The Robert M.

Buchan Department of Mining

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

MNTC 313 INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING

FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
Course Syllabus
Summer 2021
This is your course syllabus. Please download the file and keep it for future reference.

TEACHING TEAM
COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Asli Sari
Queen’s University
E-mail: mntc313@queensu.ca

Alvaro Riquelme
Queen’s University
E-mail: mntc313@queensu.ca
Office hour: Tuesdays at 2 PM EST

https://queensu.zoom.us/j/96936353005?pw
d=Q3NtZk0waVpuSGlQREp2YVBRQWsr
Zz09

Page 1 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

COURSE INFORMATION
COURSE DESCRIPTION1
Students will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of computer programming using both
C/C++ and MATLAB. The course will teach computer programming with a focus on practical
applications for analyzing data and solving practical mathematical problems. Topics will include
basic components of a computer (both hardware and software), memory and variables,
expressions, selection structures, loops, arrays, functions, and commonly used algorithms such
as sorting and searching. At the end of the course, students will be able to apply computer
programming skills to assist in both design and analysis for real-life engineering applications.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLO)

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

CLO DESCRIPTION ASSOCIATED

PLO
CLO 1 Explain how software and hardware interact to link computer 42, 63
programming to actual machine operations.
CLO 2 Implement the features of a programming language such as syntax. 4
CLO 3 Transform logical relationships into computer programming 14, 25, 4
elements such as expressions, selection statements, and loops.
CLO 4 Use features such as arrays and functions to enhance the efficiency 1, 2, 4
of computer programs.
CLO 5 Implement features of C/C++ and MATLAB programming languages 1, 2, 4
to design computer programs.
CLO 6 Design computer programs to solve mathematical and data analysis 1, 2, 4
problems.
CLO 7 Simulate a simple real-world model of a physical system. 1, 2, 4

1
Course Author(s): Brian Lynch. 1st Edition (initial development): Fall 2017; Queen's University holds a license for
the use of the Course Author's Intellectual Property for MNTC 313.
2
PLO 4: Employ modern engineering tools effectively for the purpose of mine planning and design, as well as for
data visualization, analysis and interpretation.
3
PLO 6: Work professionally and communicate effectively in a team-based multi-disciplinary environment.
Articulate and justify technical solutions to diverse audiences.
4
PLO 1: Identify, formulate, analyze, and solve typical engineering problems using a balance of mathematics,
physics, chemistry and Earth sciences.
5
PLO 2: Conduct experiments, analyze and interpret data.

Page 2 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

CLO DESCRIPTION ASSOCIATED

PLO
CLO 8 Discuss when the complexity of an engineering problem requires 1, 2, 4, 6
computer programming.

COMMUNICATIONS
All course communications will be done through the announcements widget on the onQ page.
Make sure you activate e-mail notifications or check the announcements once per day. For any
general course related questions, consider using the discussion board. For more specific
questions, all e-mails should be addressed to mntc313@queensu.ca. This e-mail address is
monitored by the instructors and the head TA. Course related questions may be forwarded to a
TA of the course. For matters concerning a missed assessment with a document, such as a
doctor’s note, contact the Engineering Student Services team instead.
All e-mails must be addressed to the course e-mail address mntc313@queensu.ca and not to
the individual e-mail addresses of the instructors. The e-mails that are not addressed to the
course e-mail address will not be replied.

ASSESSMENTS
ASSESSMENT WEIGHTING

ASSESSMENT DUE DATE WEIGHT ALIGNMENT

(due before 23:59 ET unless otherwise stated)
WITH CLOS
Assignments (12) Day 7 of Weeks 1-12 30% (12 x 1, 2, 5, 6
2.5%)
Quizzes (5) Day 7 of Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 10% (5 x 2%) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Individual 25% ALL
Midterm Exam

