting learning and have not yet been authorized to receive academic accommodations, you’re encouraged to contact the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) office (formerly known as Disabled Students Programs and Services or DSPS). They can be reached at (760) 795-6658, or sas@miracosta.edu, and will help determine accommodations that are available for you.
LGBTQIA+ Resources
MiraCosta is committed to equity and inclusion for students, faculty, and staff members who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual. The district employs a Campus Liaison for LGBTQIA+ needs, offers LGBTQIA Safe Space training, and has multiple student scholarships.
Undocumented/Mixed-Status Students (UPRISE)
I am an unapologetic and unafraid Ally Educator to undocumented students and their families. I will not inquire about your status, and it is entirely at your discretion to disclose the information if you feel comfortable doing so. You can always contact me if you have questions or concerns about your status or would like guidance toward resources to ensure your success while at MiraCosta College. Did you know we have a program dedicated to Undocumented and Mixed Status Students? UPRISE (Undocumented Student Rise in Solidarity and Empowerment) provides legal consultations, mental health counseling, academic and career counseling, entrepreneurship trainings, peer network events, and more for students and loved ones!
EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs & Services)
The EOPS program’s mission is to encourage the enrollment, retention, graduation and transfer of students disadvantaged by language barriers and/or social, economic and educational circumstances. EOPS services are designed to give students individualized attention and support as they work to achieve their academic goals. EOPS provides specialized counseling, education planning, priority registration, textbook vouchers and loans, and CalWORKs program. Check the EOPS website for eligibility requirements and to chat with a program counselor.
CARE Resource Guide for Basic Needs
It can be difficult to be present and maintain focus if you have challenges meeting basic needs such as a place to live, access to food, consistent transportation, and more. These challenges may impact your personal and academic success and we are here to help. Our Campus Assessment, Resources, and Education (CARE) program provides assistance with locating resources on- and off-campus to meet those basic needs. I urge you to speak with me so that I may submit a CARE referral on your behalf. You may also visit the CARE website or contact care@miracosta.edu for further support, resources, or information.
Counseling Resources
As a student, there may be times when personal stressors interfere with your academic performance and/or negatively impact your daily life. If you or someone you know is having difficulty meeting basic needs such as food, housing, or transportation, or experiencing other personal and academic challenges, MiraCosta’s CARE Team is here to provide support and/ or help you get connected to appropriate resources. You may fill out a CARE referral form to request assistance, or schedule free mental health counseling sessions at Health Services or by calling 760-795-6675. For after hours crisis management, you may call 1-888-724-7240. As a faculty member, I also may refer students about whom I am concerned to the CARE Team. This is part of who we are as a caring, proactive community where we all look out for one another. Also note this semester there are weekly group sessions for: students with autism, Black students, recovery support, LGBTQIA+ students, single parents, chronic illness, and undocumented students. Check their blog for more workshop series.
Transportation Assistance Request Form
Our CARE team is migrating all transportation requests for Bus Passes, Gas Cards, and Uber Discount Program to be completed through the Transportation Assistance Request form. This form will help cut down communication time in gathering key information to process these requests. You may review these instructions on how to complete if assistance is needed to navigate this new form. Please utilize this form to request transportation support from us INSTEAD of the CARE referral form.
Lactation Room
Students may also use the facilities as scheduling permits. Located at T305C on the Oceanside Campus (north of the 3500/3600 rooms), the room has a posted schedule. There is a sign that can be posted on the door when the room is in use. The lactation room is equipped with a recliner chair and a table. Lactation room does not have a refrigerator. Contact Human Resources for authorization: Carolyn Sneary 760.795.6855
Veteran Services
Veterans Services consists of the Veterans Education Office and the Veterans Information Center, the staff is committed to helping you achieve our academic goals.