E C E 252 section 001 Syllabus

Introduction to Computer Engineering

COURSE INFORMATION

Introduction to Computer Engineering

E C E 252 001 ( 2 Credits )
2021 Spring [1214]

Description
Logic components built with transistors, rudimentary Boolean algebra, basic combinational logic design, basic
synchronous sequential logic design, basic computer organization and design, introductory machine- and assembly-
language programming. Enroll Info: None

Prerequisite(s)
None

Instruction Mode
Online Only

Section Level Com B

False

Department: Electrical and Computer Engr

College: Engineering


2021 Spring [1214]
Term Start Date: Monday, 25-Jan-2021  Term End Date: Tuesday, 1-Jun-2021

Location and Schedule: ONLINE M 9:55 AM-10:45 AM

CRN: 320022784

How the Credit Hours are Met

This class meets for two 50-minute class periods each week over the semester and carries the expectation that
students will work on course learning activities (reading, writing, problem sets, studying, etc) for about 2 hours out of
classroom for every class period. The syllabus includes additional information about meeting times and expectations
for student work.

Contact Hours
42

Course Requirement Level

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Required

INSTRUCTORS AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS (TAs)

Instructor

  Joseph KRACHEY
 JKRACHEY@WISC.EDU

Instructor Availability and Preferred Contact

O ce Hours to be posted on the Canvas homepage.

TA Availability and Preferred Contact

O ce Hours to be posted on the Canvas homepage.

COURSE OUTCOMES, GRADING, and OTHER COURSE MATERIALS

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Students will acquire introductory skills in teamwork with peers.


C003

Students will develop awareness of some of the ethical, social, political, and economic in uences on and
 impacts of engineering.

C002

Students will acquire a basic understanding of several aspects of computer engineering practice, including
 basic hardware design and low-level assembly-language programming.

C001

Brief List of Topics To Be Covered

This course is intended for rst-year students, both as a general introduction to engineering for all engineering majors,
and as a foundational course for the computer engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering degree
programs. It provides bottom-up coverage of the critical concepts in the operation and design of computing systems,
starting with transistors, then logic gates, then complex logic structures, then ip- ops and memory.

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Grading
The minimum overall score required to achieve each grade category (assuming satisfactory exercise participation,
successful video quiz results, a passing assessment average, and a passing nal exam score) is listed below. Scores
are NOT rounded before applying these thresholds.

93       A
88       AB
83       B
78       BC
70       C
60       D

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation. All students in this course are expected to value the
contributions of each person and respect the ways in which their identity, culture, background, experience, status,
abilities, and opinion enrich our learning experience and university community. Disrespectful behavior or comments
directed toward any group or individual will be addressed by the instructor.

Students are expected to conduct themselves in an ethical manner at all times, and to respect their classmates by not
cheating. Students are expected to read the syllabus and the rules given at the start of each assignment, and to follow
the spirit as well as the letter of these rules. Misconduct is not treated lightly – in general, the penalty will be worse than
if the student had simply not submitted anything instead of cheating on it.

If a student engages in academic misconduct or assists another student in doing so, they will be subject to UWS-14, the
University of Wisconsin-Madison Academic Misconduct Policy & Procedures. This can include a zero grade on the
assignment or a failing grade in the course, as well as a formal letter to the Dean of Students O ce, to be placed in the
student’s record. Repeat or particularly egregious offenses may result in further action (e.g., probation, suspension,
expulsion).

Examples of Academic Misconduct:

Doing an in-class exercise outside of class (without permission) or assisting another student to do so by sharing the exercise
password.
Submitting homework that includes any work that is not your own or your partner’s (if the homework permits collaboration), or assisting
anyone else to do so.
Discussing speci c homework problems with someone other than course staff, looking at the homework of another individual/group, or
showing your homework to another individual/group any time prior to that homework’s deadline. These actions are permitted with
respect to a homework partner if the assignment explicitly states that you may work with a partner.
Inappropriately collaborating on homework (collaborating with anyone else on an individual assignment, collaborating with more than a
single partner, etc.).
Seeking homework help from others outside the course, from prior semesters of the course, or seeking a partial or complete solution
online (beyond materials provided in this course).
Attempting to communicate with other students during an exam or an assessment.
Discussing the contents of an exam or assessment with a student who has not yet taken it.
Attempting to access an exam or an assessment outside the assigned time or location.
Attempting to gain access to or an extension for a graded assignment under false pretenses.

