Course: MAT 3540
Instructor: Lee Tusman
Date: Wednesdays 3pm - 5:40pm
Some weeks will include pre-recorded video tutorials and workshops
Social software is explored both from technical and critical perspectives. Hands-on work in conceptualizing, designing, and developing social software projects is informed by examining the evolution of social software and its impact on society. Includes modules on version control, collaborative open source software projects and application programming interfaces. Projects may range in complexity from simple websites to data-driven web applications to real-time applications.
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This is an upper level course and students are expected to be extremely self-directed. This is a 4 credit class with 12 hours of outside class work per week.
The Purchase College academic integrity policy, purchase.edu/live/blurbs/840-academic-and-professional-integrity, explicitly forbids cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and/or thoughts of another person and the representation of them as one’s own original work. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of plagiarism and the acceptable methods of attribution.
Violation of any of the above may lead to formal disciplinary action and the following sanctions:
- Minimum Sanction: Failing grade on the assignment or examination. Maximum Sanction: Expulsion
- Recommended Sanction (First Offense): Failing grade for the course
- Recommended Sanction (Second Offense): Expulsion
Students who have any questions or doubts about whether any activity is academically permissible should check with the instructor.
Plagiarism and cheating are taken seriously. You will be held accountable for Purchase’s Student Code of Conduct for Academic Integrity.
This class REQUIRES collaboration!
Coding can be difficult, and struggling with the material is part of the learning process. Students are allowed to collaborate to learn from each other. Do not collaborate in order to simply find out a solution to a project. Each participant should contribute approximately equally, and what you turn in should be your own. Copying a solution from another student, even if you change a few minor things such as variable names, is not a collaboration. You may help someone learn something, but you can not tell them what to code. If you have questions about collaboration or academic integrity, get in touch with me via email, talk with me before or after class, or come to office hours.
All students at Purchase College can take advantage of our tutoring services in the Learning Center and the Einstein Corner. These are free, 45-minute, peer-to-peer tutoring sessions in a variety of subjects and in writing across the disciplines. Sessions can happen in person or through the Online Writing Lab up to 3x/week. The OWL allows students to submit a paper draft and get written feedback by email within 48 business hours. We strongly recommend face-to-face meetings for first-year students and multilingual writers. The OWL is a good option for upperclassmen who have experience with in-person tutoring. You are encouraged to take advantage of this service to help you excel in this class, as well as your other courses.
All students at Purchase College can take advantage of our tutoring services in the Learning Center (Lib 0009) and the Einstein Corner (NSS 3044). These are free, 45-minute, peer-to-peer tutoring sessions in a variety of subjects and in writing across the disciplines. I encourage you to take advantage of this service to help you excel in this class, as well as your other courses. Please visit the Learning Center and Einstein Corner websites for more information. Tutoring for the Fall semester will begin on September 4
You will have in-class and outside of class coursework and homework. All work is to be submitted on time prior to the start of classtime. For each day late, your grade will drop a part letter grade.
The Office of Disability Resources collaborates directly with students who identify with disabilities to create accommodation plans, including testing accommodations, in order for students to access course content and validly demonstrate learning. For students who may require accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Resources as soon as possible: 914-251-6035, ODR@purchase.edu (Student Services Building, #316A), www.purchase.edu/odr
It is my goal that this class be an accessible and welcoming experience for all students, including those with disabilities. You are welcome to talk to me at any point in the semester about course design concerns, but it is best if we can talk as soon as possible about the need for any adjustments.
If needed, this syllabus and the course outline may be revised to better suit the class. Students are responbile for keeping up with any changes distributed via email or in class. The most up to date syllabus will always be up to date on the class site.
Please don’t miss class!
Learning programming is a cumulative effort. Each class builds on what you have learned in previous classes. Missing class can substantially set you back in this process. Therefore, it is important that you attend every class. Absences should be excused by a doctor’s note. Three unexcused absences will lower your grade by one unit. (i.e. an A will became a B). With each additional unexcused absences, the grade will drop an additional unit for each absence. If there is an emergency or otherwise extenuating circumstance that prevents you from attending class, please email me.