Individual Final End of term 35% ALL

Exam6

Total Marks 100%

6
There is no requirement to pass the final exam in order to pass the course.

Page 3 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTIONS
Assignments
There are 12 assignments in this course. Assignment 1 is comprised of two parts: 10 questions
and the development of a slide highlighting an interesting concept or application of computers
or computer programming. Students must complete all assignments. These assignments
provide a scenario and questions that will require students to apply programming skills and
knowledge to solidify the foundational concepts discussed in the course.
Quizzes
The Quizzes are present in 5 weeks of the course and each is worth 2%. The quizzes will be
comprised of short questions that will help to identify gaps in conceptual understanding, will
allow learners to reflect on their skills and provide feedback to the Instructor. These questions
are all taken on the class website and they can involve questions that are a mixture of
calculation, multiple choice, and true/false. Once you initiate a quiz, you have 90 minutes to
complete it and you have one attempt.
Midterm Exam
The midterm exam will take place on June 29, 2021 at 8 PM EST. It is 1.5 hours long and is open
book; all printed and handwritten notes, books and a non-programmable calculator are
allowed. Online browsing, PDFs, using any software, compilers, any communication
tools/software are not allowed.
Final Exam
The final exam is 3 hours long and is open book; all printed and handwritten notes, books and a
non-programmable calculator are allowed. Online browsing, PDFs, using any software,
compilers, any communication tools/software are not allowed. Students must write their exam
on the day and time scheduled by the University. Avoid scheduling vacations, appointments,
etc. during the exam period. The Term and Session Dates will indicate the final exam period
session dates in each term.

GRADING
All assessments in this course will receive numerical percentage marks. The final grade you
receive for the course will be derived by converting your numerical course average to a letter
grade according to the established Grade Point Index.
Feedback on Assessments
The teaching team will provide feedback on graded activities. You can expect feedback on your
assessments within seven days of the due date.
Accessing Your Final Grade
Your final grades will show on SOLUS. Official transcripts showing final grades will be available
on the Official Grade Release Date. Please note that in official transcripts, a mark of IN
(incomplete) is considered a grade, and your transcript is released with this grade.

Page 4 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

LATE POLICY
Any applicable late penalties are described in the details for each assessment. In the event of
extenuating circumstances, you may request an extension to an assignment due date without
penalty. Requests must be made to your instructor prior to the original due date of the
assignment, and some substantiating documentation is often required. Note that unacceptable
reasons include malfunctioning computer, travel plans to go home for holidays, generally
behind on schoolwork, etc. In the absence of substantiating documentation, the normal late
penalty will apply as described in the assignment or departmental policies.

TUTORIALS
Tutorials will take place on Wednesdays at 12:30-2:30 pm and 8-10 pm. The students must sign
up for their preferred session on or before April 25th. Once selected, the student will be
assigned to a TA and must always attend the selected session. The breakout rooms will be
configured before the course starts and the students attending the wrong session will not be
placed in the breakout rooms. The students who attend at least 9 tutorials throughout the
semester will have 2% bonus marks at the end of the course.

SUGGESTED TIME COMMITMENT

This course represents a study period of one term spanning 12 consecutive weeks. The material
is divided into seven (7) modules. Modules can vary in length from one to three (1-3) weeks and
learners can expect to invest on average seven to nine (7-9) hours per week in this course.
Learners who adhere to a pre-determined study schedule are more likely to successfully
complete the course on time.

TECHNICAL SKILLS
This course requires no specialized computer-related technical skills.

COURSE MATERIALS
Textbook
There is no required textbook for this course.
Required Calculator
A Casio 991 is required. ONLY this type of non-programmable, non-communicating calculator
will be allowed during tests and exams.

TURNITIN AND MOSS STATEMENTS

This course makes use of Turnitin and Moss, third-party applications that helps maintain
standards of excellence in academic integrity. Normally, students will be required to submit
their course assignments through onQ to Turnitin and to Moss. In doing so, students’ work will
be included as source documents in the Turnitin and Moss reference databases, where they will
be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism.

Page 5 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

Turnitin and Moss are a suite of tools that provide instructors with information about the
authenticity of submitted work and facilitates the process of grading. They compare submitted
files against its extensive database of content, and produce a similarity report and a similarity
score for each assignment. A similarity score is the percentage of a document that is similar to
content held within the database. Turnitin and Moss do not determine if an instance of
plagiarism has occurred. Instead, they gives instructors the information they need to determine
the authenticity of work as a part of a larger process.
Please read Turnitin’s Privacy Pledge, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service, which governs users’
relationship with Turnitin. Also, please note that Turnitin uses cookies and other tracking
technologies; however, in its service contract with Queen’s Turnitin has agreed that neither
Turnitin nor its third-party partners will use data collected through cookies or other tracking
technologies for marketing or advertising purposes. For further information about how you can
exercise control over cookies, see Turnitin’s Privacy Policy. Do not put personal information on
the assignments. Your submission is linked to your account so personal information such as
name and student id are not needed to be put on the assignment.
Turnitin may provide other services that are not connected to the purpose for which Queen’s
University has engaged Turnitin. Your independent use of Turnitin’s other services is subject
solely to Turnitin’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and Queen’s University has no liability
for any independent interaction you choose to have with Turnitin.

