Abstract Data Types and Programming Methodologies
Quick Links: Grading | Daily Schedule | Google Calendar | Brightspace | Class Code (GitHub)
Instructors:
Prof. Daniel R. Schlegel, 464 Shineman Center, daniel.schlegel@oswego.edu
Prof. Elizabeth Wilcox, 458 Shineman Center, elizabeth.wilcox@oswego.edu
Office/Lab hours: Wilcox – M/F: 11:30-12:25, W: 1:50-3:30. Schlegel: M: 2-4 W: 10:20-11:15. Email any time with questions!
Section 800: MWF 12:40-1:35, Shineman 170
Course Description:
A developing computer scientist must understand and explain how their proposed data structures and algorithmic solutions compare to other solutions in terms of complexity, run time, and resource requirements. This course introduces students to traditional techniques used to describe such solutions. In addition, we will look at classic data structures and their applications in order to expand the depth and breadth of a student’s knowledge.
This course is intended to challenge the student to design and implement software based on specifications prepared by the instructor. Throughout the semester, each student will need to identify appropriate design elements and justify their selections.
Course Objectives:
- To employ object-oriented design techniques to model problems and solutions.
- To employ decomposition techniques to break a program into smaller pieces
- To analyze algorithmic solutions using asymptotic notation
- To demonstrate effective use of abstract data types (ADTs), e.g., stacks, queues, lists, hash tables, trees, etc., in their designs
- To demonstrate correct use of recursive algorithms and data structures
- To articulate the advantages and disadvantages of competing algorithmic solutions
Textbooks:
Recommended: Koffman, E.B. and Wolfgang, P.A.T., Data Structures: Abstraction and Design Using Java, 4e. Wiley, 2021.
Useful Resources:
Introduction to Computer Science Using Java
Data Structures @ Wikibooks
Data Structure Visualizations
Java Tutorials @ Oracle
JDK 21 Documentation @ Oracle
Java on LinkedIn Learning
Oswego Office of Learning Services (Tutoring Center)
Attendance and Modality:
As per college policy, attendance in all sessions is obligatory. If you cannot attend a class meeting due to religious, athletic, health related circumstance, or circumstance of particular hardship, please notify us in advance via email. Please be ready to present proof, if necessary.
We meet in person three times a week. There will be no recording, and we won’t work through the content with you in a one-on-one fashion during office hours or an appointment – basically, if you miss class then you missed out on what you signed up for when registering for the class and you will have to work through the content independently. Of course, we will answer questions about the content, if you have any, and there are exceptions for excused absences due to illness etc.
“Go Remote” Days Due to Weather: In short, we value our snow days and will do what is reasonable to make sure that no commuter is in danger, while also maintaining academic integrity. In long, the concept of a “Go Remote” day due to weather is crap. We deserve our snow days. Yes, snow days are a serious inconvenience and create a content crunch, especially if classes are cancelled indiscriminately. But, snow days are also a weather-gifted day of respite and nearly everyone appreciates an occasional day of rest. We may choose to skip certain topics during the semester so that we can afford to cancel class on a “Go Remote” day. If it turns out that many classes are cancelled due to weather, then we will have to assign independent reading / activities to cover some of the content.
Classroom Etiquette:
A positive learning environment relies upon creating an atmosphere where all students feel welcome. Discussion is meant to allow us to hear a variety of viewpoints. This can only happen if we respect each other and our differences. Hostility and disrespectful behavior is not acceptable.
Cell phones and headphones should not be out or used during lecture, and laptops should only be used for taking notes. If use of any electronics becomes distracting to other students we reserve the right to discontinue the allowance of their use.
Attendance and Participation:
As discussed above, attendance is required. Missing more than 6 classes over the course of the semester will result in a letter grade deduction (e.g., B+ to C+). Participation in class activities is also required, and will be measured by examining submitted artifacts created during class time.
Exams:
The midterm exam will happen around Weeks 6 – 8 (essentially, close to midterm break, October 7-8), based on where we are in the course content around the middle of the semester. The final exam will occur during finals week, at the time specified by the Registrar’s Office (Friday, December 11 during the 10:30 am – 12:30 pm time slot).