We will be covering critical concepts and working on code and projects in-class and you are responsible for reviewing our class site and reaching out to your peers outside of class time to catch up on what you have missed.
To ensure that each of us has a healthy and safe learning experience, all students are required to remain informed and follow Purchase College Policy and/or any departmental, local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations for attending classes on campus and in a remote learning environment.
Within courses that involve in-person contact, all students, faculty members, staff, and visitors are required to adhere to the expectations outlined on the college’s COVID-19 website. Failure to comply with requirements (e.g. wearing masks, maintaining social distancing where applicable) will result in the request to leave the classroom for that in-person class session. Students may also be referred to the Office of Community Standards.
For the health of our entire community, please be sure to answer the daily health screening questionnaire thoroughly. Do not enter the any campus building if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. Contact your faculty if you need to miss class because of COVID-19 symptoms. The college will address on a case by case basis student absences due to COVID-19 symptoms, while awaiting test results, or during quarantine.
Help is available at the Counseling Center on campus for difficulties with emotional wellbeing and psychological functioning. If distress is interfering in relationships, academics, work, or daily life, confidential support can be had right away. Contact the Counseling Center at (914) 251-6390 or COU.counseling.center@purchase.edu on M – F, 9 am – 5 pm. The Counseling Center’s website lists after hours emergency resources for mental health crises, sexual assault or interpersonal violence emergencies (Campus Advocacy Services, self-help and additional coping resources.
Phones distract. Put them away.
Turn off all notifications. Put phones away.
Please close your laptop while your fellow students are presenting work. You’re otherwise welcome to use laptops in class for classwork. For emergencies, go into the hallway to make a call.
We are all learners and educators. I’m looking forward to learning from you as much as I hope to share my own knowledge. Your experience and participation is valid and necessary. I am not the sole source of information. You are responsible for and encouraged to be in charge of your own education. Leap forth into areas of interest. Teach with and learn from others.
Please hold me accountable and point out areas that need to be improved.
I will be accessible to you in class, office hours, and online. I will respond promptly within 24 hours during the schoolweek to any questions and can clarify anything from our class.
I will use your preferred name and pronouns and treat you with respect.
If you come to me with a request or feedback I will listen and give my full consideration.
If you have a concern or an emergency I will help you to services and support.
I will give prompt and clear feedback to you on your progress in class at set points in the semester and any time you make a request via email.
A large part of this course will use and build upon free, libre and open source software (sometimes abbreviated as FLOSS). We will talk about FLOSS software, why one may want to use and contribute to it, and its impact on technology and society today.
We will be using Discord for a class server. It is the fastest way to get answers to questions. If you already use Discord you may already have a nickname. You can right click your name in chat and select an alternate name different from your other servers.
Please note: Since this is a course dedicated to Social Software, all code questions should be asked publicly. Please use the #questions channel rather than message the instructor directly. Please place all code in code tags.
When asking questions it is helpful for you to post a minimal version along with what you expected and what you are getting. For non-code questions you can email me directly or speak to me in class or at office hours. It can take me up to 24 hours to respond to emails, and longer on weekends or at the end of semesters.
Last day to withdraw from full-term courses: Friday October 22.
Thanksgiving break: Wednesday November 24 - Sunday November 28.
Advising Week: Monday November 8 - Friday November 12.
Spring Registration begins: Monday November 15.
Final exam week: Monday December 13 - Friday December 17. We will do final presentations.
Classes end December 17.
Week 1 - Intro, Syllabus, Goals, Overall concepts
Week 2 - Social Systems
Week 3 - Computer systems as (social) networks
Week 4 - A network of Digital Gardens
Week 5 - Intro to Version Control and Collaborative Software Systems
Week 6 - Consentful Technology - Guest: Xin Xin
Week 7 - Creative Commons, Open Source and Public Domain
Week 8 - Building a Better Browser
Week 9 - Decentralization
Week 10 - Creative Communities
Week 11 - Contributing to Open Source
Week 12 - In-class mid-project check-in report
Week 13 - Break
Week 14 - Wrap-up studio/work and next steps
Week 15 - Presentations