[Edu-sig] Developments on the Urner front

[Rodrigo Dias Arruda Senra]

 [ John Zelle <john.zelle at wartburg.edu> ]
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 | We are looking at various models for CS1, CS2 and subsequent classes. I 
 | can see a case for doing the first two courses explicitly in Python or 
 | for switching to C++ or Java somewhere in CS2. I see no reason at all 
 | for a full three course sequence in a single language. Studying multiple 
 | languages helps students learn what is universal to computation and what 
 | is just syntax.

 Indeed. Moreover, Python's affinity with other languages (C,Java and Object
 Pascal) makes that multi-language path easy to follow.

 I used to have the following problems teaching an undergraduate course in 
 Data Structures (just linked lists and binary trees):

  - many students delved into implementing the data structure before acquiring
    the  experience of using such data structures
 
  - after implementing the data structure, many students did not tested it 
    properly before delivering the project

 My approach was to use Python in the introductory course, then move to C
 in the following courses. Python gave them the experience of using lists
 and dictionaries before having to implement those. Moreover, the
 data structure projects became python modules, making automated correction
 a breeze.

 
 cheers,
 Senra
    
 
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   | )          Rodrigo Senra       <rsenra |at| acm.org>                      
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