Computer Science 227X introduces first-year students to programming using Scheme.  Computer Science 228X is an introduction to data structures in C++.  Both courses attempt to teach principles through extensive practice in programming. This document specifies the course\u27s general objectives and gives an overview of what would be taught

Baker, Albert L.

Fernández-Baca, David

Leavens, Gary T.

English

Iowa State University Computer Science Technical Reports

Course Specifications for New Introductory Courses: Computer Science 227X and 228X

Computer Science 227X introduces first-year students to programming using Scheme.  Computer Science 228X is an introduction to data structures in C++.  Both courses attempt to teach principles through extensive practice in programming. This document specifies the course's general objectives and gives an overview of what would be taught.</p

Baker, Albert

Leavens, Gary

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

Course Specications forNew Introductory Courses:Computer Science 227X and 228XAlbert L. Baker, David Fernandez-Baca and Gary T. LeavensTR #92-09April, 1992Department of Computer Science226 Atanaso HallIowa Sate UniversityAmes, Iowa 50011-1040, USACourse Specications forNew Introductory Courses:Computer Science 227X and 228XAlbert L. Baker David Fernandez-BacaGary T. LeavensDepartment of Computer Science, Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA, 50011-1040 USAApril 15, 1992AbstractComputer Science 227X introduces rst-year students to programmingusing Scheme. Computer Science 228X is an introduction to data struc-tures in C++. Both courses attempt to teach principles through extensivepractice in programming.This document species the course's general objectives and gives anoverview of what would be taught.1 Executive SummaryTo replace the existing sequence of introductory courses, CS 211 and 212, thefaculty have already approved the creation of four courses: CS 207X, 208X,227X, and 228X. The 207X and 208X courses are called \C programming Iand II" and are designed for non-majors; the 227X and 228X courses are called\Introduction to Programming" and \Introduction to Data Structures." Theoverall rationale for the change is to service demand for C programming (in207X and 208X) and also to us to teach our majors as we see t (in 227X and228X).We will to teach 227X as a three-credit course, primarily using the bookScheme and the Art of Programming , by Springer and Friedman (MIT Pressand McGraw-Hill, 1989).We will teach 228X as a four-credit course using textbooks still to be decidedupon. There are two possibilities that we know of: a book by Riley and anotherby Budd, both using C++ to introduce data structures. We have made 228X afour credit course, on the recommendation of the faculty, so that the transitionto C++ may occur during 228X.The faculty approved the plans set forth in this document at its meeting onApril 8, 1992. Signicant changes from past practice and earlier proposals wereas follows. CS 228X is a four (4) credit course instead of three credits like the old212. CS 227X would still be a three (3) credit course. Math 165 (calculus) is a co-requisite for 208X and 228X instead of a pre-requisite.2 The material on C++ formerly proposed for 227X be taught in 228Xinstead, so that 227X would be taught entirely in Scheme. This meantnot allowing 227X as a prerequisite for 208X.2 Details on 227X2.1 IntroductionComputer Science 227X is a course that teaches beginning computer program-ming. The discipline of computer programming seeks to answer the followingquestions: What are good ways to solve problems with a computer? How can one arrive at a good solution surely and quickly? What are the costs of various programs? How can they be minimized?CS 227X addresses all of these questions, although the third question wouldonly be discussed in passing, as it is the province of algorithm analysis courses.2.2 Course DescriptionThe catalog description of the course is as follows:An introduction to computer programming. Symbolic and nu-merical computation. Recursion and iteration. Modularity and dataabstraction. Functional and interactive programming. Imperativeprogramming. Emphasis on principles of programming and programdesign through extensive practice in writing, running, and reasoningabout programs. This course is designed for majors. (3 credits).2.3 PrerequisitesThe formal prerequisite in the ISU catalog will read \2 years of high schoolalgebra and 1 year of high school geometry."These are intended to ensure a minimal level of mathematical maturity.2.4 General ObjectivesNote: it is standard practice to not tell students about aective objectives, suchas getting students excited about computer science. So these objectives are notall for consumption by students.2.4.1 Essential ObjectivesIn general terms the essential objectives for CS 227X are as follows. At the endof CS 227X the successful student should: Be able to quickly and creatively solve small programming problems. Be able to convincingly argue the correctness