Internet COURSE SYLLABUS
CIS 214 COBOL
PREFIX, NUMBER, AND TITLE: CIS 214 COBOL I
CREDIT HOURS: 3 semester hours
COURSE TIME: Offered by Internet
APPROVED COURSE DESCRIPTION: Introduction to structured COBOL programming; Input, output and reformatting; arithmetic program design; report writing; control breaks; program maintenance; conditional names; validity checking; and more.
PREREQUISITES: CIS 110 Introduction to Object Oriented Programming (or equivalent)
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Dr. Bruce A. White
Electronic mail (E-mail) bruce.white@quinnipiac.edu
Office Phone: (203) 582-3386; Home: (203) 281-6482
The instructor has taught COBOL for years at his previous institution. In addition, he has taught COBOL to new employees at Citibank,
programmed in COBOL for Traveler's Insurance Company and
has reviewed for academic journals and textbooks in the COBOL area.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: Collaboration is encouraged, but blatant cheating and copying will be severely punished. Assignment deadlines will be strictly adhered to.
LABS: The lab assignments are designed to be learning experiences. It is expected that each student design and write his/her labs.
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE COURSE: Several 3 ½ inch disks
TEXTBOOK AND OTHER REFERENCES:
Stern and Stern, Structured COBOL Programming - latest edition, with MicroFocus COBOL compiler included (when buying on line, make sure it includes the MicroFocus COBOL compiler). The textbook is an excellent reference. Frequently you will have to look up syntax in the index!!! I WILL NOT be following the text page-by-page, chapter-by-chapter, but will be jumping in and out of topics ./ chapters.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE COURSE:
The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments in this syllabus during the course of the semester in order to better meet the needs of the students.
COMPUTER SKILLS USED:
Word Processing; Micro Focus COBOL: Editing, Compiling, and Executing Programs
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGIES:
Web pages, electronic mail, distribution lists, textbook with COBOL compiler
EVALUATION PROCEDURE:
There will be two on-line tests (password protected - password only given out to a qualified proctor). There will be approximately 15 assignments. I grade on a total point basis, following the standard Quinnipiac University grading standards.
Points: (this may change)
| Two tests (at 100 points each | 200 points |
| 8 quizzes (at 10 to 20 points each) | 100 points |
| 18 programs (at 5 to 10 points each) | 160 points |
| Approximate total | 460 points |
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
For each of the major content areas (listed in the course description and in the course outline), you will be able to:
1. Read the textbook and distinguish between what you did and did not understand. You should also be able to pose questions about the material that you did not understand.
2. Understand the syntax for each new command introduced. Complete syntax formats may be found in the Micro Focus Programmer’s Guide and in Appendix D of your textbook.
3. Understand all examples presented in the textbook.
4. Understand the logic used to solve the programs presented in class and in the textbook.
5. Design programs to solve common business programming applications.
a. The programs will be designed using a top-down approach and the constructs available in structured programming.
b. The design will be created using a variety of planning tools: flowcharts, pseudocode, structure charts.
c. The design will be consistent with commonly-accepted programming algorithms.
6. Write efficient, clear, well-documented COBOL code that implements your program design. Coding and documentation standards presented throughout the course must be adhered to in all programs.
7. Edit and compile programs using Micro Focus COBOL. Compiling includes understanding and correcting errors that are found during the compilation process.
8. Design sets of test data that thoroughly test the design of your programs.
9. Test and debug programs using the Micro Focus Animator.
10. Clearly explain the problems you are experiencing, along with what solutions you have tried so far, when seeking assistance from your instructor or a classmate.
11. Use good time-management skills when completing programming assignments. It is expected that you will work on each lab every day from the time it is assigned until it is completed. Students who start the lab at the last minute and expect the instructor to hold their hand while they complete the lab will be sorely disappointed.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Structured COBOL Programming, 8th edition, Stern and Stern, Wiley, 1997
Comprehensive Structured COBOL, Horn and Gleason, Boyd & Fraser, 1995
Personal COBOL for DOS, Micro Focus Publication, 1993
Structured COBOL, Paquette, Business and Educational Technologies, 1994
Journal of Information Systems Education
Journal of Global Information Management
Problem Solving and Programming Concepts, Sprankle, Macmillian, 1992
INTERNET INFORMATION:
COBOL web page at: