University of Michigan

ENGR 101

Solving engineering problems with computer programming in MATLAB and C++.

Canvas
Google Drive
Piazza
Office Hours
Autograder
Gradescope
PrairieLearn
ECoach
Lobster
MatCrab

Week 1

Announcements
Welcome! We're glad to have you in ENGR 101!
Please join us on Tuesday, August 29th for our first lecture! This week we'll be learning how ENGR101 works and the strategies for success! We're looking forward to seeing you there!
Complete the Start of Term Checklist before your first lab. If you have trouble installing MATLAB or VSCode, you can come to office hours or go to the CAEN Help Desk on the 2nd floor of the Duderstadt Center.
Labs start meeting this week.
Be sure to attend the lab section you signed up for on Wolverine Access. Come prepared to meet your classmates and work through your first activity.
Office Hours begin Wednesday, August 30th. Scroll down to find out when and where office hours are.
Heads up! Your first set of homework is due next week on September 5th. Make sure to read the Guide to Using PrairieLearn to understand how the homeworks are set up, and then click a homework link below to get started!
Start of Term Checklist

Complete BEFORE your first lab.

Read the syllabus , course norms , and FAQ documents.

Find your lab instructor in our Meet the Staff slides!

Join Piazza and Gradescope (go through Canvas the first time; if you have trouble signing up for Piazza via Canvas, you can use the direct sign-up link -- but you MUST sign up with your umich email address!)

Install MATLAB

Install C++ Programs (including VSCode)

Check out PrairieLearn where you will do homework, lecture reflections, and assessments

Watch this ECoach video.

Homework

Heads up! You have homework due next week on September 5th. Don't forget to do it!

HW1: Intro to MATLAB

HW2: Vectors and Matrices

HW3: Functions and Data

Lecture

Learn How to Succeed in ENGR101

Slides / Files

Recordings

Reflection Form
Due Sat. 11:59pm

Recordings and reflection available after lecture ends.

Lab 1
Due 11:59pm Saturday

Meet and Greet / How Labs Will Work

Lab Worksheet

Lab Files

Walkthrough

Turn in on Gradescope

Piazza Q&A

(Walkthroughs are released on Friday night/Saturday morning)

Lab worksheet must be turned in to Gradescope for credit!

Week 2

Announcements
Welcome to Week 2!
This week we'll start learning MATLAB and discuss why your computer is your most important engineering tool.
No Office Hours Sunday and Monday this week due to the Labor Day holiday. Office hours will resume on Tuesday, September 5th.
First set of homework is due this week. Make sure to read the Guide to Using PrairieLearn to understand how the homeworks are set up, and then click a homework link below to get started!
Join the course late? Not to worry! Email your lab instructor to introduce yourself and then check Week 1 for links to things you need to get caught up on. If you need extensions for assignments, scroll down and complete the Extension Request form.
Extra Credit Opportunities
(10 pts) ECoach Beginning of Term Survey: Complete the survey by September 16th at 11:59pm. Note: ECoach has one Beginning of Term Survey that covers all the courses that you are taking that use ECoach this term. So, you may have already completed this survey as part of your work for another course.
(10 pts) Computing CARES Entry Survey: Complete the survey by September 16th at 11:59pm.
Homework Club
Homework Club meets Sundays from 3:30-5:00pm in 1060 BSB. You can find additional help at the Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS), which holds supplemental instruction sessions and tutoring for a variety of classes.
Homework

Due TUES 11:59pm

HW1: Intro to MATLAB

HW2: Vectors and Matrices

HW3: Functions and Data

Lecture

Your Computer as an Engineering Tool

Slides / Files

Recordings

Reflection Form
Due Sat. 11:59pm

Recordings and reflection available after lecture ends.

Lab 2
Due 11:59pm Saturday

Matrices and Functions

Lab Worksheet

Lab Files

Walkthrough

Turn in on Gradescope

Piazza Q&A

(Walkthroughs released on Friday night/Saturday morning)

Lab worksheet must be turned in to Gradescope for credit!

