CSC 349: Course Syllabus
(Mobile Computing)

Contact Info:   

Thomas E. Blum
Office: H-133/124
Office Hours: Mon 10:30-11:30 & 4:00-5:00, Wed 10:30-11:30, Fri 10:30-11:30 or by appointment
Phone: 215-951-1139
e-mail: blum@lasalle.edu
Web: http://www.lasalle.edu/~blum

Description:

This course covers software mobile application development, its architecture and lifecycle, as well as its inherent design considerations. Students will learn about mobile resources, activities, views, layouts, and intents in addition to interacting with the location based services, messaging services, multimedia interfaces, and sensors available on the mobile device. The applications developed will manage data input from and output to files, databases and content providers. After developing applications in an emulation environment, students will install them on individual mobile devices as well as prepare them for marketplace distribution.

Meetings:

Tuesdays & Thursdays 2:00-3:15

Location:

Holroyd 120

Course Calendar:

 http://www.lasalle.edu/~blum/c349-cal-s14.htm

Textbook:

 Beginning Android 4 Application Development Wei-Meng Lee (Wrox, 2012, ISBN:978-1-118-19954-1)

Online Books:

 To find one set of relevant ebooks in La Salle University Connelly Library collection, go to the online catalog and do a keyword search on "safari online".

Title(s) relevant to this course:
Android wireless application development/Conder, Shane
Learning Android/Gargenta, Marko
Mobile design and development/Fling, Brian

Learning Objetives:

 Students should be able to
  • Define and reccognize aspects of the mobile software application architecture and mobile application lifecycle
  • Be able to distinguish between and write mobile programs that use the following: Resources, Activities, Views (Buttons, EditText, etc), Layouts, Intents, Adapters
  • Write, extend and adapt programs that handle input-output including the following: Files, On-device databases, External content providers
  • Write programs that interact with mobile device capabilities including: Location based services (e.g. GPS), Telephone and messaging (texting) services, Multimedia platform (e.g. playing audio and video as well as using the camera), Sensors (e.g. accelerometer)
  • Be able to install and maintain software on individual devices as well as to distribute applications on the marketplace
  • Use basic programming structures (control, arrays, objects, strings, methods, etc.) within an Android program.

Assessment:      

 The components of the course will be weighted as follows
    Tests: 30% 2 tests
    Final: 15% The final is cumulative with an emphasis on any previously untested material.
    Homework: 15%  
    Labs: 30%  
    Project: 10%  

In addition,

  • Homeworks and labs are to be done individually unless explicitly stated otherwise.
  • There will be two open-book, open-notes exams in which you will write code and a final of the same format. The date of a test will be announced at least one week before it is given.
  • If at any time you take information from any source (book, website, etc.), that source should be cited. Failing to do so may be considered plagiarism and thus cheating.
  • A late penalty of 5 pts (out of 100) will be deducted from your score for each week an assignment is late.
  • The plus/minus grading system will be used.
  • Attendance will be taken.
  • Absences, lateness, etc. will be reflected in the class portion of the grade. More than three unexcused absences may result in the lowering of a grade.
  • Make-up tests are given at the discretion of the professor. You have to meet with me to discuss the reason for missing the exam and to schedule a make-up.
  • The students should keep all returned materials (tests, homeworks, labs, and so on) until a final grade is received for the course.
  • It is the responsibility of the students to keep copies of all submitted materials (tests, homeworks, labs, and so on) until a final grade is received for the course.

Classroom Behavior:

While in the classroom, students should behave in a manner that is neither distracting to nor disrespectful to the professor or other students. Cell phones should be turned off.

Cheating:

 When using materials from a book, website, etc., the source must be cited; otherwise it is considered plagiarism. Claiming another's work as your own is cheating. A student caught cheating will receive a score of zero. Cheating may result in a reduction of the final grade. Repeated cheating can result in a failing grade for the course. Asking another for help on part of a homework is acceptable; handing in duplicate or nearly duplicate work is not. If you require a significant amount of assitance, you should seek my help. Finally, openly allowing your work to be copied is also cheating.