This course should develop students' sense of what really happens when software runs — and that this question can be answered at several levels of abstraction, including the hardware architecture level, the assembly level, the C programming level, and the Java programming level. The core around which the course is built is C, assembly, and low-level data representation, but this is connected to higher levels (roughly how basic Java could be implemented), lower levels (the general structure of a processor), and the role of the operating system (but not how the operating system is implemented).
For (computer science) students wanting to specialize at higher levels of abstraction, this could, in the extreme, be the only course they take that considers the “C level” and below. However, most will take a subset of , , , etc.
For students interested in hardware, embedded systems, computer engineering, computer architecture, etc., this course is the introductory course after which other courses will delve both deeper (into specific topics) and lower (into hardware implementation, circuit design, etc.). Of particular interest are , , , and .
The course has three principal themes:
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
Approximate list of topics:
Note that even more important than the topics at various levels of abstraction is the connection between them: students should get an informal sense of how Java could be translated to C, C to assembly, and assembly to binary.
The course consists of the following elements:
We will try to ensure that the workload is typical for a 4-credit course, namely, 9-12 hours per week outside of the lectures. If we do not succeed, please let us know in whichever way you feel the most comfortable (in-person, email, ) and explain which parts of the course are causing you to spend too much time non-productively.
We have structured the course so that spending a few hours per day will maximize your efficiency. You will work this way in the real world – you cannot cram a three-month design assignment into the last night – so you may as well work this way now. Plus, you will understand the material better. If you leave an assignment for the day before it is due you will not have time to ask questions when (not if) the software misbehaves.
Your final grade will be a reflection of your level of mastery of the topics and material covered throughout the quarter. The following assessments will be used to compute your grade. We will compute your course grade approximately as follows (percentages may be modified):
The course grading policies are designed to be relatively forgiving, such that everyone can succeed in the course. Grading for this class is not curved in the sense that the average is set at (say) 3.0 and half of the class must receive a grade lower than that. If everyone does well and shows mastery of the material, everyone can receive an A.
Part of your grade will be determined by your participation in various parts of the course. We will look at participation on the Ed message board in terms of not only asking questions, but also importantly: answering questions, as well as reading posts from others. Posting anonymously on Ed Lessons is fine! Your identity will be unknown to other students in the course, but not to the staff.
We will be using using for polling activities during lecture. Students who are not able to attend lecture will still be able to submit answers to these questions asynchronously.
You will receive credit for voting on multiple choice questions in lecture. This quarter we will be using , which you should have open during lecture (whether live or recorded).
These questions are designed to give you a chance to check your understanding of the material by applying it on-the-spot, as well as an opportunity to interact with your classmates. These are intended to be low-pressure and lenient so the grading primarily reflects participation (i.e., your answer does not need to be correct). Earning ~80% of the possible points should get you full credit for lecture questions.
We will keep track of any extra credit items you complete on labs. You won't see these affecting your grades for individual labs, but they will be accumulated over the course and will be used to bump up borderline grades at the end of the quarter.
The bottom line is that these will likely have NO effect on your overall grade (and only a small amount if you are on a borderline). You want to be sure you have completed the non-extra credit portions of the lab in perfect form before attempting any extra credit. They are meant to be fun extensions to the assignments, so if you complete some extra credit it *may* positively impact your overall grade.
All assignment submission deadlines have an implied "and zero seconds" attached to them. This means that if your clock reads the deadline time (e.g., "11:59"), then your assignment is late! In addition, online submission can be fickle, so we highly recommend making partial submissions as you go and not waiting until the last (literal) minute to submit.
While turning in assignments on time is the best way to stay on top of the material and on schedule, we realize that we all may face unexpected challenges occasionally. This quarter we are giving each student a total of 5 late days for the entirety of the quarter to utilize on labs (NOT homeworks or unit portfolios) should the need arise. Please do not use these casually, as they are meant to provide a buffer to help you get over unexpected events.
num_late_days = ceil(hours_late / 24).What happens if I have used up all my late days? You may still submit any lab up to two late days past the original due date (except Lab 5 as noted above). However, for each late day you use that exceeds the total late days given to you, you will be penalized 20% of your score on one of the items that you submitted late. The penalties will be applied in a manner that maximizes your overall grade (i.e. minimizes your total penalties).
Learning from our mistakes is often one of the most memorable ways of learning and the staff is not immune from making them, too! If you have a question about a graded assignment or exam, please don't hesitate to ask a staff member about it during their office hours or via private post on Ed Discussion. If, after discussing your question, you feel that your work was misunderstood or otherwise should be looked at again to see if an appropriate grade was given, we ask that you submit an electronic regrade request via the interface, which will open and close automatically. Note that when an assignment is regraded, the entire work will be regraded. This means that while it is possible to regain some points, it is also possible to lose points.
Masks are strongly recommended indoors but are not required. Please see more here. Everyone is also encouraged to make sure they have a higher quality mask based on the increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant.
From UW's masking policy:
What should I do if I feel sick?:
In general, we encourage collaboration, but there is a very fine line between collaboration and cheating. We can learn a lot from working with each other and it can make the course more fun, but we also want to ensure that every student can get the maximum benefit from the material this course has to offer. Keep in mind that the overall goal is for *YOU* to learn the material so you will be prepared for the exams and for job interviews etc. in the future. Cheating turns the assignments into an exercise that is a silly waste of both your time and ours; save us both by not doing it.
Permitted collaboration:
Cheating consists of sharing code or solutions to assignments by either copying, retyping, looking at, or supplying a copy of a file. Examples include:
Cheating is a very serious offense. If you are caught cheating, you can expect a failing grade and initiation of a cheating case in the University system. Cheating is an insult to the instructor and course staff, to the school and program, and most importantly, to you and your fellow students. If you feel that you are having a problem with the material, or don't have time to finish an assignment, or have any number of other reasons to cheat, then talk with the instructor. Just don't cheat.
If you are in doubt about what might constitute cheating, send the instructor an email describing the situation and we will be happy to clarify it for you. For more information, you may consult the school's .
The is a unit within the Division of Student Life and is dedicated to ensuring access and inclusion for all students with disabilities on the Seattle campus. They offer a wide range of services for students with disabilities that are individually designed and remove the need to reveal sensitive medical information to the course staff. If you have a medical need for extensions of exam times or assignment deadlines, these will only be granted through official documentation from DRS. Browse to to start the process as soon as possible to avoid delays.
You can refer to the university policies regarding for more information.
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW's policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at . Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the .
We recognize that our students come from varied backgrounds and can have widely-varying circumstances. If you have any unforeseen or extenuating circumstance that arise during the course, please do not hesitate to contact the instructor in office hours, via email, or private Ed Discussion post to discuss your situation. The sooner we are made aware, the more easily these situations can be resolved. Extenuating circumstances include work-school balance, familial responsibilities, military duties, unexpected travel, or anything else beyond your control that may negatively impact your performance in the class.
Additionally, if at any point you are made to feel uncomfortable, disrespected, or excluded by a staff member or fellow student, please report the incident so that we may address the issue and maintain a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Should you feel uncomfortable bringing up an issue with a staff member directly, you may consider sending or contacting the .