Week 3

Announcements
Welcome to Week 3!
We'll be exploring logical indexing and images in MATLAB, and we'll see how to apply these to Project 1.
Project 1 has been released. Scroll down to the Projects section for the link to an overview of the project, the project specifications, and the Piazza FAQ post. You're ready to start Project 1 after you've finished the homework that is due this week.
Lecture this week will introduce Project 1 and include some program planning to help you get started on Project 1. Make sure to attend!
Assessment 1 is next week. See the Canvas announcement and Piazza posts when they are posted for more details.
Join the course late? Not to worry! Email your lab instructor to introduce yourself and then check Week 1 for links to things you need to get caught up on. If you need extensions for assignments, scroll down and complete the Extension Request form.
Extra Credit Opportunities
(10 pts) ECoach Beginning of Term Survey: Complete the survey by September 16th at 11:59pm. Note: ECoach has one Beginning of Term Survey that covers all the courses that you are taking that use ECoach this term. So, you may have already completed this survey as part of your work for another course.
(10 pts) ECoach Assessment 1 Playbook: Complete the playbook by September 16th at 11:59pm.
(10 pts) Computing CARES Entry Survey: Complete the survey by September 16th at 11:59pm.
Homework Club
Homework Club meets Sundays from 3:30-5:00pm in 1060 BSB. You can find additional help at the Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS), which holds supplemental instruction sessions and tutoring for a variety of classes.
Homework

HW4: Logical Operations and Indexing

HW5: Working with Images

Lecture

Project 1 Overview

Slides / Files

Recordings

Reflection Form
Due Sat. 11:59pm

Recordings and reflection available after lecture ends.

Lab 3
Due 11:59pm Saturday

Logical Indexing and Images

Lab Worksheet

Lab Files

Walkthrough

Turn in on Gradescope

Piazza Q&A

(Walkthroughs released on Friday night/Saturday morning)

Lab worksheet must be turned in to Gradescope for credit!

Week 4

Announcements
Welcome to Week 4!
This week we'll be looking at how we can use MATLAB to simulate a physical phenomenon and use that simulation create helpful and informative visualizations.
Project 1 Checkpoint should be completed by Tuesday to make sure you're on track to finish the project on time. Come see us in office hours with questions! Don't wait until the last minute to start Project 1! Partnerships MUST be registered on the Autograder by Tuesday!
Drop-Add Deadline is Monday, September 18th.
Assessment 1 takes place this week. Please make sure to read the details and logistics for Assessment 1 linked below. We strongly recommend you take the practice assessment at least once before taking the actual assessment.
Homework Club
Homework Club meets Sundays from 3:30-5:00pm in 1060 BSB. You can find additional help at the Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS), which holds supplemental instruction sessions and tutoring for a variety of classes.
Homework

HW6: Plotting and Figures

HW7: Statistics and Simulation

HW8: Advanced Plotting and Data Visualization

Lecture

Programming Application: Beam Deflection

Slides / Files

Recordings

Reflection Form
Due Sat. 11:59pm

Recordings and reflection available after lecture ends.

Lab 4
Due 11:59pm Saturday

Plotting, Statistics, and Simulation

Lab Worksheet

Lab Files

Walkthrough

Turn in on Gradescope

Piazza Q&A

(Walkthroughs released on Friday night/Saturday morning)

Lab worksheet must be turned in to Gradescope for credit!

Course Drop/Add Deadline

Today is the last day to add or drop any courses without receiving a "W" on your transcript.

Project 1 Checkpoint

You should have the Project 1 Checkpoint completed by today to stay on pace for Project 1. Partnerships MUST be registered on the Autograder by today!

Assessment 1
Due 11:59pm Thursday

Opens Wednesday 12:01am

Take Assessment

Details & Logistics

Week 5

Announcements
Welcome to Week 5!
We'll be exploring some new data types and data structures in MATLAB this week. We'll then see how we can use these new data structures in Project 2.
Project 1 is due Tuesday. Come see us in office hours with questions! Don't wait until the last minute to submit!
Project 2 has been released. Scroll down to the Projects section for the link to an overview of the project, the project specifications, and the Piazza FAQ post. You're ready to start Project 2 after you've finished the homework that is due this week.
Assessment 2 is next week. See the Canvas announcement and Piazza posts when they are posted for more details.
Extra Credit Opportunities
(20 pts) ENGR 101 Panel Session: How to College: Attend the panel session about tips and tricks for adjusting to college life! Hear from our incredible 101 student staff about their diverse experiences and they different systems they set up throughout college to succeed. You will receive extra credit for coming and staying the entire time. There will be snacks! The event will be held in IOE 1610, September 27th from 6:30PM-7:30PM
(10 pts) ECoach Assessment 1 Reflection: Complete the reflection by September 30th at 11:59pm.
(10 pts) ECoach Assessment 2 Playbook: Complete the playbook by September 30th at 11:59pm.
Homework Club
Homework Club meets Sundays from 3:30-5:00pm in 1060 BSB. You can find additional help at the Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS), which holds supplemental instruction sessions and tutoring for a variety of classes.
Homework

HW9: Strings and Cell Arrays

HW10: MATLAB Tables

Lecture

Project 2 Overview

Slides / Files

Recordings

Reflection Form
Due Sat. 11:59pm

Recordings and reflection available after lecture ends.