Exams are most likely to be closed-book, closed-notes and consist of problems directing students to write code and answer conceptual questions. Each exam question will be assigned a point value, questionPoints, where the following general scheme will be used in grading it:
0 — Did not attempt / No serious attempt / Completely incorrect
1/3 ∗ questionPoints — Mostly incorrect solution
2/3 ∗ questionPoints — Somewhat incorrect solution, good ideas or progress
3/3 ∗ questionPoints — Perfect solutions
Intermediate scores will be given as appropriate. The total points received on all questions will then be summed to determine your raw score.
Assignments:
All assignments will be completed alone, but working together without writing or sharing code to come up with general solutions is encouraged. The assignments are difficult, and we recommend starting work on them early, avoiding any tendency toward procrastination. You should plan on spending at least 10 hours per week on course work outside of class.
AI Policy:
No AI or large language models should be used during CSC241. These tools are great and you will be using them in later courses, but foundational skills must be learned through reading, experimentation, trial and error, struggle, and hard work. The skills you learn in this course will help you decide if the answers given by AI models are really helpful or not in your later work, so don’t deprive yourself of that!
Academic Integrity:
SUNY Oswego is committed to Intellectual Integrity. Any form of intellectual dishonesty is a serious concern and therefore prohibited. You can find the full policy online. While it is acceptable to discuss general approaches with your fellow students, the work you turn in must be your own. You may not turn in code found on the internet or generated using AI models. The computer science department has put together this page to help make clear what we consider cheating and how you can avoid it.
Struggle and confusion are normal when working on new tasks, like what you are asked to do on assignments. Learning productive ways to work through the confusion and overcome the struggle is an important part of becoming a computer scientist, of succeeding in college and beyond. A good first
start is to look at class notes and activities, read pertinent parts of the recommended textbook, work through Java tutorials on related topics, and come to office hours.
All parties involved in minor academic integrity violations will receive a score of zero for that quiz/exam/assignment, and all violations will be reported. Minor violations are those which could feasibly happen accidentally or due to a little carelessness. Major violations will result in failing the course. Repeat violations, including across semesters, will result in failing the course.
Grading:
Assignments will be submitted via Brightspace and graded according to the grading criteria. Code which does not compile or immediately crashes will receive no credit. There may be in-class presentations and/or live demos of your work at various points in the semester.
Assignments may be submitted up to five calendar days late with a 5% per day penalty. After five days no credit will be assigned. Outside of this late policy, no late assignments will be accepted. Assignments submitted late will be graded later than those submitted on time.
The total points received on assignments will then summed and divided by the points possible and scaled as appropriate according to the percentages given below.
| Assessment | Points |
|---|---|
| Assignments (7) | 450 |
| Participation | 50 |
| Midterm Exam | 200 |
| Final Exam | 300 |
| Total | 1000 |
You may not receive a grade more than one letter grade above min(exams, assignments). That is, if your exam average is D, the best grade you can achieve in the course is a C. Likewise if you receive an E average on your assignments, the highest grade you can expect is a D.
The default grading for the course will be along the university’s standard grading curve:
| A: 93-100 | C+: 77-79 |
| A-: 90-92 | C: 73-76 |
| B+: 87-89 | C-: 70-72 |
| B: 83-86 | D+: 67-69 |
| B-: 80-82 | D: 60-66 |
| E: 0-59 |
A more generous curve may be used, but should not be expected.
Schedule/Outline:
During the semester we aim to cover the following topics:
- Object Orientation
- Problem-solving Techniques
- Recursion
- Sorting Algorithms
- Basic Search Algorithms
- Lambdas and Streams in Java
- Asymptotic Analysis
- Data Structures
This syllabus and the course schedule are subject to change by the instructor. All changes and related justifications will be announced in class, and updates will be reflected in this web version.
Selected lecture materials which the instructor deems too cumbersome for note taking will be maintained on Brightspace, but most lecture materials will require fastidious note taking on the part of the student.
