Getting Started
This chapter takes you through some basics for being successful in Program Logic. Key to your success is seeking help from me sooner rather than later. Blackboard is our learning management system. All resources and course announcements are posted in Blackboard and it is where you receive and submit your assignments. Grades and feedback are also in Blackboard.
Contacting Me
Office hours are a way for us to connect one-on-one. If none of my posted office hours work for you, please contact me so we can make alternative arrangements. Below is a synopsis of my office hours document, however, I encourage you o read the full version, which is posted on Blackboard.
- All office hours are online only via Microsoft Teams®.
- If none of my posted office hours work for you, please contact me so we can make alternate arrangements
- I will make every effort to respond to your communications within 36 hours (unless Thursday after 3:30PM, in-services, weekends or holidays).
- To facilitate a speedy response, please include your full name, the course name, a detailed message, and a call-back number, if applicable.
- If you contact me and ask “can we meet”, my answer is always yes; therefore to better utilize your time, please suggest at least two days/times that you would like to meet.
Preparing for Our Meeting
If you wish to meet about an assignment then please do the following:
- Have questions ready before we meet
- Be prepared to share your screen with me
- Be prepared to discuss the issues and possible solutions
- Know your code!
- Be prepared to tell me what you have already tried and why
If you send me a message after I am offline, asking to meet the next morning, please check your email before your requested meeting time. Typically I start my day early and may have responded.
Understanding Program Logic
Program Logic is our fundamental course to help you think like a software developer. This course teaches you the fundamentals of software development. Below is a partial list of things you will learn in this course.
- What are data types and variables and how to use them
- What is the assignment operator and how do you use it
- What are math operators and how to use them (I promise you do not need to be a math quiz)
- How to create and call your own methods
- How to use methods that are built into the programming language
- Debugging strategies
Students will develop working programs in this course, using Java, therefore, you must learn Java specific syntax. However, the logic you will apply and concepts you learn are portable to most high-level programming languages. I am fond of saying “Logic, is logic, is logic. It is the syntax that is different.”
Blackboard Basics
Blackboard is our learning management system. Our Learning Commons staff put together a Blackboard Orientation site, which I recommend you review. Please get to know Blackboard and visit it regularly. If you have not done so already, visit the discussion board on Blackboard and introduce yourself.
You will use Blackboard to do at least the following:
- Read course announcements
- View/download assignment resources
- View assignment tasks
- Take quizzes and tests
- Submit assignments
- Participate on discussion boards
- View my feedback on your assignments
What You Learned
- You learned the basics for contacting me and that I am here to help
- You learned about this course
- You learned that Blackboard is our learning management system where you:
- Get course announcement
- View assignment details
- Submit assignments
- View my feedback on your assignments
- Access tests and quizzes
What's next?
The next chapter in this unit is Installing our JDK and Apache NetBeans. Please carefully review the page prior to attempting installations.