of their solution to a func-tional programming problem. Be excited about some aspects of Computer Science. Use good style in writing and modularizing programs.3 Understand the basics of data abstraction, recursion, functional program-ming, imperative programming, and procedural abstraction.Students would be able to use reference materials when writing programs.The main reason for having the 227X course is to try to produce betterprogrammers. Hence our principal objective is that students should be good, atleast in programming small problems.The ability to argue the correctness of a program, convincingly but notformally, is important so that students see that they do not have to alwaysprogram by trial and error. Debugging is also a useful skill, but one that wouldnot be emphasized in 227X.It is critical that our majors be interested and excited about computer sci-ence; otherwise they will not learn as well or as quickly. We also want to avoidlosing our best students to other departments.Good style is partly in the eyes of the beholder, but that students shouldhave some sense of style can hardly be argued.The concepts of data abstraction, recursion, imperative programming arefundamental to computer science. Functional programming is used as a teachingtool, to gradually introduce concepts and to allow more formal reasoning earlyon in the study of programming. It is a potentially important paradigm forfuture programming as well. Procedural abstraction is important for gettingthe idea that students should only write code once, and for allowing studentsto encapsulate and name plans that they have used several times. This is animportant pedagogical point.2.4.2 Enrichment ObjectivesEnrichment objectives could be multiplied endlessly. Listed here are those thatwould be easy to teach based on the texts. Be able to use equational reasoning to more formally argue the correctnessof functional programs. Be able to exploit the correspondence between the recursive structure ofdata and the structure of a recursive program. Understand the basics of object-oriented programming. Understand the basics of sorting and searching.2.5 SyllabusThe material taught would include the following (following the advice of GeorgeSpringer). The chapter numbers refer to chapters in Scheme and the Art ofProgramming. (Chapter 1) Recursive characterization of data (symbolic, numerical, andlogical). (Chapter 2) Building procedures for processing symbolic data (lists) by\abstracting over data", that is, by using parameters and by making thestructure of the computing process correspond in a simple way to the struc-ture of the data. This chapter uses recursion heavily. Some elementarydebugging tools are also programmed. (Chapter 3) Iterative processes, numbers and operations on numbers, andabstract data types. The major example is a rational number type.4 (Chapter 4) Data driven recursion, including recursion over trees, tailrecursion, order-of-magnitude eciency estimation. (Chapter 5) Modularity and structure. Managing names by using localvariables and lexical (static) scope. Local abbreviation constructs, poly-nomials as another example data abstraction, which are used to discussbinary numbers. (Chapter 6) Interactive programming techniques, input/output, and thestring data type. A square root algorithm, ways of viewing intermediateresults and providing data at run-time. (Chapter 7) Procedural abstraction. Procedures as arguments and re-sults, Ackermann's function, currying, abstraction of common parts ofprocedures. Abstraction of at recursion over lists, abstraction of deeprecursion. (Chapter 9) Using vectors (i.e., arrays) and mutation to provide randomaccess. Eciency issues in using and implementing vectors, matrices. (Chapter 11) Mutation, side eects, and imperative programming. E-ciency issues and representation of lists. (Chapter 12) Object-oriented programming Denition of objects, use ofobjects to dene data structures such as stacks and queues.Of course, it is possible that not all of the above would be taught in a givensemester. In Scheme and the Art of Programming text there is also material onlanguage extensions (macros) and streams (for lazy evaluation); or one could endthe course with the material from either chapter 10 on sorting and searching orchapter 8 on sets and relations. Some of this material could be used to give thecourse a broader survey avor (some data structures, algorithms, and discretemath) instead of a programming focus.2.6 DiscussionThe hope is that students would have a solid foundation for future programmingcourses, and a glimpse of the rest of Computer Science. Note that this is not acourse in Scheme, but a course introducing programming.2.7 Administrative detailsWe presume we would teach 227X on HP-UX. There would have to be a smallsegment of the course devoted to teaching the students how to use the Unixsystem.For Scheme interpreters, we plan to use one of the publically available inter-preters, such as MIT's C-scheme. That particular interpreter is already installedon the