Examples of Activities that are NOT Academic Misconduct:

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 Discussing in-class exercises with instructors or other students in the course.
Discussing course concepts with others, regardless of whether they are in the same course or not.
Working with a single partner on an assignment that explicitly permits this.
Searching for additional materials online to help explain course concepts.
Seeking assistance with any assignment from course instructors or TAs – please do if you are stuck!!!

These rules are not only to maintain a fair learning environment for all students, but also to help students succeed. A
key role of homework is to help students learn the material (though effort and practice), preparing them to perform
better not only on exams, but also later courses and a possible future career. Copying work, or assistance that is overly
speci c to solving one particular problem, is not actually helpful. A student cannot achieve a passing grade in this
course without achieving a passing assessment average and a passing nal exam. A student’s grade and overall
enjoyment of the course are both improved by understanding the course concepts, not by receiving high homework
grades that do not actually re ect their mastery of the course material.

Course Website, Learning Management System and Digital Instructional Tools

The course will use Canvas to distribute information to students.  Virtual class activities will be offered in Microsoft
Teams. 

Questions related to the content presented in ECE252 will make use of the Canvas Discussion forums.  You should NOT
send email related to course content to your instructors email address.

If you have administrative questions (illness, absence, grading related questions, etc) then you should send an email to
ece252_staff@g-groups.wisc.edu.  This list distributes the question to all instructors/TAs so that you will be answered
as quickly as possible. Although you may receive a fast response in the evening and on weekends, this is not
guaranteed, so please plan appropriately. We will answer email at least a few times a day during the work day (9am-
5pm) and once a day on weekends.

If you have di culty with the course material, please ask questions early at o ce hours, in email, or in class. Do not
wait until you are seriously behind, or just before (or after!) a deadline or an exam.

Students are expected to check their email once per day for class updates.

Discussion Sessions (in-person or remote)

Monday lectures will generally be optional (but recommended) discussion and review of the past week’s material.
 Discussion will take place in Microsoft Teams from 9:55am-10:45am Central Time.  The discussion will be recorded
and posted to the course website.

Laboratory Sessions (in-person or remote)

None

Required Textbook, Software, & Other Course Materials

ECE 252 Course materials posted online (Canvas) are also required reading/viewing

(Recommended) Introduction to Computing Systems: from bits and gates to C and beyond; Yale N. Patt and Sanjay J.
Patel; Mc-Graw Hill, 2003, 2nd edition

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Homework & Other Assignments

ECE252 will use Canvas for the submission of all homework, assessments, quizzes, and the nal. 

Video Quizzes: 0% of nal grade

Video quizzes are to be completed before 11:59PM on Tuesdays starting in Week 1.  Students are required to watch the
assigned lecture videos for a given week. After watching the videos, students are required to complete a video quiz to
demonstrate an adequate level of preparedness.  The video quizzes cover the material for the upcoming week.  

The video quizzes scores are not used when determining your nal grade, but you are still required to complete each
video quiz.  Failing more than 2 video quizzes (a score of less than 60%) will result in your nal grade being lowered by
one letter grade (AB -> B).

 
Exercises: 10% of nal grade

Wednesday and Friday classes will consist of Canvas based active learning exercises. You can nd links to the
exercises on the course website.  The exercises are named based on what week they should be completed (Week 1
Exercises : Ex1A, Ex1B)

These exercises work to solidify student understanding of core class concepts and provide immediate feedback.
Instructors are available in Microsoft Teams during the scheduled class time to provide assistance.   Students are
encouraged to collaborate with their peers in a peer-teaching/peer-learning manner in the virtual classroom. Please see
the Remote Learning document on the course website for more information on how to use Microsoft Teams for
ECE252.

