Syllabus

IST 153: Computer Program Design
Instructor: Paula Worthington
4 Credits

Overview
Objectives
Materials
Grading
Exams
Introductory Letter
Access to Student E-Mail
Submitting Homework Assignments
ELI Policies and Procedures
Contacting the Instructor
Weekly Course Outline
Overview   
This course teaches the design of programming solutions to common programming problems in information systems. It surveys methods and styles of structured modular design, using recognized design tools.

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Objectives   
In this course, you will learn how to:
     
  • Analyze a variety of business problems. 
  • Identify and sequence the phases of the program development cycle as well as the purpose, tools and products of each. 
  • Apply structured and object oriented design to a variety of business problems. 
  • Apply structured and object oriented design to a variety of business problems.
  • Apply fundamental design control structures to program design. 
  • Apply fundamental object-oriented principles to program design. 
  • Apply appropriate modularization to program design. 
  • Use the basic control structures to design the logic required to:
    1. Accept Input (file, interactive)
    2. Create Output (file, report, screen)
    3. Perform simple calculations and accumulations
    4. Include simple, nested, and sequential decisions
    5. Include leading decision and trailing decision loops, both simple and nested
    6. Implement array concepts in design to include loading, accessing, searching, and listing
    7. Implement event-driven concepts in design
  • Participate in a structured design walkthrough 
  • Create effective test data to check program logic.
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Materials   
You may purchase the textbook for this course at any of the five NVCC bookstores. See ELI Policies and Procedures  for locations and phone numbers. You may also purchase your textbook by mail by calling (888) 744-7839. Purchasing textbooks by mail takes longer, so order your book early. 

For this course, purchase the following text: 

Tools for Structured Design - An Introduction to Programming Logic: Marilyn Bohl and Maria Rynn (Fourth Edition). ISBN: 0-13-626466-2

 

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Grading   
Assignment Possible Points Percent of Final Grade
Introductory Letter 0 0
Homework  20  20 
Exam 1 20 20
Exam 2 20 20
Exam 3 20 20
Exam 4 20 20
Grading Scale
A  90-100 
B  80-89 
C  70-79 
D  60-69 
F  59 and below 
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Exams 
 
Since ELI courses are self-paced, you take exams when you are ready. You must take the exams at one of the five NVCC campus Testing Centers. See ELI Policies and Procedures for locations and phone numbers and information about proctors for students who live outside the Northern Virginia area. Call the Testing Center before you go to make sure they will be open and will stay open long enough for you to complete the exams. Take along a photo ID and the appropriate Exam Pass.

There are four exams in this course, each accounting for 20% of your final grade. The exams are given after each major section in the textbook. The exam consists of questions about the topics covered in the chapters and a problem similar to your homework problems.

 

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Introductory Letter
 
In the first week of the course, you are to submit an Introductory Letter indicating your background, career plans, goals that relate to this course, and why you are enrolled in the course.

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Access to Student Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
All NOVA students are given an email account. To send homework assignments and questions to me you can either use your personal email account of your student email account. 

For information on how to use your student email account, click here for instructions.

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Submitting Homework Assignments
Once you complete the introductory letter and your homework assignment, you need to email the letter and the homework assignments to me at PWorthington@nvcc.edu.  You can fax the flowcharts to me at 703-323-3392 or 703-323-3015 or mail them to me at the ELI location. Attach a cover sheet to your assignment with the following information:
     
  • Name 
  • Student Number (Social Security Number) 
  • ATTN: IST 153 
  • Home Campus 
  • Assignment Name
Mail your assignment to ELI along with a self-addressed envelope, so that responses can be sent to you more quickly. Use the address: 

Extended Learning Institute
ATTN: IST 153
Northern Virginia Community College
8333 Little River Turnpike
Annandale, VA 22003-3796

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ELI Policies and Procedures
This is an Extended Learning Institute (ELI) course. ELI courses differ from campus courses in several important ways, including enrollment dates, communication with faculty, assignment completion requirements, and exams. You must follow ELI's policies and procedures if you take this course. Read (or review) ELI's Policies and Procedures before you begin the course. 

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Contacting the Instructor 
You may contact me by email at PWorthington@nvcc.edu, or by telephone at (703) 323-3264. You may also call me to schedule a meeting in person at my office on the Annandale campus - CC Building Room 220.

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Weekly Course Outline 
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week  5
Week  6
Week  7
Week  8
Week  9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16

Weekly Assignments

Week 1 - Introductory Letter and Program Development Cycle

  1. Write and submit Introductory Letter
  2. Read and Study Chapter 1 - Introduction to Structured Design
  3. Complete Chapter Exercises
  4. Read Chapter 1 Assignment Page
Go to Week 1 Course Guide
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Week 2 - Simple Sequence Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 2 - Simple Sequence Control Structure
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises 
  3. Read Chapter 2 Assignment Page
Go to Week 2 Course Guide
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Week 3 - IF-THEN-ELSE Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 3 - IF-THEN-ELSE and Null Else Control Structures
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 3 Assignment Page 1
Go to Week 3 Course Guide
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Week 4 - IF-THEN-ELSE Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 3 - Sequential IF-THEN-ELSE and Nested IF-THEN-ELSE Control Structures
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 3 Assignment Page 2
Go to Week 4 Course Guide
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Week 5 - Exam 1

Take Exam 1 (Introduction to Structured Design, Simple Sequence Control Structure and IF-THEN-ELSE Control Structure)

Go to Week 5 Course Guide
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Week 6 - DOWHILE Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 4 - Counter Controlled Control Structure
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 4 Assignment Page 1
Go to Week 6 Course Guide
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Week 7 - DOWHILE Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 4 - Header Record Control Structure
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 4 Assignment Page 2
Go to Week 7 Course Guide
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Week 8 - Exam 2

Take Exam 2 - (DOWHILE Control Structure - Counter Controlled Loop and Header Record Loop)

Go to Week 8 Course Guide
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Week 9 - DOWHILE Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 5 - Trailer Record Control Structure
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 5 Assignment Page 1
Go to Week 9 Course Guide
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Week 10 - DOWHILE Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 5 - Automatic End of File
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 5 Assignment Page 2
Go to Week 10 Course Guide
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Week 11 - Exam 3

Take Exam 3 - (DOWHILE Control Structure - Trailer Record Loop and Automatic End of File Loop)
Go to Week 11 Course Guide
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Week 12 - DOUNTIL Control Structure

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 7 - DOUNTIL loop
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 7 Assignment Page
Go to Week 12 Course Guide
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Week 13 - Introduction to Arrays

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 8 - Introduction to Arrays
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 8 Assignment Page 1
Go to Week 13 Course Guide
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Week 14 - Introduction to Arrays

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 10 - Array Applications
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
  3. Read Chapter 10 Assignment Page
Go to Week 14 Course Guide
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Week 15- Object-Oriented Programming Concepts

     
  1. Read and Study Chapter 9 - Object Oriented Programming Concepts
  2. Complete Chapter Exercises
Go to Week 15 Course Guide
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Week 16 - Exam 4

Take Exam 4 (DOUNTIL Loop, Introduction to Arrays, Object-Oriented Programming Concepts)

Go to Week 16 Course Guide

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