Lab 5
Due 11:59pm Saturday

Cell Arrays, Tables, Data Visualization

Lab Worksheet

Lab Files

Walkthrough

Turn in on Gradescope

Piazza Q&A

(Walkthroughs released on Friday night/Saturday morning)

Lab worksheet must be turned in to Gradescope for credit!

Project 1 Due at 11:59pm

Submit Project 1 by today to earn up to full credit.

Week 6

Announcements
Welcome to Week 6!
We'll be learning about how we can use computing to improve society and to reveal bias in algorithms.
Project 2 Checkpoint should be completed by Tuesday to make sure you're on track to finish the project on time. Come see us in office hours with questions! Don't wait until the last minute to start Project 2! Partnerships MUST be registered on the Autograder by Tuesday!
Assessment 2 takes place this week. We strongly recommend you take the practice assessment at least once before taking the actual assessment.
Homework Club
Homework Club meets Sundays from 3:30-5:00pm in 1060 BSB. You can find additional help at the Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS), which holds supplemental instruction sessions and tutoring for a variety of classes.
Homework

HW11: Applying Computing to Society

Lecture

Algorithmic Bias

Slides / Files

Recordings

Reflection Form
Due Sat. 11:59pm

Recordings and reflection available after lecture ends.

Lab 6
Due 11:59pm Saturday

Tables & Data Analysis

Lab Worksheet

Lab Files

Walkthrough

Turn in on Gradescope

Piazza Q&A

(Walkthroughs released on Friday night/Saturday morning)

Lab worksheet must be turned in to Gradescope for credit!

Project 2 Checkpoint

You should have the Project 2 Checkpoint completed by today to stay on pace for Project 2. Partnerships MUST be registered on the Autograder by today!

Assessment 2
Due 11:59pm Thursday

Opens Wednesday 12:01am

Take Assessment

Details & Logistics

Week 7

Announcements
Welcome to Week 7!
This week, we wrap-up the MATLAB half of our course before heading into Fall Break next week.
Project 2 is due Tuesday. Come see us in office hours with questions! Don't wait until the last minute to submit!
Assessment consultations for Assessment 2 are available during in-person office hours after Assessment 2 closes. If you would like to go through your answers for Assessment 2, or are interested in retaking Assessment 2, please come see us in office hours.
Fall Break
Fall Break Office Hours. The last day of office hours before Fall Break will be Friday, October 13th. Office Hours will resume on Wednesday, October 18th.
Make sure your computer is set up for C++. We will start the C++ half of our course after spring break. Follow these instructions if you have not yet completed this set up.
Homework Club
Homework Club meets Sundays from 3:30-5:00pm in 1060 BSB. You can find additional help at the Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS), which holds supplemental instruction sessions and tutoring for a variety of classes.
Homework

No homework this week.

Lecture

Programming Application: Animation in MATLAB

Slides / Files

Recordings

Reflection Form
Due Sat. 11:59pm

Recordings and reflection available after lecture ends.

Lab 7
Due 11:59pm Saturday

Goodbye MATLAB, Hello C++

Lab Worksheet

Lab Files

Walkthrough

Turn in on Gradescope

Piazza Q&A

(Walkthroughs released on Friday night/Saturday morning)

Lab worksheet must be turned in to Gradescope for credit!

Project 2 Due at 11:59pm

Submit Project 2 by today to earn up to full credit.

Professor Office Hours

Office Hours with Prof. Alford

Come talk about anything at all (this course, other courses, favorite books/movies/tv shows, why Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering is the best major, what the Avengers can teach us about teamwork ... you know, the important stuff!). This is a super casual thing -- come on by!

after lecture end on Tuesday

Stamps Auditorium

Friday 1:00-1:30pm

B521 Pierpont

Office Hours with Prof. Begley

Come chat about life at Michigan, what it's like working in a research lab, or why guinea pigs make the best pets.

Wednesday 12:30-1:30pm

B521 Pierpont

Staff Office Hours

Guide to Office Hours

Read this guide to office hours to help you get the most out of your office hours time.

One-Time Changes to Office Hours

Throughout the semester, ENGR 101 staff may need to hold their office hours virtually for various reasons, including if they feel well enough to teach but don't want to risk passing on a cold or something. If this situation occurs, they will post an announcement to Canvas with a Zoom link, so if you are planning to come to Office Hours, please check Canvas as well!

Office Hours in B521 Pierpont

You can join these office hours without an appointment. You can stay as long as you want, so come hang out and get some ENGR 101 work done with us! This schedule will not change from week-to-week, so feel free to plan around this!