We are asking students to complete exercises in groups of 3-8 people in Microsoft Teams during the normally
scheduled class time.  The advantage of completing the exercises during class is that instructors and TAs will be
available in Teams to answer questions and explain concepts. If you cannot attend the scheduled class time, you are
encouraged to form a study group with other students at another time. Working within a group results in better learning
outcomes and quite simply makes the class more enjoyable. 

Exercises will be available the entire day in which they are assigned.  Each exercise has a 90-minute time limit once it
has been started.  Exercises at due at 11:59PM Central time.   DO NOT wait to start your exercise at 11:58PM.  The
exercise will close at 11:59PM regardless of how much time is left on your attempt.

Failing more than 2 exercises is grounds for failure of the course. The lowest two exercise scores will be dropped when
computing the exercise average.

If you skip an exercise or homework, you will not be able to review it to study for assessments and the nal exam.

Homework: 15% of nal grade

Homework promotes and assesses a student’s ability to synthesize the core concepts learned via course materials and
the exercises. They are to be completed outside of class time. Later homework will include programming and require
the use of a simulator program (a tutorial will be available). There will be 11 homework assignments (roughly weekly).
All homework scores are included in the homework average.

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Campus Spaces for Virtual Learning & Testing
Dedicated on-campus spaces with high-speed internet are available for students to reserve for any exam/quiz taken
during the semester. Computers can also be requested.

EXAMS, QUIZZES, PAPERS & OTHER MAJOR GRADED WORK

Exams, Quizzes, Papers & Other Major Graded Work

Assessments: 50% of nal grade

Assessments evaluate individual student understanding of course topics after they have had practice with the material.
Starting in approximately the third week, there will be a Canvas based assessment every few weeks. The exact schedule
is given on the course web page. Assessments are electronic, using the same system as the exercises. Assessments
are individual and conducted under exam conditions; collaboration, electronic devices, calculators, textbooks, notes,
etc., are not allowed. A passing assessment average is required to pass the course. All assessment scores are included
in the assessment average.

Final Exam: 25% of nal grade

The nal exam represents a cumulative assessment of individual student understanding. The Canvas based nal exam
is individual; no collaboration, electronic devices, calculators, textbooks, notes, etc., are allowed during the nal exam. A
passing nal exam score is required to pass the course.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION AND ACADEMIC POLICIES

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 Privacy of Student Information & Digital Tools: Teaching & Learning
Analytics & Proctoring Statement
The privacy and security of faculty, staff and students’ personal information is a top priority for UW-Madison.
The university carefully reviews and vets all campus-supported digital tools used to support teaching and
learning, to help support success through learning analytics, and to enable proctoring capabilities.  UW-Madison
takes necessary steps to ensure that the providers of such tools prioritize proper handling of sensitive data in
alignment with FERPA, industry standards and best practices.

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA – which protects the privacy of student education
records), student consent is not required for the university to share with school o cials those student
education records necessary for carrying out those university functions in which they have legitimate educationl
interest. 34 CFR 99.31(a)(1)(i)(B).  FERPA speci cally allows universities to designate vendors such as digital
tool providers as school o cials, and accordingly to share with them personally identi able information from
student education records if they perform appropriate services for the university and are subject to all
applicable requirements governing the use, disclosure and protection of student data.

 Privacy of Student Records & the Use of Audio Recorded Lectures

See information about privacy of student records and the usage of audio-recorded lectures.

Lecture materials and recordings for this course are protected intellectual property at UW-Madison. Students in
this course may use the materials and recordings for their personal use related to participation in this class.
Students may also take notes solely for their personal use. If a lecture is not already recorded, you are not
authorized to record my lectures without my permission unless you are considered by the university to be a
quali ed student with a disability requiring accommodation. [Regent Policy Document 4-1] Students may not
copy or have lecture materials and recordings outside of class, including posting on internet sites or selling to
commercial entities. Students are also prohibited from providing or selling their personal notes to anyone else
or being paid for taking notes by any person or commercial rm without the instructor’s express written
permission. Unauthorized use of these copyrighted lecture materials and recordings constitutes copyright
infringement and may be addressed under the university’s policies, UWS Chapters 14 and 17, governing student
academic and non-academic misconduct.

