CIS 400 is the beginning of a two-course "capstone" to your undergraduate Computer Science education in which you will have the opportunity to identify, plan, design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to a real-world problem.
In completing this course and the subsequent follow-on course (CIS 401), you will gain experience in:
- working in a team, including division of labor and responsibilities, integration of work, interpersonal communication, etc.
- identifying a computing-related problem and potential solutions, and exploring and evaluating different solutions' benefits and drawbacks
- designing and implementing a computing artifact in such a manner that it can be worked on by a team, is easy to modify, is easy to test, etc.
- assessing the effectiveness of a computing solution, i.e. the extent to which it addresses the problem it is trying to solve
- considering the legal, ethical, and financial implications of decisions in a computing-related project
- communicating the high-level goals and low-level details of a computing solution via written documents and oral presentations
Whether your next step after graduation is industry, academia, research, government, non-profit, etc., these are the sorts of skills you will need in your career as a successful computer scientist and engineer.
STAFF
Instructor
Teaching Assistants
In order to achieve the educational objectives listed above, you will work on a group project during the Fall and Spring semesters.
The focus of the Fall semester is on identifying and scoping out a problem to address, designing and refining a solution, implementing a prototype, and improving teamwork and communication skills.
Each project team should consist of 4-5 students who are currently registered for CIS 400.
Fall semester
- Project proposal
- Class activities - Project pitches etc
- Book presentations
- Book summary
- 5 technical updates
- 2-3 faculty consultations
- Final progress report
- Peer grading final reports
Book |
Presentation dates |
Slides |
Project management for the unofficial project manager
Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore, and James Wood |
Sep 19, Sep 24, Sep 26 |
|
Zig-zag: the surprising path to greater creativity
Keith Sawyer |
Oct 1, Oct 3, Oct 8 |
|
Race after Technology
Ruha Benjamin |
Oct 15, Oct 17, Oct 22 |
|
Future Crimes Chapter 1-11
Marc Goodman |
Oct 24, Oct 29, Oct 31 |
|
On Writing Well
William Zinsser |
Nov 5, Nov 7, Nov 12 |
|
Future Crimes Chapter 12 onwards
Marc Goodman |
Nov 26, Dec 3, Dec 5 |
|
Fall semester
Round |
Dates |
|
1 |
09/10
09/12
09/17 |
Course overview |
2 |
09/19
09/24
09/26 |
Project Proposal - Project proposal template, Feedback template
Book Presentations
Technical update 1 due 09/29 - Work done from Sep 3 to Sep 24 |
3 |
10/01
10/03
10/08 |
Project Proposal - Project proposal template, Feedback template
Book Presentations
|
4 |
10/15
10/17
10/22 |
Modularity and Timeline - Timeline template, Feedback template
Book Presentations
Technical update 2 due 10/18 - Work done from Sep 25 to Oct 15
Book Summary 1 due 10/20 |
5 |
10/24
10/29
10/31 |
Evaluation - Evalation template, Feedback template
Book Presentations
Book Summary 2 due 10/27
Faculty Consultation 1 notes due 10/31
Technical update 3 due 11/01 - Work done from Oct 16 to Oct 29
Book Summary 3 due 11/03 |
6 |
11/05
11/07
11/12 |
Risk Analysis - Risk template, Feedback template
Book Presentations
Book summary 4 due 11/10 |
7 |
11/14
11/19
11/21 |
Team Dynamics
Technical update 4 due 11/15 - Work done from Oct 30 to Nov 12
Book Summary 5 due 11/17 |
8 |
11/26
12/03
12/05 |
Ethics, Law and Technology
Book Presentations
Technical update 5 due 11/29 - Work done from Nov 13 to Nov 26
4 page-progress report due 12/04 - Will be graded for quality of writing, technical strength, innovation, societal impact/adequately addressing user need and soundness of the evaluation. Peers will grade on the last four aspects. Each student will peer grade 7 projects, with a short justification paragraph and this will count toward the final grade. |
Spring Semesters
Jan 16 - Jan 21 How to wash your chicken presentations
Jan 23 - Jan 28 TED talk presentations
Jan 30 Project presentations
Technical progress update 1 (Covers work done Jan 15 - Jan 29)
Feb 4 - Feb 18 Project presentations
Technical progress update 2 (Covers work done Jan 30 - Feb 17)
Feb 20 Project presentations
Feb 25 - Feb 27 Weapons of math destruction
Mar 3 - Mar 5 The ethical algorithm
Technical progress update 3 (Covers work done Feb 18 - Mar 4)
Mar 17 - Mar 26 Industries of the future
Mar 31 Thinking fast and slow
Technical progress update 4 (Covers work done Mar 5 - Mar 30)
Apr 2 Thinking fast and slow
Apr 6 - Apr 9 15-minute poster consultations
Apr 10 Posters due to the Copy Center
Apr 14 - Apr 16 Thinking fast and slow
Technical progress update 5 (Covers work done Mar 31 - Mar 15)
Apr 21 - Apr 23 Thinking fast and slow
Apr 28 --- no class; peer grading of final reports instead
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