CSCI 125: Animation and Virtual Worlds with Alice - SPRING 2014

Course Information

Lectures:

MWF 11:00 - 11:50 AM
Place: Freedom Hall 303

Professor:

Dr. Yana Kortsarts
Office: 313 Freedom Hall
Phone: (610) - 499 - 4367
e-mail: yanako@cs.widener.edu or/and ykortsarts@mail.widener.edu
homepage: http://cs.widener.edu/~yanako

Office Hours:

Place: 313 Freedom Hall
Time:
• Monday: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
• Tuesday: By appointment ONLY
• Wednesday: 12:00 - 1:00, 3:50 - 4:30
• Thursday: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
• Friday: 9:20 - 9:50 AM, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
To make an appointment, please, send an e-mail ykortsarts@mail.widener.edu

Recommended Texts:

• Learning To Program with Alice, Wanda P. Dann, Stephen Cooper, and Randy Pausch
• Starting Out with Alice, Tony Gaddis
• Alice Programming, Harold L. Rogler

Course Description

In this course students will learn to create small virtual worlds and animations using Alice (http://alice.org), an innovative 3D programming environment. Using Alice, each student can be the director of a movie, where 3D objects in virtual world move around according to the directions he/she provides. Students will discover how much fun it is to write computer animations by creating their own storyboards and movies. No previous experience with programming is required. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisite: None. No previous knowledge of computer programming is assumed.

Tentative Course Topics:

• Variables
• Decision Structures
• Repetition Structures
• Methods and Functions
• Events
• Lists
• Program Design

Course Goals and Objectives

The goal of the course is to ntroduce students to computer programming concepts using ALICE 3D programming environment. Students completing this course should be able to:
• Create simple animations using Alice.
• Create interactive programs using Alice.
• Understand and apply the following basic programming concepts: Classes, objects and methods; Arithmetic and Boolean expressions; Events; Decision and Repetition structures; Functions and parameters; Lists

Policies

Attendance Policy

The University's policy will be applied. Students who miss class are always responsible for obtaining class assignments. All assignments and class materials are available through this website.

In this course ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED. Class Participation and Attendance is 15% of the final grade.

Academic Fraud

The Science Division strictly enforces the University's policy on cheating and other forms of academic fraud.

Student Academic Grievance Procedure

If a student has a grievance concerning a class in which he/she is enrolled, he/she will first try to resolve the problem with the instructor of the class. If it is impossible to resolve the matter at this level, then the grievance must be placed in writing and appealed in the following order:
• Division or Program Head
• Dean of Arts and Sciences (Arts and Sciences Academic Council)
• Provost of the University
• University Academic Council
All student grievances will first be referred to the class instructor before they are treated at the level of the Division Head.
For Standards for Academic Integrity, Appeal Procedures for Student Academic Grievances, and Attendance Policy please see Student Handbook and Widener's Undergraduate Catalog:

Student Handbook
Widener's Undergraduate Catalog

Electronic Devices in the Classroom

• NO CELL PHONES. Cell phones must be turned off for the duration of the lecture and lab.
• All electronic devices except cell phones are permitted

Evaluation Criteria (Grading)

• There will be:
  
  
  • Homeworks
  • In Class Projects and Lab Assignments
  • Final Project
  
  
• Make-up for in class projects and lab assignments
  
  Any make-up for the lab assignments and in class projects
  must be arranged in advance
  
  
  
• Homework must be handed in class on the date specified.
  No late assignments will be accepted.
  
  
  The work handed in must be the student's own work.
  Assignments which are written in groups
  are easily identifies and will receive
  grades of 0 for all participants.

The weights of the

Final Grade

Homeworks	5%
In Class Projects and Lab Assignments	60%
Final Project	20%
Class Participation and Attendance	15%
Total	100%

Final Grade Table

A:	95 - 100
A-:	90 - 94
B+:	87 - 89
B:	83 - 86
B-:	80 - 82
C+:	77 - 79
C:	73 - 76
C-:	70 - 72
D+:	67 - 69
D:	60 - 66
F:	59 - 0