CompSci 111/111G Summer School 2020
An Introduction to Practical Computing

A practical introduction to computing that will build confidence and familiarity with computers. Topics include: web design, an overview of computer hardware and operating systems, effective use of common applications, using the Internet as a communication medium, applying programming concepts, and social implications of technology.

As part of their practical work, students will create web pages, and use a variety of home and office applications including word processing, spreadsheets and databases.

This course is designed for students who want a general introduction to computing. Experience with a wide range of practical applications will provide transferable skills that will be equally useful in academic and industry environments. No prior experience with computers is required, and help is always readily available from the teaching staff.

For the Summer Semester there are 6 lectures per week, and students will be required to attend 2 three-hour laboratories per week.

A copy of the course information sheet which contains contact information for staff, staff office hours, assessment summary, how to catch up on a missed lecture or lab, how to seek assistance, can be found here.

• Labs are a compulsory part of the course. They are worth 30% of your final mark.
• Please note that to pass the course, you must pass both the practical (labs) and the theory (test + exam) components separately.
• Each week you will have 2 laboratory sessions.
• On SSO (Student Services Online) your Monday/Tuesday lab will be labelled "Lab" and your Thursday/Friday lab will be labelled "Tut".
• Labs start in the second half of Week 1 (Thursday 9th or Friday 10th January depending on which session you have chosen). Please locate the tutorial lab room before Thursday 9th January and check that your login and password work on our computers.
• All labs are held in the First Floor Teaching Laboratory (FTL) - Room 175 of the Computer Science building (Building 303S).
• Lab assignments must be handed into the appropriate hand-in box (located outside the FTL) before the start of your next laboratory session.
• If you have any problems or queries regarding the labs, please see the course supervisor, Ann Cameron.

• The Compsci111/111G online reference manual contains notes to supplement the lectures and labs and will be useful as a reference in the labs.

• Marks can be checked via the Canvas system.
  Please check your marks each week and contact Ann Cameron if there are any problems.

• The test is worth 20% of your final mark.
• Date and Time: Wednesday, 29th January from 11:30am until 12:30pm
• Location: Fisher and Paykel Appliances Auditorium (F&PAA - Room 260-115)
• Please arrive by 11:15am as you will be given 5 minutes' reading time.
• Material Covered: Everything in Lectures 1 - 13 and Labs 1 - 4.
• Calculators, cellphones and watches are not permitted
• Please turn your phone off and leave it in your bag
• Please bring: pencils, eraser, Student Id card
• The test contains Multi-Choice questions and you will be answering these questions on a teleform sheet. You must use pencil on the teleform sheet. Please read the following instructions on filling out a Teleform sheet before you go to the test:
• How to fill out a Teleform sheet
  

• The final exam is worth 50% of your final mark.
• Date and Time: To be announced by the Exams Office halfway through the semester
• It is a 2 hour exam. Please check Student Services Online for a confirmation of the date and time.
• Examination room allocations will be available online the day before your exam.
• The exam is closed book, and calculators, cellphones and watches are not permitted.
• Please bring: pencils, eraser, ruler, Student Id card
• Good luck :)
• Past exams can be found on our Tests and Exams Page

A student who successfully completes this course should:

• have confidence with and a general knowledge of personal computers
• be able to write simple computer programs
• be able to use some common applications, e.g. spreadsheets, word processing, databases
• have knowledge of the Internet and its social issues, as well as other types of networks
• be able to design and write a simple web page
• have a basic understanding of the origins and design of computing hardware and software
• have a basic understanding of selected current research topics in Computer Science (e.g. AI and Game Design)