Overview
Introduction to algorithms: their definition, design, coding, and execution on computers. Intended for students who have no programming experience.
Learning Outcomes
After completing CISC 101, students will be able to:
- Design a computational solution to a problem described in natural language, express the solution in an algorithmic way, and convert the algorithm effectively and intelligibly into a procedural program.
- Ensure that algorithms produce the correct output and handle edge cases.
- Properly use modularity, repetition (both counted and unbounded), conditionals, and simple (rectangular) data structures in problem solution
Terms
Evaluation
18% - Assignments
20% - Quizzes
7% - Textbook Exercises
5% - Discussions
50% - Proctored Computer-Based Final Exam*
*Students must earn 50% or higher on the final exam to pass the course
** Evaluation Subject to Change **
Proctored Exams
Exam Centre Location, Eligibility, and Fees
Students enrolled exclusively in online courses may choose one of two options to write this course’s proctored assessments:
- You may choose to write the assessments online under supervision of Examity proctoring services. A $100 fee will be charged to your SOLUS account. This fee is known as the Off Campus Exam Admin Fee and is applied in SOLUS at the earlier of: term tuition posting date, or the date at which exam writing method is changed to online. The fee is assessed once per ASO course with proctored assessments.
- You may choose to write the assessments in-person on Queen’s campus in Kingston at no additional charge.
Students enrolled in at least one on-campus course are expected to write this course’s proctored assessments on-campus during the scheduled exam time. They will not be permitted to write this course’s proctored assessments online.
Students were prompted to indicate their preferred exam writing method when enrolling in the course in SOLUS. The exam writing method may be changed by contacting the ASO Exams Team at aso.exams@queensu.ca.
Information for students writing online assessments using Examity
Selected assessments in this course will be administered in onQ using online proctoring provided by Examity, a third-party, cloud-based service. This proctoring solution was chosen to support our efforts in maintaining academic integrity when online proctoring is required. Queen’s has conducted an extensive privacy and security review of Examity and has entered into a binding agreement with terms that address the appropriate collection, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with Ontario’s privacy legislation. To learn more about online proctoring, please see the information provided by the Office of the University Registrar.
If you registered to write online with Examity, all information pertaining to the technical requirements and preparation for writing online will be posted in onQ well in advance of your exam. 
The use of Examity as described is unique to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science Online. Other Faculties use online proctoring solutions in different ways under different regulations. Students should contact the appropriate Faculty examination team if they have questions.
Timing of Final Examinations
The exam period dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under "Important Dates". Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted to SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should not make any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing them from writing their exams as scheduled should review the information about the Academic Consideration process.
Textbook and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. The textbook will be available for purchase via a link between onQ and Pearson REVEL.
Recommended Textbook
- “Starting Out with Python” 6th Ed. by Tony Gaddis, Pearson (2021)
Computer Requirements
Students will need to be able to write and test Python programs. The recommended tool can be downloaded from and the recommended Python version is 3.5 or newer. Versions are available for many hardware platforms and operating systems. More details will be provided.
Time Commitment
Students can expect to spend around 120 hours in study, practice and online activity for CISC 101.
Additional Information
NOTE: Learning Hours may vary. Sufficient preparation for CISC 121; alternative to CISC 110/3.0 and CISC 151/3.0