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 Systems Programming (CSE333), Operating Systems (CSE451), Compilers (CSE401), 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 Introduction to Digital Design (CSE369), Design of Digital Circuits and Systems (CSE371), Introduction to Embedded Systems (CSE474), and Computer Architecture I (CSE469).
The course has four 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, anonymous feedback) and explain which parts of the course are causing you to spend too much time non-productively.
We will compute your course grade as follows:
The grading policies are designed to be relatively forgiving, so we expect a high grade distribution. We will use an approximate "straight-scale" grading scheme:
You can earn "points" for each of the following:
The clobber policy allows you to override your Midterm score with the score of the Midterm section of the Final. Note that the reverse is not true – you must take the entire Final, regardless of your Midterm score.
"Clobbered Midterm score" is then filled in as your Midterm score for the final grade calculation.
The later labs provide opportunities for "extra credit" in the form of fun extension activities. However, these don't affect your lab grade. These will be accumulated over the course and may be used to bump up borderline grades at the end of the quarter at the discretion of the instructor(s).
The reading check-in problems are intended to help you synthesize the material, which will be practiced and expanded upon in lecture. After submitting an answer, you are encouraged to revisit your work and submit again, though you are able to reveal the correct answer and solution (detailed explanations provided) if you are short on time.
Every lecture will contain one or more polling questions (mostly multiple choice) to give you a chance to apply the material on the spot and interact with your classmates. You should have Ed Lessons open during lecture (whether live or watching the recording). There won't be explanations for these questions in Ed, but we will cover the solutions during each class session and the correct answers will be displayed after the deadline.
These questions reinforce the concepts from the associated reading and lecture; most do not involve programming. You are allowed to collaborate on homework and we encourage you to use these as the main avenue to discuss course topics with peers and course staff. You are allowed an unlimited number of attempts for each question and you will receive credit for every question that you answer correctly. We will drop your lowest homework score at the end of the quarter.
Synthesize and apply the major course concepts through programming exercises in a real computing environment (CSE Linux environment). At the end of each lab, you will have "synthesis" questions to answer in a text document. You can submit your lab files as many times as you'd like to but only the last submission will be graded. We run autograders on Gradescope, which should complete within minutes of submitting; make sure to read the output to sanity check your submission (e.g., missing file, compilation errors). Labs are to be completed individually or, optionally, with a partner. See the section above about extra credit.
Summative assessments to check your progress of the course learning objectives. All relevant details can be found on the Exams page.
You are allocated a total of 6 late day tokens for the entirety of the quarter to utilize on labs, should the need arise.
num_late_days = ceil(hours_late / 24).
For each late day you use that exceeds the total late day tokens given to you, you will be penalized 10% of your score on one of the assignments that you submitted late. The penalties will be applied in a manner that maximizes your overall grade (i.e., minimizes your total penalties). No individual assignment will be penalized more than twice.
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, future courses, 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 all by not doing it.
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 Academic Misconduct Policy.
The Disability Resources for Students (DRS) 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 this link to start the process as soon as possible to avoid delays.
You can refer to the university policies regarding Disability Accommodations 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 Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.
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 support 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 anonymous feedback or contacting the Office of the Ombud.