Resolved: Objects Early Has Failed

The participants will use a debate format with a provocative thesis to explore the pedagogical approach known as "objects early" or "objects first." By arguing in the affirmative, Elliot Koffman and Stuart Reges will point out concerns that have been raised about the approach. By arguing in the negative, Kim Bruce and Michael Kölling will describe schools that are succeeding with the approach and ways to address significant concerns. Owen Astrachan as moderator will ensure that the debate remains civil and will provide some humorous and possibly even insightful commentary on the evidence presented by both sides

Building java programs : a back to basics approach. 2nd edition

xxiii, 1151 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. + 1 CD-RO

Back to basics in CS1 and CS2

This paper describes a significant redesign of the introductory courses at the University of Washington that has led to increased enrollments, increased student satisfaction and an increase in the number of women admitted to the CS major. The new courses are still taught in Java, but they represent a return to the basics that were emphasized in the pre-Java era. The biggest changes have occurred in the CS1 course where we have replaced an “objects early ” curriculum with a more traditional procedural approach using static methods in Java. The new CS1 course emphasizes problem solving, procedural decomposition and mastery of basic skills (e.g., loops, conditionals and arrays). The new CS2 course emphasizes data structures, linked lists, binary trees and recursion