| To the faculty page of James Tam | Return to the course web page |
For operating systems other than Windows: If you have problems or questions then we will do what we can to help. However, you need to keep in mind that we are limited to the resources we have available. (The university won't provide instructors with a MAC and windows computer for instance so I can only use educated guesses or web searches to find answers because I just have Win. OS computer at home and in my office).
New: this term some of my Teaching Assistants have a preference for MAC while some have a preference for Windows. Under "tutorial information" you can see the operating system that specific TAs will be using to produce their tutorial material. If you want to get operating system specific information then you can view the videos of a teaching assistant who supports the O/S you use. Also if you have operating system specific questions then you can try asking your question in the CT session staffed by someone who is familiar with your operating system.
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Day/Time |
Lectures will
be held live during the scheduled day/time (passcode for both =
hope)
For those students who are on campus and need quiet space to attend lecture virtually we have the following reserved for each lecture:
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James Tam |
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Office time (not lecture time, not the lecture link): MW (11:00 - 11:50 AM) via a Zoom link (passcode = 'hope'): |
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Email: tam@ucalgary.ca (Make sure you specify the course name and number in the subject line) |
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| General information |
Official course
information sheet (summary of official course requirements). The course
information sheet applies to both lectures.
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| General assignment information |
Grade calculator to estimate your term grade: [Excel spreadsheet] Academic misconduct vs. collaboration: what is allowed for this class Practice assignments: They won't be for credit but they're extra problems that you can try in order to improve your programming and problem solving skills |
| Official recommended textbook |
"Python for everyone:
3rd edition"
(Cay S. Horstmann, Rance D. Necaise)
Wiley,
3rd edition.
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| Link to other UC licensed textbooks | Also you can search the UC library website [Link 1] or [Link 2] for 'free' python eTexts (requires authentication). |
Teaching tutorials
- Tutorials include mandatory information for the course. In addition to following the lecture material you need to be utilizing the material provided by the Teaching Assistants. Time will be spent on the following: TA's teaching new skills, discussion of assignment requirements.
Tutorial
Instructor name
Contact information: if your questions are short then you can use email otherwise please bring your questions to the CT/Help Tutorial
T01 (a Windows user): TuTh 1:00PM - 1:50PM Lotfi, Elaheh elaheh.lotfi@ucalgary.ca T02 (a Windows user): MoWe 2:00PM - 2:50PM Nair, Namita namita.nair@ucalgary.ca T03 (a Windows user): TuTh 12:00PM - 12:50PM Lotfi, Elaheh elaheh.lotfi@ucalgary.ca T04 (a MAC user): TuTh 11:00AM - 11:50AM Erfanmanesh, Zeinab zeinab.erfanmanesh@ucalgary.ca T05 (a MAC user): MoWe 2:00PM - 2:50PM Farajian, Samin samin.farajian@ucalgary.ca T06 (a MAC user): TuTh 10:00AM - 10:50AM Li, Qiaowang qiaowang.li@ucalgary.ca T07 (now a MAC user): TuTh 3:00PM - 3:50PM Heidarirad, Hadi hadi.heidarirad@ucalgary.ca T08 (a Windows user): MoWe 11:00AM - 11:50AM Ghosh, Reet Rahul reet.ghosh@ucalgary.ca T09 (a MAC user): MoWe 11:00AM - 11:50AM Farajian, Samin samin.farajian@ucalgary.ca T10 (a Windows user): TuTh 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM Ghosh, Reet Rahul reet.ghosh@ucalgary.ca T11 (a MAC user): TuTh 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM Li, Qiaowang qiaowang.li@ucalgary.ca T12 (now a MAC user): TuTh 4:00PM - 4:50PM Heidarirad, Hadi hadi.heidarirad@ucalgary.ca T13 (a Windows user): MoWe 6:00PM - 6:50PM Kamran, Khizer khizer.kamran1@ucalgary.ca T14 (a MAC user): TuTh 1:00PM - 1:50PM Erfanmanesh, Zeinab zeinab.erfanmanesh@ucalgary.ca T15 (a Windows user): MoWe 4:00PM - 4:50PM Ravi, Rahul rahul.ravi@ucalgary.ca In addition to the Teaching Assistants who teach sections there are two additional TAs who will staff the in person Help tutorials (but not the remote Zoom tutorials) (listed in alphabetical order)
- Sean McCreary (a MAC user). This person is also the designated as the Teaching Assistant officially answering questions that you post in D2L under 'Discussions'. Email: sean.mccreary@ucalgary.ca
- Rachel Ralph (a MAC user). Email: rachel.ralph@ucalgary.ca
What do to if the teaching or help tutorial Zoom link doesn't appear to be running.
Teaching schedule for the teaching tutorials
Shortcuts to each week
- #Tutorials_week_1 (Sept. 11 - 17)
- #Tutorials_week_2 (Sept. 18 - 24)
- #Tutorials_week_3 (Sept. 25 - Oct. 1)
- #Tutorials_week_4 (Oct. 2 - 8)
- #Tutorials_week_5 (Oct. 9 - 15)
- #Tutorials_week_6 (Oct. 16 - 22)
- #Tutorials_week_7 (Oct. 23 - 29)
- #Tutorials_week_8 (Oct. 30 - Nov. 5)
- No classes Nov. 6 - 12
- #Tutorials_week_9 (Nov. 13 - 19)
- #Tutorials_week_10 (Nov. 20 - 26)
- #Tutorials_week_11 (Nov. 27 - Dec. 3)
- #Tutorials_week_12 (Dec. 4 - 10)
Week
Activities for the teaching tutorials
Sept. 4 - 10
No tutorials this week
Tutorials week 1: Sept. 11 - 17 (tutorials start this week)
- It would handy if you downloaded and installe python [Link to python.org] before this tutorial so you can more easily create a .py file when you go through A0 in class.
- First tutorial:
- Time to work through [A0] with the tutorial instructor available for help.
- Going over the [Pre-mini-A1] requirements
- Second tutorial: [Examples] [Exercises]
- Running the IDLE python editor
- Display of output
- Triple quoted output
- Common operators
- Operator precedence, the order of execution for python operators
Tutorials week 2: Sept. 18 - 24
First tutorial: [Examples] [Exercises]
- Review:
- Style requirement: naming conventions
- Style requirement: named constants
- Getting user input
- Formatting output using escape codes
- Information types
- Formatting output using format specifiers
Second tutorial: [Examples]
- Types of programming errors: syntax, runtime, logic
- Documenting your python programs
- Making backups and program versioning
- Going over the [mini-A1] requirements
Tutorials week 3: Sept. 25 - Oct. 1 (Friday Sept. 30 there will be no university classes or services)
First tutorial:
- Going over the A1 requirements
Second tutorial: [Examples] [Exercises]
- IF
- IF-ELSE
- Logic (AND, OR, NOT) and branching
Tutorials week 4: Oct. 2 - 8
First tutorial: [Examples] [Exercises]
- IF-ELIF
- Multiple IFs
- Examples of logic errors in branches
Second tutorial: [Examples] [Exercises]
- Going over the [mini-A2a] requirements
- Introducing WHILE-loops
- Introducing FOR-loops
- Iterating (stepping through) strings using a loop.
- Generating random numbers using the random module (library)
Tutorials week 5: Oct. 9 - 15 (Monday Oct. 11 is a holiday)
First tutorial (Monday or Tuesday):
- Monday: no tutorials because of the Thanksgiving holiday
- Tuesday: 'open tutorial'.
- No new teaching will occur.
- The tutorial instructor will be available during the scheduled tutorial time via their Zoom tutorial link (not the CT link) to answer student questions.
- Similar to regular CT, students can attend the help session of any tutorial instructor and not just the one they are registered in.
Second tutorial (Wednesday or Thursday): [Examples] [Exercises]
- Nesting
- A branch in a loop
- A loop inside of a loop
- Bug hunting: Tips for finding and fixing the errors in your programs.
Tutorials week 6: Oct. 16 - 22
First tutorial (Monday or Tuesday): [Examples] [Exercises]
- Going over the mini-A2b requirements
- Tracing simple programs employing functional decomposition (defining and calling your own functions)
- Declaring variables that are local to a function.
- Scope: global constants vs. local variables.
- Simple parameter passing examples.
- Introducing function return values: learning the mechanics of "how to do it"
Second tutorial (Wednesday or Thursday): [Examples] [Exercises]
- Passing parameters by value.
- Returning to program scope and learning about the need for function return values.
- Determining the order of function calls.
- Defining and using a Boolean function.
- Tracing more complex programs which employ functional decomposition.
- Illustrating the importance of good programming style (by employing poor style).
