ESC 101: Fundamentals of Computing
Semester 2, Jan-April, 2003

COURSE ORGANIZATION


Course Administration

Instructors

Dr. Amitabha Mukerjee(Instructor In-Charge)
Phone: 7489(O),7995(Rob. Lab)
Room 201 HRKD Building (new CSE bldg)
Dr. Harish Karnick (Co-instructor)
Phone: 7601(O)
Room 318 HRKD Building (new CSE bldg)

Tutors
Dr. Anil Seth
Dr. Sanjeev Saxena
Dr. Sashank Mehta
Dr. Harish Karnick
Mr. V. Shreeniwas
Ms. Alpana Dubey
Mr. Vibhu Saujanya Sharma
Mr. Ranjith Vasireddy

Course TA:
Mr. Ashvin Agrawal
Mr. Uppalla Babu

For all ESc101 related problems contact your Tutor / TA
For all problems related to the machines in the CC Lab, contact Aftab Alam or Brajesh Pande


Text
The course will not "teach"; you are expected to "learn".  We will ask that you use the following books for your reference:
  1. "Computing Concepts with Java 2: Essentials", by Cay Horstmann (Wiley, Rs. 400).
  2. "Java Elements: Principles of programming in JAVA", by Bailey and Bailey, (Tata McGraw Hill, Rs. 250),

Students are strongly encouraged to obtain a copy. Several copies are available in the library reserve, but we will strongly encourage availability of the book with you personally, so that you can study it while actually typing the programs in the lab. Additional books and resources, including some online books, are linked to the course web page : http://www.iitk.ac.in/esc101/


Course Objective:
Unlike most other courses, this is NOT a lecture and exam-oriented course. This is a practical course, where you will be required to demonstrate actual acquisition of a skill, by writing programs on computers during the lab. The lectures will cover the very fundamental material, but there will be much that you can only learn by doing it yourself. Students, in groups of two or three, are also required to do a project, which will be evaluated at several points during the course.


Computer Facilities:
You are expected to use the computers provided in the new Esc101 lab located on the upper story of the Computing Center. During lab hours these will be reserved for your use. During other hours, you will have to share it with other CC users.


Grades:

There will be three paper exams and two lab exams.
  • Two mid-sem exams 10% each
  • End-Sem exam 20%
  • Two Lab exams 10% each
  • Labs - 5%
  • Quizzes - 10%
  • Project - 25%


Labs:

The lab hours are the secondary venue for you to complete your lab assignments. Primarily, you will have to do these on your own, by coming to the lab at other hours, preferably before you come to the lab. The main function of the labs is so that you can obtain some help while programming the exercises. Help may be obtained during the lab itself from one of the TA's or tutors. A lot of learning also takes place through interaction among your peers, or others in the hostels. Attendance, from 2 PM to 5 PM on each lab day, is mandatory. Each lab assignment will need to be demonstrated at the end of the lab day itself, or at most at the very start of the next lab day. After that you will not be able to show the labs. The labs are crucial to your learning and your performance in the lab exams.


Projects:

Each project group will need to decide on a project topic, which they will execute over the course of the semester. This semester these projects will be on a topic that will be given to you.


Course Timing:

    Lecture Timings: Mon, Wed, Thu 1100-1155 - Lecture Hall L-7
    Tutorials:
      Venue: Tutorial Complex, Sections A1 to A8: Rooms TB101 to 108.
      Time: Every Tuesday 1100-1155
    Labs:
      Venue: Computer Center - First Floor labs
      Time: Mon: A5,A6; Tue: A7,A8; Wed: A1,A2; Thu: A3,A4

Holidays:
As far as possible, all labs will have a makeup date. Usually this wil be on the Saturday either before or after the holiday, to be mutually decided between the students and their tutors.