COURSE COMMUNICATION
NETIQUETTE
In an online course, you are expected to communicate with your peers and the teaching team
through electronic communication. You are expected to use the utmost respect in your dealings
with your colleagues or when participating in activities, discussions, and online communication.

Following is a list of netiquette guidelines. Please read them carefully and use them to guide
your communication in this course and beyond.

1. Make a personal commitment to learn about, understand, and support your peers.
2. Assume the best of others and expect the best of them.
3. Acknowledge the impact of oppression on the lives of other people and make sure your
writing is respectful and inclusive.
4. Recognize and value the experiences, abilities, and knowledge each person brings.
5. Pay close attention to what your peers write before you respond. Think through and re-
read your writings before you post or send them to others.
6. It’s alright to disagree with ideas, but do not make personal attacks.
7. Be open to be challenged or confronted on your ideas and challenge others with the
intent of facilitating growth. Do not demean or embarrass others.
8. Encourage others to develop and share their ideas.

Page 6 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

QUESTIONS ABOUT COURSE MATERIAL

Questions or comments regarding the course material that can be of benefit to other students
should be posted in the Q&A discussion forum in onQ. The instructor, teaching assistants, and
students are encouraged to answer these questions directly in the discussion forum for the
benefit of everyone in the course.

COURSE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The instructor will routinely post course news in the Announcements section on the main
course homepage on onQ. Please sign up to be automatically notified by email when the
instructor posts in the Announcements section. Instructions on how to modify your
notifications are found in the Begin Here section in onQ.

ONLINE OFFICE HOURS

In addition to interaction in the Q&A discussion forums, you will have the opportunity to
interact in a synchronous fashion with the instructor and the teaching assistants through office
hours. Office hours are on Tuesdays at 2-3 pm or by appointment and should be scheduled by
sending an e-mail to mntc313@queensu.ca.

POLICIES
Please review the following policies concerning copyright, academic integrity, absences, and
academic accommodations.

COPYRIGHT
Unless otherwise stated, the material on the course website is copyrighted and is for the sole
use of students registered in the specified course. The material on the website may be
downloaded for a registered student’s personal use but shall not be distributed or disseminated
to anyone other than students registered in this course.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Information on policies concerning academic integrity is available in the Queen’s University
Code of Conduct, in the Senate Academic Integrity Policy Statement, on the Faculty of
Engineering and Applied Science website, and from your instructor.

ABSENCES (ACADEMIC CONSIDERATION) AND ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS

For absences and academic accommodations, please review the information on the Faculty of
Engineering and Applied Science website.

ACADEMIC AND STUDENT SUPPORT

Queen’s has a robust set of supports available to you including the Library, Student Academic
Success Services (Learning Strategies and Writing Centre), and Career Services. Learners are

Page 7 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

encouraged to visit the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Current Students web portal
for information about various other policies such as academic advisors, registration, student
exchanges, awards and scholarships, etc.

INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND SUPPORT

If you have a disability or health consideration that may require accommodations, please
approach the instructor and/or Accessibility Services. The staff at Accessibility Services are
available by appointment to develop individualized accommodation plans, provide referrals,
and assist with advocacy. The sooner you let us know your needs, the better we can assist you
in achieving your learning goals. For further information, visit the Student Wellness Services
website.
Every effort has been made to provide course materials that are accessible. For further
information on accessibility compliance of the educational technologies used in this course,
please consult the links below.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE INFORMATION

onQ https://www.d2l.com/accessibility/standards/
(Brightspace Learning Management
System by D2L)
If you find any element of this course difficult to access, please discuss with your instructor how
you can obtain an accommodation.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT
No specialized computer-related technical skills are required for this course. If you require
technical assistance, please contact Technical Support.

