CMSI 1900

Exploring Computer Science

Fall 2025


Syllabus
Note
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  • Brightspace: Where you can access private content and check your grades
  • Every now and then we may use Socrative to ask or answer questions as a class—my Socrative room is DONDILMU

Meeting Topics

Look ahead and/or walk down memory lane! More to come as the semester falls into place…

  • 0826 📣 The reading of the syllabus 📣 …and meet your cohort
  • 0902 The human dimension: People from LMU Computer Science and beyond
  • 0909 Student success tips: Early alerts, academic honesty, and notetaking
  • 0916 Mid-career snapshot: LMU CS alum in industry AMA
  • 0923 Hands-on exercise: Computing with Lego
    1. Self-organize into groups of three (3)
    2. Each group will be given a small Lego set with instructions
    3. Take turns being two readers and one builder
    4. The readers hold the instructions and try to describe the building step to the builder
    5. The builder may not see the instructions
    6. The builder can only ask the readers if what they are doing is correct. The readers may only answer “yes” or “no”
    7. Change roles every 2-3 building steps so everyone has a turn being a reader and a builder
    8. When the exercise is over, please return the sets neatly (and completely) into their respective containers. Some disassembly may be needed
    9. Visit Brightspace later to write a reflection on the exercise
  • 0930 Research snapshot: LLMs and endangered language revitalization
  • 1007 Beach outing  goes past 6:50 PM 
  • 1014 Codealong: Creative programming
  • 1021 Unplugged: The muddy city and ice cream vans
  • 1028 Community: ACM Keckoween & Lightning Lectures  goes past 6:50 PM 
  • 1104 College adulting: First-year registration advising session
  • 1111 Future plans: 4+1 program information session; “Knock-knock” and “Simon” activities
  • 1118 Research snapshot: Your phone could know a lot more than you think...
  • 1125 Pre-Thanksgiving hangout  optional attendance 
  • 1202 Big picture view: Ethics & responsibility in computing
  • 1209 Computer science beyond LMU: Key people past and present (and you are the future)  optional attendance