| Week | Day | Date | Topic | Assignment/Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday | 8/24 | First Day of Class Syllabus and Overview Project Discussion | Assignment 1 due August 31, 11:59PM on Brightspace |
| Wednesday | 8/26 | Object Orientation Review | ||
| Friday | 8/28 | Class Design Access Modifiers Static | ||
| 2 | Monday | 8/31 | ||
| Wednesday | 9/2 | |||
| Friday | 9/4 | |||
| 3 | Monday | 9/7 | No Class - Labor Day | |
| Wednesday | 9/9 | |||
| Friday | 9/11 | |||
| 4 | Monday | 9/14 | ||
| Wednesday | 9/16 | |||
| Friday | 9/18 | |||
| 5 | Monday | 9/21 | ||
| Wednesday | 9/23 | |||
| Friday | 9/25 | |||
| 6 | Monday | 9/28 | ||
| Wednesday | 9/30 | |||
| Friday | 10/2 | |||
| 7 | Monday | 10/5 | ||
| Wednesday | 10/7 | |||
| Friday | 10/9 | No Class - Fall Break | ||
| 8 | Monday | 10/12 | ||
| Wednesday | 10/14 | |||
| Friday | 10/16 | |||
| 9 | Monday | 10/19 | ||
| Wednesday | 10/21 | |||
| Friday | 10/23 | |||
| 10 | Monday | 10/26 | ||
| Wednesday | 10/28 | |||
| Friday | 10/30 | |||
| 11 | Monday | 11/2 | ||
| Wednesday | 11/4 | |||
| Friday | 11/6 | |||
| 12 | Monday | 11/9 | ||
| Wednesday | 11/11 | |||
| Friday | 11/13 | |||
| 13 | Monday | 11/16 | ||
| Wednesday | 11/18 | |||
| Friday | 11/20 | |||
| 14 | Monday | 11/23 | No Class - Thanksgiving Break | |
| Wednesday | 11/25 | No Class - Thanksgiving Break | ||
| Friday | 11/27 | No Class - Thanksgiving Break | ||
| 15 | Monday | 11/30 | ||
| Wednesday | 12/2 | |||
| Friday | 12/4 | |||
| Finals Week | Friday | 12/11 | Final Exam 10:30-12:30 | Final Exam 10:30-12:30 |
Accessibility:
Stress is a normal and important part of our human experience. However, there are times when your stress will exceed your coping skills and resources. The changes that we have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted us all in various ways and are expected to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Your health and well-being are critical components in your ability to learn. If you find that you are struggling to engage and function, please reach out. Resources are available, including Counseling Services, oswego.edu/csc, which provides brief and confidential counseling support to enrolled students (covered by your student health fee.) After-hours crisis coverage is available by calling Counseling Services at 315.312.4416 and listening to the available options. The CrisisTextLine can be accessed by texting GOT5U to 741741. Lastly, the Oz Concern Navigator, oswego.concerncenter.com, is now available to point you to additional resources to help you address your concerns.
SUNY Oswego Basic Needs Syllabus Statement:
SUNY Oswego is dedicated to recognizing the basic needs of every individual on campus by connecting them to resources and services that assist them in meeting their basic needs. If you are in need of food, clothing, academic supplies, emergency housing, addiction services or are unsure of what resources are available to meet your basic needs, please complete the following form to connect to the Office of the Dean of Students: Basic Needs Self-Disclosure Form.
For information on mental health services visit the Counseling Services website and for information on health services visit the Health Services website.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with one of the Assistant Dean of Students, email deanofstudents@oswego.edu or call 315-312-5483. Visit the Office of the Dean of Students website https://ww1.oswego.edu/dean-students/ for more information.
For other inquiries, visit the Oz Concern Navigator at https://oswego.concerncenter.com.
Career Services:
SUNY Oswego Career Services assists students in aligning their academic interests with rewarding career paths. Students can meet with professional Career Coaches in person or via Zoom for support with their career goals, including: career exploration, resume and cover letters, job & internship search, networking, interview preparation, and more!
- Appointments: Schedule via HANDSHAKE.
- Drop-in Assistance: Visit the Career Studio (145 Marano Campus Center) to meet with a Career
Peer Intern. - Digital Resources: Access 24/7 online tools and lifetime alumni support at oswego.edu/career-
services.
Accessibility:
If you have a disabling condition which may interfere with your ability to successfully complete this course, please contact Accessibility Resources located at 155 Marano Campus Center, phone 315.312.3358, access@oswego.edu
Clery Act/Title IX Reporting:
SUNY Oswego is committed to enhancing the safety and security of the campus for all its members. In support of this, faculty may be required to report their knowledge of certain crimes or harassment. Reportable incidents include harassment on the basis of sex or gender prohibited by Title IX and crimes covered by the Clery Act. For more information about Title IX protections, go to https://www.oswego.edu/title-ix/ or contact the Title IX Coordinator, 405 Culkin Hall, 315-312-5604, titleix@oswego.edu. For more information about the Clery Act and campus reporting, go to the University Police annual report: https://www.oswego.edu/police/annual-report.