SUPPORTIVE PERSONAL COUNSELLING

If at any time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, sad, lonely, or distressed,
consider confidential supportive personal counselling offered by the Faculty of Engineering and
Applied Science.

Page 8 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

WEEKLY COURSE OUTCOMES

WEEK LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
1 Computers and Programming Concepts Assignment 1 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Sept 8-13 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:

• Describe the various components of computer

hardware. [CLO 1]
• Describe the various components of computer
software. [CLO 1]
• Describe computer programming language
structure and flow. [CLO 1, 2]
2 Variables and Expressions Assignment 2 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Sept 14-20 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
Quiz 1 [CLOs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
• Declare variables of different types such as 7, 8]
integers and floating point numbers. [CLO 5]
• Initialize variables. [CLO 5]
• Assign variables. [CLO 5]
• Convert mathematical equations to program
expressions [CLO 5}
• Print output to the screen. [CLO 5]
• Identify strategies and techniques for
debugging programs. [CLO 1, 5, 6]
3 Conditional Statements Assignment 3 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Sept 21-27 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
• Apply logical operators for singular and
compound logical conditions. [CLO 3, 5]
• Write computer programs using “if”
statements. [CLO 3, 5]
• Write computer programs using “if-else”
statements. [CLO 3, 5]
• Write computer programs using “switch-case”
statements. [CLO 3, 5]
• Convert logical concepts and flow charts into
logical program statements. [CLO 3, 5]

Page 9 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

WEEK LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT

4 Repetition Statements Assignment 4 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Sept 28- By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
Oct 4
• Write computer programs using “for” loops.
[CLO 3, 5]
• Write computer programs using “while” loops.
[CLO 3, 5]
• Write computer programs using “do-while”
loops. [CLO 3, 5]
• Construct repetition structures to achieve
desired program flow. [CLO 3, 5]
5 Arrays Assignment 5 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Oct 5-11 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
• Apply one-dimensional arrays to store lists of
data. [CLO 4, 5]
• Apply two-dimensional arrays to store lists of
data. [CLO 4, 5]
• Access values in arrays. [CLO 4, 5]
• Assign values to arrays. [CLO 4, 5]
6 Functions Assignment 6 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Oct 12-18 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
Quiz 3 [CLOs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
• Declare functions with various inputs and 7, 8]
outputs. [CLO 4, 5]
• Write function definitions. [CLO 4, 5]
• Call functions inside programs. [CLO 4, 5]
7 User Input & Output Assignment 7 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Oct 19-25 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
• Capture user input through the keyboard.
[CLO 5, 6]
• Read and write data to text files. [CLO 5,6]

Page 10 of 11
MNTC 313 Introduction to Programming for Engineering Applications Summer 2021

WEEK LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT

8 Object-Oriented Programming Assignment 8 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Nov 2-8 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
Quiz 4 [CLOs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
• Describe the concepts of object-oriented 7, 8]
programming. [CLO 5, 6, 7]
• Create structures and classes. [CLO 5, 6] Midterm Exam
• Use structures and classes inside programs.
[CLO 5, 6]
9 Data Structures and Containers Assignment 9 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Nov 9-15 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
• Create various data structure and containers.
[CLO 4, 5, 7]
• Use data structures and containers for
efficient programming. [CLO 4, 5, 7]

10 Algorithms Part 1 Assignment 10 [CLOs 1, 2,

5, 6]
Nov 16-22 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
Quiz 5 [CLOs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
• Write programs to apply various sorting
7, 8]
algorithms. [CLO 5, 6, 8]
• Write programs to apply various searching
algorithms. [CLO 5, 6, 8]
11 Algorithms Part 2 Assignment 11 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Nov 23-29 By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
• Write programs to perform numerical
integration. [CLO 5, 6, 7, 8]
• Write programs to solve linear systems of
equations. [CLO 5, 6, 7, 8]
12 Algorithms Part 3 Assignment 12 [CLOs 1, 2,
5, 6]
Nov 30- By the end of this week, learners should be able to:
Dec 6
• Write programs to simulate real-world
physical systems. [CLO 5, 6, 7, 8]
• Write programs to solve complex non-linear
systems of equations. [CLO 5, 6, 7, 8]

Page 11 of 11