Syllabus

What you need to know

• This class is fast pace. However, the class is not intellectually difficult. This is intensive training that is geared at having you acquire the necessary skills for developing skills as a backend web-app developer and to gain this proficiency requires lots and lots of practice. You may be spending up to 8 hours outside of class programming (maybe more).
• For most of the class you can work at your own pace. This class is based on mastery learning.
• Because of the nature of the course it is possible for students to feel overwhelmed and start suffering. You can greatly reduce this suffering by learning Javascript, HTML, and CSS before the start of the semester. 
• The class is divided into two parts. The first part covers SQL databases and the second covers noSQL databases.
• There will be approximately 4-6 Readiness Assessment Tests (RATs) that assess whether you have learned the material.
• The vast majority of the class time is spent doing. You will be working on tasks that require you to apply the knowledge you have gained from learning the meaterial.
• Because of the hands-on nature of the course, you will need to bring a laptop (or a chromebook) to every class if you are to gain full benefit from the course.

Effort required

• 3-5 hours per week of studying outside of class
• 6-8 hours of programming per week outside of class time (as the semester progresses you will be spending more and more time programming)
• ~3,000 source lines of code for the entire semester.

Required materials

Google Cloud Account (or equivalent)

Laptop: You need to bring a laptop to class. You will be using it for in-class programming, learning to write SQL queries, and online tests.

Inquiryum’s Backend Developer Fundamentals course 

 

Catalog description

Presents logical database modeling and design, emphasizing the construction and analysis of relational schemas. Covers semantics, integrity constraints, functional dependencies, and table normalization. Practical use of relational algebraic operators, the tuple relational calculus, and their expression in declarative query languages. Introduces basic data mining concepts. May involve student team projects to develop small but representative data collection and analysis applications.

Course competencies

On successful completion of this course, you should be able to

• demonstrate a good understanding of SQL including subqueries, joins, and transactions.
• demonstrate the ability to create rudimentary database web applications.
• demonstrate the ability to develop applications based on the model-view-controller design.

Format of course

Teams

During the first day of class, all students will be assigned to permanent teams. Throughout the course, teams will both take team tests and participate in joint activities. Team performance will be one component of your final grade.

Evaluation

Grading is based on a method developed by Professor Lee Sheldon at Indiana University. It is based on obtaining experience points (XP). The number of XP determines what level you are at. You start the class at Level Zero and with 0 XP. The level you obtain at the end of the semester determines your final grade. Here is the chart:

If you are at Level Three or lower when mid-semester reports are due, I will report your work as unsatisfactory.

RATs  Readiness Assessment Tests – 500XP

There will be approximately 5 short multiple-choice readiness assessment tests given during the course. Each test will be taken individually, then, immediately after, the same test will be taken as a team. Each individual test is worth on average 50 points; each team quiz is also worth on average 50. Makeup tests will not be given.

Core Competency Tasks (replaces exam) – 200-400XP

This is optional. The task is a timed programming one. It involves writing a backend for a web service in Javascript and PostgreSQL. You have 4 hours to complete it.

 

Programming Rudiments – 1200XP

There will be ten guided graduated projects throughout the semester designed to give you practice in writing data driven web apps.  You can progress through these at your own speed but they must be completed by the 30th of November.

Creative Project – 200-500XP

Optional. Description forthcoming.

Lightning Rounds – 500XP

Timed team exercises on SQL statements where you compete against other teams.

Team participation – 100XP

Each student will rate the helpfulness of all members of their group. Individual group participation scores will be the sum of the points they receive from other members of their team. Each team member distributes 100 points to other members of the team. The average team participation score will be 100 points. The rater must differentiate some of their ratings (they cannot assign the same rating to all members).

Slack Participation – 100xp

Slack is a work chat application that many tech companies use. We are going to be using Slack in a number of ways. If you have a particular programming question you can ask it in a general channel and hopefully you will get an answer or suggestion quickly. In addition, you will report your progress to the class through it. In addition, all class announcements are distributed through Slack.

Sign up for Slack here.

Attendance

Since there are no firm deadlines in this class, I worry that people will focus on work for other classes, delay working on tasks for this class and get far behind. To nudge people to work on this class I have decided on the following negative reinforcement.

If you are on or ahead of the suggested schedule there is no attendance requirement. If that is not the case, the following attendance penalties apply:

• first day absent: -10xp
• second day absent: -40xp
• third day absent: -150xp
• fourth day absent: -1000xp

Again, if you are on schedule there is no attendance requirement and you can miss as many days as you like without penalty.  There are two components of attendance:

 

physical presence

Physical presence means you are present from the start of class to the end. You can leave for a short time –10 or 15 minutes total–(for example, to get coffee). Be respectful of people trying to focus in the class and take your fun off-topic conversations outside the classroom.

Slack check-in

Several times per week one of our Slackbots will ask you three questions:

1. What have you accomplished since the last class?
2. What are you working on now?
3. What is holding your back?

Failure to do the Slack check-in also counts as missed attendance.

 

Demo limit

You are also limited to 2 demos per week. Last semester someone came in the last day and demoed nearly all the projects moving from an F to a C+. That would be fine if I thought they learned something, but my gut reaction is that they just got the code from someone else. This is not an isolated occurrence and I always think that people really didn’t learn anything with this project dump.

The last day to demo anything is the 4th of December.

Avatar names, pseudonyms, noms de plume

Avatar Submission Link

During the first week of class I will ask you for your avatar name, pseudonym, whatever. This is the name that will appear on the Experience Point Google Spreadsheet that will be viewable by everyone in the class. If you wish to remain anonymous, don’t share your avatar name with anyone. On the other hand, if you would like recognition for achieving level 10 as an example (“a big shout out to tera miner for achieving level 10″), you can share your name. The decision is yours. To further protect the anonymity of those who wish to remain anonymous, the spreadsheet will also be populated by fictitious avatar names.

Announcements, discussions, and questions

I will communicate with the class via Slack and the course web page.

For questions about any aspect of the course including homework and labs, please use Slack.

You are responsible for checking your email and Slack every 24 hours and the web page at least weekly.

Accessibility Statement

The Office of Disability Resources has been designated by the college as the primary office to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. If you receive services through the Office of Disability Resources and require accommodations for this class, make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your approved accommodation needs. Bring your accommodation letter, along with a copy of our class syllabus with you to the appointment. I will hold any information you share with me in strictest confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise.

If you have not made contact with the Office of Disability Resources and have reasonable accommodation needs, (note taking assistance, extended time for tests, etc.), I will be happy to refer you. The office will require appropriate documentation of disability

Confidential Resources

On Campus

Talley Center for Counselling Services
Lee Hall 106

Student Health Center
Lee Hall 112

Off-Campus

Empowerhouse
540-373-9373

RCASA
540-371-1666

Schedule

The class schedule is posted on the course website.

Important details

Here are some other important things you should know.

• Regarding XP.  As in a computer game, there is no negotiation for what XP you need to attain a certain level. For example, level 11 (the level associated with an A-) requires 2000 XP. Last semester someone sent me email saying they had 1998 XP, they worked really really hard all semester and deserved an A-. I gave him the A- but starting now the boundaries are hard and there is no negotiating.
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