ABSTRACT History has given us the array as the fundamental data structure to present to students ... more ABSTRACT History has given us the array as the fundamental data structure to present to students within the CS1 curriculum. However, with the recent growth in popularity of object-oriented languages for CS1 (C++, Java, C#), and with that, the acceptance of the objects-first or objects-early approach to teaching CS1, it becomes imperative that we re-evaluate our long-held beliefs about what is appropriate to teach. It is our position that the first data structure that students are exposed to should not be arrays, but rather some other form of collection. We will give some examples of how to use java.util.HashMap and some of the other Java Collections classes in substitution of arrays. We also present data concerning the academic performance of students using arrays versus those using Java Collections for CS1 lab exercises.
With the advent of the objects-first approach for introductory programming, instructors are chall... more With the advent of the objects-first approach for introductory programming, instructors are challenged to think differently regarding the projects and exercises they create for their classrooms. The objects-first approach reduces the emphasis on syntax and encourages the student to focus upon the proper construction and use of classes. This change in emphasis means that students must understand the relationships between classes within a code solution and how such relationships affect the overall design of a system. Unfortunately, such critical thinking exercises can prove challenging to the introductory student, especially if presented in an abstract manner. In this paper, the authors examine how fundamental principles such as inheritance, composition, and association can be conveyed to introductory programming students within a collaborative virtual environment. The examples chosen follow established guidelines for objectsfirst examples while leveraging features of an engaging, threedimensional interactive environment.
We have recently launched a reorganized discrete structures course being taught in the computer s... more We have recently launched a reorganized discrete structures course being taught in the computer science department for computer science majors. The main idea of the reorganization is to make the course relevant and productive for the computer science students. During the Spring of 2003, students who were taking both discrete structures and CS2 commented that taking both courses at the same time was helpful. An empirical investigation was conducted to see if there was a benefit to students taking both courses concurrently. The results show that there was a benefit to students taking both courses. The students who were taking both courses were performing better in discrete structures than those students who were not.
Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of ... more Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of Technology 102 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 +1 585 475 5358 kjb@it.rit.edu ... Phil Ventura Department of Natural Sciences, Math & Computer Science St. Thomas ...
Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of ... more Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of Technology 102 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 +1 585 475 5358 kjb@it.rit.edu ... Phil Ventura Department of Natural Sciences, Math & Computer Science St. Thomas ...
ABSTRACT History has given us the array as the fundamental data structure to present to students ... more ABSTRACT History has given us the array as the fundamental data structure to present to students within the CS1 curriculum. However, with the recent growth in popularity of object-oriented languages for CS1 (C++, Java, C#), and with that, the acceptance of the objects-first or objects-early approach to teaching CS1, it becomes imperative that we re-evaluate our long-held beliefs about what is appropriate to teach. It is our position that the first data structure that students are exposed to should not be arrays, but rather some other form of collection. We will give some examples of how to use java.util.HashMap and some of the other Java Collections classes in substitution of arrays. We also present data concerning the academic performance of students using arrays versus those using Java Collections for CS1 lab exercises.
With the advent of the objects-first approach for introductory programming, instructors are chall... more With the advent of the objects-first approach for introductory programming, instructors are challenged to think differently regarding the projects and exercises they create for their classrooms. The objects-first approach reduces the emphasis on syntax and encourages the student to focus upon the proper construction and use of classes. This change in emphasis means that students must understand the relationships between classes within a code solution and how such relationships affect the overall design of a system. Unfortunately, such critical thinking exercises can prove challenging to the introductory student, especially if presented in an abstract manner. In this paper, the authors examine how fundamental principles such as inheritance, composition, and association can be conveyed to introductory programming students within a collaborative virtual environment. The examples chosen follow established guidelines for objectsfirst examples while leveraging features of an engaging, threedimensional interactive environment.
We have recently launched a reorganized discrete structures course being taught in the computer s... more We have recently launched a reorganized discrete structures course being taught in the computer science department for computer science majors. The main idea of the reorganization is to make the course relevant and productive for the computer science students. During the Spring of 2003, students who were taking both discrete structures and CS2 commented that taking both courses at the same time was helpful. An empirical investigation was conducted to see if there was a benefit to students taking both courses concurrently. The results show that there was a benefit to students taking both courses. The students who were taking both courses were performing better in discrete structures than those students who were not.
Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of ... more Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of Technology 102 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 +1 585 475 5358 kjb@it.rit.edu ... Phil Ventura Department of Natural Sciences, Math & Computer Science St. Thomas ...
Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of ... more Kevin Bierre Enterprise Computing Group Information Technology Department Rochester Institute of Technology 102 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 +1 585 475 5358 kjb@it.rit.edu ... Phil Ventura Department of Natural Sciences, Math & Computer Science St. Thomas ...
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