Tutorials week 7: Oct. 23 - 29
First tutorial (Monday or Tuesday): [Exercises]
- Going over the A2 requirements
Second tutorial (Wednesday or Thursday):
- TAs over go over common student issues encountered with full A1.
- TAs go over in detail in terms is and is not allowed in terms of helping others (collaboration) vs. academic misconduct. Presentation material [PDF] [PowerPoint]
- Going over the Mini-A3a requirements
- Going over the Mini-A3b requirements
Tutorials week 8: Oct. 30 - Nov. 5
First tutorial (Monday or Tuesday): [Examples]
- Return to student points of confusion.
- Using branches vs. loops.
- Understanding for-loops by examining the equivalent while-loop.
- Reminder: python for-loops can iterate through more than just numerical sequences e.g. the characters in a string.
Second tutorial (Wednesday or Thursday): [Examples] [Exercises]
- Basics of lists vs. strings.
- Creating fixed sized lists, creating lists dynamically & randomly.
- List references and passing lists as parameters.
No tutorials: Nov. 6 - 12
Reading week: no teaching or help tutorials scheduled for this week Tutorials week 9: Nov. 13 - 19
First tutorial (Monday or Tuesday): [Examples]
- 2D lists:
- Creating fixed sized lists, creating lists dynamically & randomly.
- Accessing and modifying list elements.
- Checking the state of elements in a 2D list.
- Boolean functions for 2D lists.
Second tutorial (Wednesday or Thursday): [Examples] [Exercises]. These exercises are larger and more complex in order to help you for Full A3 so you may want to read through the description and even try implementing a solution before the tutorial).
- Passing lists as parameters.
- Implementing more complex problems using 2D lists (text-based board game).
- More examples of Boolean functions for 2D lists.
- Implementing a debug mode in a program (this is a required feature of Full-A3).
Tutorials week 10: Nov. 20 - 26
First tutorial (Monday or Tuesday): Second tutorial (Wednesday or Thursday): [Examples] [Exercises].
- TAs over go over common student issues encountered with full A2.
- How to determine what functions that may be implemented from an assignment requirements document.
- File input:
- Getting a program to repeatedly prompt for file information if there are any I/O exceptions.
- Checking for blank file names.
- Checking for empty files.
- Echoing the contents of a file onscreen.
Tutorials week 11: Nov. 27 - Dec. 3
First tutorial (Monday or Tuesday):
- Error handling with files: [Example]
- Reading the contents of a file into a variable sized 2D list: [Example]
- Tuples and strings: [Examples]
Second tutorial (Wednesday or Thursday):
- A multi-version example illustrating how programs with logic errors when reading from a file can be debugged. [Example]
Tutorials week 12: Dec. 4 - 10 (Wed. Dec. 8 is the last day of classes)
- All tutorials (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday): 'open tutorial'.
- No new teaching will occur.
- The tutorial instructor will be available during the scheduled tutorial time via their Zoom tutorial link (not the CT link) to answer student questions.
- Similar to regular CT, students can attend the help session of any tutorial instructor and not just the one they are registered in.
Help tutorials = Continuous tutorials (or CT for short) where you can go for help outside of class:
- These sessions will typically be staffed by the tutorial instructors but they are not mandatory for students and are provided so that you can get help
- You are NOT restricted getting help from the CT session staffed by the person whose tutorial you are registered in (you can go to any TA for help).
- If you have questions then it's best to ask them during the CT unless it's a question that can be answered fairly quickly via email.
- What do to if the teaching tutorial doesn't appear to be running.
Help/Continuous tutorial (CT) schedules:
- Remote CT:
- Each TA will have a separate Zoom link.
- Only one person will be admitted in the Zoom room at a time. The rest will be held in the virtual waiting room until a spot is free. [If you don't know how a Zoom waiting room looks/works]
- To reduce the anticipated wait time: Some shift may have two TAs staffing the same day/time.
- [Remote CT schedule]
- In-person CT:
- Allow you to access face-to-face help.
- Look for the CT in the CPSC computer lab (first floor of Math Sciences beyond the security doors, there should be a sign near MS151 that specifies the location of the CT for CPSC 217.
- [In person CT schedule]
- The two teaching assistants who staff the in person CT:
- Sean McCreary. This person is also the designated as the Teaching Assistant officially answering questions that you post in D2L under 'Discussions'. Email: sean.mccreary@ucalgary.ca
- Rachel Ralph. Email: rachel.ralph@ucalgary.ca