Fall 2025 (S3), Columbia College; 8 Sept 2025
Lecture Tues/Fri 10:00-11:50 | Location: RM-420 |
Office Hour TBA | Midterm 1 Week 8, Friday Final TBA |

An overview of the history and fundamentals of computing and the connections with the arts, psychology, and biology. This course provides a thorough and rigorous overview of the fundamental issues concerning both hardware and software. No prior computing background is required.
Textbook and References
Find your weekly readings down below in Curriculum and Slides.
Curriculum and Slides
The slides will be uploaded after class. I may also introduce modifications to the curriculum itself as we progress.
Links for Assignments and online Quizzes are also posted here. Please check the column on the righthand side.
Week 1 | Administration and Course Intro (LS0, LS1); | Reading 0 Reading 0.1 |
Week 2 | Lec 1 Introduction to IT (LS2, LS3); Theories of CS |
Reading 0 Lab 1 |
Week 3 | Lec 2 The World Wide Web (LS4, LS5, LS6); Utilisation of WWW |
Reading 1 Lab 2 Quiz 1 |
Week 4 | Lec 3 Multimedia Technology (LS7, LS8); Media, Graphics, etc. |
Reading 2 Reading 3 Lab 3 |
Week 5 | Lec 4 Applications (LS10, LS11, LS12) Robotics, Bioinformatics, etc. |
Reading 4, Reading 5, Reading 6, Reading 7 Lab 4 Quiz 2 |
Week 6 | Review for Midterm (LS15) | Midterm 1 Lab 5 |
Week 7 | Lec 7 Artificial Intelligence (LS19, LS20, LS21); Vision, Language, Cognition, etc. |
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Week 14 |
Grading
Labs | 15% |
Quizzes | 10% |
Midterm | 25% |
Project | 15% |
Final | 35% |
Cheating and Plagiarism Policy
I expect all students to uphold the principle of academic honesty. Cheating and plagiarism (presenting another person’s words or ideas as one’s own) are not acceptable behaviour at anywhere. Depending on the severity of the offence such acts can result in a grade of zero on the test or assignment, a failing grade (F) in the course, or expulsion. In all cases, the circumstances and the penalty are recorded in the student’s file.
Starting from 2024, all submissions will be checked against previous submissions for duplication. If caught, you will be charged.
Policy for Late/Re-submission
If you are affected by personal issues such as sickness, injuries, the passing of a relative, or other traumatising experiences, you should contact an advisor and seek professional help, and I will try to accommodate as much as possible. Otherwise, late submissions and resubmission are NOT allowed beyond the original due.
Policy for Plagiarism in Labs
Do not share your files with others. Do not let others copy or mimic your files. You may take inspiration, but any work you do must be original.Failure to comply will result in plagiarism charges.