{"id":73,"date":"2023-03-14T14:27:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T19:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/?page_id=73"},"modified":"2023-05-15T11:18:36","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T16:18:36","slug":"csci-121","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/courses\/csci-121\/","title":{"rendered":"CSCI 121"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"et_pb_with_border et_d4_element et_pb_section et_pb_section_0 et_pb_equal_columns et_pb_with_background  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_section_specialty et_block_section\" >\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_row et_block_row et_d4_element\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_column_1_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_0   et_pb_specialty_column  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_column\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_with_border et_d4_element et_pb_row_inner et_pb_row_inner_0  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_d4_element et_pb_column_inner et_pb_column_inner_0  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et-last-child et_block_column\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_divider et_pb_divider_0 et_pb_space\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_with_border et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_0  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_dark\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h1>csci 121<\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_with_border et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_1  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_dark\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>Principles of Computer Science, fall 2019 (first year)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_row_inner et_pb_row_inner_1  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_d4_element et_pb_column_inner et_pb_column_inner_1  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_column_empty\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_column_1_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1    et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_column\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_2  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h2>Course Description<\/h2>\n<p><span>This course introduces students to computer science (CS), a field devoted to creative problem solving with computers, and its applications to other disciplines. Students explore fundamental concepts, including iteration, recursion, object-oriented software design, algorithm efficiency, levels of naming, parallel computing, and computing ethics. Students apply these concepts daily in hands-on homework exercises relevant to fields in the arts, humanities (including digital humanities computations), social sciences, and natural sciences. Includes a team project applying CS to a chosen discipline.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_image et_pb_image_0\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1566\/2023\/05\/board-453758_960_720.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"board-453758_960_720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1566\/2023\/05\/board-453758_960_720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1566\/2023\/05\/board-453758_960_720-480x326.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 960px, 100vw\" class=\"wp-image-220\" \/><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_section et_pb_section_1 et_pb_with_background  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_section_regular et_block_section\" >\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_row et_pb_row_0  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column et_pb_column_2  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et-last-child et_block_column\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_with_border et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_3  et_pb_text_align_center et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h2>Course Content<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_with_border et_d4_element et_pb_row et_pb_row_1 et_pb_gutters2  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column et_pb_column_3  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et-last-child et_block_column\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_4  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h3>Rationale<\/h3>\n<p>From my original proposal: This course makes a distinction between a formal language and a natural language. Python, the coding language employed by the course, is a formal language, or a language that computers can read and understand. Much of this course involves semantics, syntax, and other important details that denote meaning to the computer. This adds to my major and is tangentially related, as it counts towards the linguistics concentration and involves learning another type of language and examining elements of language that encode meaning.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_5  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h3>Final Project<\/h3>\n<p>My final project for this course was code that created a pop-up window with fillable fields in order to calculate what grade someone might need on an exam in order to achieve a certain grade overall. The code, written in Python, and the user manual for this grade calculator are linked below.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_code et_pb_code_0\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_button_module_wrapper et_pb_button_0_wrapper et_pb_button_alignment_center et_pb_module \">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"et_pb_button et_d4_element et_pb_button_0 et_pb_bg_layout_light et_block_module\" href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1566\/2023\/05\/Final-Project-Code.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Final Project Code<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_button_module_wrapper et_pb_button_1_wrapper et_pb_button_alignment_center et_pb_module \">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"et_pb_button et_d4_element et_pb_button_1 et_pb_bg_layout_light et_block_module\" href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1566\/2023\/05\/User-Manual.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Final Project User Manual<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_6  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h3>Takeaways<\/h3>\n<p>The main thing I learned from this class was that language can take many forms, and that computers essentially speak their own language. However, even this language has been programmed and predetermined by people trying to simplify language for the sake of commands. Using Python, I have learned about the importance of precision in writing formal languages and about using language for solving logical problems. This course was quite different from any other linguistics course I took, but gave me a new perspective on language as a construct.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_text et_pb_text_7  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h3>Connections<\/h3>\n<p>Computational languages, also called formal languages, require precision and cannot be read by the computer if any errors are made. This is quite different from human language, where we can still understand the meaning, even with errors. This begs the question of what language really is, and how much formal languages count in linguistic theory. They tell us a lot about the understanding of language and what people deem to be important for a computer to be able to understand, since people have created formal languages from natural ones. This issue connects most with LNGST 250 (English Language and Linguistics).<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_pb_button_module_wrapper et_pb_button_2_wrapper et_pb_button_alignment_center et_pb_module \">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"et_pb_button et_d4_element et_pb_button_2 et_pb_bg_layout_light et_block_module\" href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/courses\/lngst-250\/\">LNGST 250<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_section et_pb_section_2 et_pb_with_background  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_section_regular et_block_section\" >\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_row et_pb_row_2  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_column_1_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et_block_column\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_divider et_pb_divider_1 et_pb_space\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"et_d4_element et_pb_column_1_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_5  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_column_empty\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4154,"featured_media":0,"parent":66,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-73","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/73","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4154"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/73\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":435,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/73\/revisions\/435"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/cis-hwhite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}