 How to Succeed in This Course

Resource links to other campus services:

University Health Services

Undergraduate Academic Advising and Career Services
O ce of the Registrar
O ce of Student Financial Aid
Dean of Students O ce

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 Course Evaluations
Students will be provided with an opportunity to evaluate this course and your learning experience. Student
participation is an integral component of this course, and your con dential feedback is important to me. I
strongly encourage you to participate in the course evaluation.

Digital Course Evaluation (AEFIS) 

UW-Madison uses an online course evaluation survey tool, AEFIS. In most instances, you will receive an
o cial email two weeks prior to the end of the semester when your course evaluation is available. You will
receive a link to log into the course evaluation with your NetID where you can complete the evaluation and
submit it, anonymously. Your participation is an integral component of this course, and your feedback is
important to me. I strongly encourage you to participate in the course evaluation.

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 Students’ Rules, Rights & Responsibilities
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, we must prioritize our collective health and safety to keep ourselves, our
campus, and our community safe. As a university community, we must work together to prevent the spread of
the virus and to promote the collective health and welfare of our campus and surrounding community. Rights &
Responsibilities

UW-Madison Badger Pledge

Campus Guidance on the use of Face Coverings

Face coverings must be correctly worn on campus at all times and in all places (both outside and inside),
except by students in their assigned residence hall rooms; by employees when alone in a private, unshared
lab or o ce; when traveling alone in a private vehicle; and when exercising outside in a way that maintains
6 feet of distance from other people.

Students with disabilities or medical conditions who are unable to wear a face covering should contact
the McBurney Disability Resource Center or their Access Consultant if they are already a liated. Students
requesting an accommodation unrelated to disability or medical condition, should contact the Dean of
Students O ce.

Students who choose not to wear a face covering may not attend in-person classes, unless they are
approved for an accommodation or exemption. All other students not wearing a face covering will be
asked to put one on or leave the classroom. Students who refuse to wear face coverings appropriately or
adhere to other stated requirements will be reported to the O ce of Student Conduct and Community
Standards and will not be allowed to return to the classroom until they agree to comply with the face
covering policy. An instructor may cancel or suspend a course in-person meeting if a person is in the
classroom without an approved face covering in position over their nose and mouth and refuses to
immediately comply.

Quarantine or Isolation Due to COVID-19

Student should continually monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested for the virus if they
have symptoms or have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19. Student should reach out
to instructors as soon as possible if they become ill or need to isolate or quarantine, in order to make
alternate plans for how to proceed with the course. Students are strongly encouraged to communicate
with their Instructor concerning their illness and the anticipated extent of their absence from the course
(either in- person or remote). The instructor will work with the student to provide alternative ways to
complete the course work. 

 Diversity & Inclusion Statement

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each
person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and
opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching,
research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison ful lls its
public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background – people
who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. 

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 Academic Integrity Statement
By virtue of enrollment, each student agrees to uphold the high academic standards of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison; academic misconduct is behavior that negatively impacts the integrity of the institution.
Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, and helping others commit these previously listed
acts are examples of misconduct which may result in disciplinary action. Examples of disciplinary action
include, but is not limited to, failure on the assignment/course, written reprimand, disciplinary probation,
suspension, or expulsion.

 Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

The University of Wisconsin-Madison supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational
opportunity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12), and UW-Madison
policy (Faculty Document 1071) require that students with disabilities be reasonably accommodated in
instruction and campus life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is a shared faculty and
student responsibility. Students are expected to inform faculty of their need for instructional accommodations
by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after a disability has been incurred or
recognized. Faculty, will work either directly with the student or in coordination with the McBurney Center to
identify and provide reasonable instructional accommodations. Disability information, including instructional
accommodations as part of a student's educational record, is con dential and protected under FERPA. (See:
McBurney Disability Resource Center)

 Academic Calendar & Religious Observances

See: https://secfac.wisc.edu/academic-calendar/#religious-observances

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