Day Schedule

Course Essentials

Syllabus

All the details

Course Norms

Norms and expectations for meetings, email, and other forms of communication in the course

People

Meet the course staff!

FAQ

Answers to frequently asked questions about ENGR 101 (continually updated)

Request Forms

Excused Lab Absence Request

Request an excused lab absence

Regrade Requests

Request a regrade or report a grade discrepancy

Extension Request

Request an extension for an assignment because of a medical or personal emergency

Projects

The Autograder

Project code is submitted to the autograder; the autograder is linked at the top of this course webpage. Read this guide to the autograder to learn more about using the autograder.


The Honor Code

All project code is subjected to our cheat checking procedures. If we find sufficient evidence of cheating, we are required to submit a report to the Honor Council. You can learn more about what happens with Honor Council reports by watching this video from the Engineering Center for Academic Success.

How to Register a Project Partnership on the Autograder

In this course, you are allowed to work with a partner on the projects if you wish to. All project partnerships MUST be registered on the autograder at least one week prior to the project's deadline.


Follow this guide to registering your partnership on the autograder to complete your partnership prior to the registration deadline.

Project 1

Dealing with Radiation

Due Tue, September 26th

Overview ( slides )

Specifications

Piazza FAQ

Project 2

Siting a Wind Farm

Due Tue, October 10th

Overview ( slides )

Specifications

Piazza FAQ

Schedule of Topics

Week 1

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
No homework due this week
First Lecture! Learn how to succeed in ENGR 101
Lab 1: Introduction to ENGR 101 Lab
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 2

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Labor Day
Intro to MATLAB; Vectors and Matrices; Functions; Working with Data
Homeworks 1-3 due		 Your Computer as an Engineering Tool
Lab 2: Matrices and Functions
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 3

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Logical Operations and Indexing; Working with Images
Homeworks 4-5 due
Project 1 Overview Project 1 Released
Lab 3: Logical Indexing and Images
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 4

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Plotting and Figures; Statistics and Simulation; Advanced Plotting and Data Visualization
Homeworks 6-8 due 		Drop/Add Deadline
Programming Application: Beam Deflection Project 1 Checkpoint should be completed by today
Lab 4: Plotting, Statistics, and Simulation Assessment #1
(Opens Wed, Due Thurs)
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 5

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Strings and Cell Arrays; MATLAB Tables
Homeworks 9-10 due
Project 2 Overview Project 1 Due
Project 2 Released
Lab 5: Cell Arrays, Tables, Data Visualization
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 6

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Applying Computing to Society
Homework 11 due
Algorithmic Bias Project 2 Checkpoint should be completed by today
Lab 6: More Tables & Data Analysis Assessment #2
(Opens Wed, Due Thurs)
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 7

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
No homework due this week
Programming Application: Animation in MATLAB Project 2 Due
Lab 7: Goodbye MATLAB, Hello C++
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 8

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Fall Break!
Intro to C++
Homework 12 due		 Lab 8: Getting Started With C++
Lab worksheet due

Week 9

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
More C++ Basics and Branching; Iteration; Functions in C++
Homeworks 13-15 due
Program Planning and Debugging
Lab 9: Branching, Iteration, & Functions
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 10

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Strings, Streams, and I/O; Vectors; Program Design
Homeworks 16-18 due
Project 3 Overview Project 3 Released
Lab 10: Strings, File I/O Streams, and Vectors
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 11

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
Structs, Vectors of Vectors
Homeworks 19-20 due
Programming Application: House Hunting Project 3 Checkpoint should be completed by today
Lab 11: Data Structures and Program Design Assessment #3
(Opens Wed, Due Thurs)
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 12

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
No homework due this week
Project 4 Overview Project 3 Due
Project 4 Released
Lab 12: Programming Practice (Containerships)
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 13

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
No homework due this week
No Lecture This Week
Thanksgiving Break!

Week 14

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
No homework due this week
TBD Programming Application Project 4 Checkpoint should be completed by today
Lab 13: Programming Practice (Ottendorf Cipher) Assessment #4
(Opens Wed, Due Thurs)
Lecture reflection due Lab worksheet due

Week 15

Homework/Review Topic

Lecture Topic

Lab Topic

Projects / Assessments
No homework due this week
Semester Wrap-up Project 4 Due
Classes are over All remaining late submissions and assessment retakes must be submitted by Friday, Dec 8, at 11:59 PM!

Interested in Being an IA or GSI?

Interested in being an IA or GSI for ENGR 101? Fill out this "I'm Interested" form and we'll send you an application the next time we are hiring! We do hiring in March for the upcoming fall term, and we do hiring in November for the upcoming winter term.