department machines and on project Vincent.3 Details on 228X3.1 IntroductionComputer Science 228X is a course that introduces students to data structuresand object-oriented programming. The study of data structures seeks to answerthe following questions.5 How can one correctly implement a specied data structure? How can one ensure that an implementation is ecient? What is a good way to use data structures in solving problems?CS 228X addresses all of these questions. It primarily addresses object-orientedanswers to the third question.3.2 Course DescriptionThe catalog description of the course is as follows:An object-oriented approach to data structures and algorithmsusing C++. Object-oriented programming. Program correctness.Other topics include: stacks, queues, trees, searching, sorting, anal-ysis of algorithms, graphs, and le processing. Emphasis on writingand running programs. This course is designed for majors. (4 cred-its).Note that this is four credits instead of the original proposal of three credits.3.3 PrerequisitesThe formal prerequisite in the ISU catalog will read \227X and concurrentenrollment in Math 165". This is a change in that Math 165 is no longer aprerequisite, but a co-requisite.3.4 General ObjectivesThe general objectives for 228X were developed from our current 212, but reectan increased emphasis on object-oriented design and programming, especiallyabstract data types.3.4.1 Essential ObjectivesIn general terms the essential objectives for CS 228X are as follows. At the endof CS 228X the successful student should: Have a working knowledge of basic algorithms and data structures. Be able to judge the eciency of algorithms. Be able to use object-oriented design and programming techniques, in-cluding the use of abstract data types, subtyping, and inheritance. Be able to carefully (albeit informally) reason about the correctness ofprograms that use abstract data types and about the correctness of im-plementations of abstract data types. Understanding asymptotic notation and notions of time and space com-plexity. Be able to creatively develop algorithms to solve problems. Write, organize and document C++ programs.6Students would be able to use reference materials when writing programs.The main purpose for the 228X course is to teach students some of thefundamental tools and skills they will need in the rest of the curriculum. Thesecertainly include a core set of basic data structures and algorithms.Using C++, it is possible to concentrate more on eciency issues than canbe done in 227X (using Scheme). Eciency considerations are important tocomputer science, and help distinguish it from mathematics.Object-oriented programming techniques are helpful in organizing large pro-grams, and in maintaining and enhancing such programs. They are importantand marketable skills. Object-oriented techniques also help organize the mate-rial in a data structures course, as classes embody abstract data types; withoutusing object-oriented techniques the algorithms and data structures discussedin such a course are disconnected.We would not emphasize formal verication of programs, but ideas such asplanning before coding, loop invariants, and testing to support debugging orcorrectness arguments.Asymptotic notation and notions of time and space complexity are funda-mental to the study of data structures and algorithms.Students need not only an arsenal of already developed algorithms, but theability to make up their own to solve novel problems.Skills in C++ programming will be important for later in the curriculumand also for jobs. However, note that C++ is not the focus of this course; onlysuch C++ as is needed to achieve the other objectives would be taught. On theother hand, this would be a quite useful subset of the language.3.4.2 Enrichment ObjectivesEnrichment objectives could be multiplied endlessly. Listed here are those thatvarious instructors might wish to teach. Understanding standard algorithm design strategies. Understanding graph algorithms.3.5 SyllabusThe material taught would include the following. This syllabus is based partlyon what is currently taught in 212, partly on potential textbooks for the course,and partly on a consideration of what is planned for 227X.1. C++. Syntax of C++ expressions, variable and function declarations,and basic statements, including the types int, double, arrays. Proceduresfor editing and compiling C++ code. Imperative programming in C++.Recursion and iteration. Record types in C++.2. Data abstraction. Data abstraction using classes in C++. Informationhiding.3. Implementation Data Structures in C++. Pointers, pointer arith-metic, C++ arrays, unions (i.e., variant records).4. Fundamental Data Structures(a) Linked Lists. Pointers and dynamic memory allocation. Singly andmultiply linked structures.(b) Stacks and Queues.7(c) Trees. Representations and traversals. Tree-based representation ofsets.5. Files as another implementation data structure.6. Searching. Sequential and binary search. Binary search trees. Balancedbinary search trees.7. Sorting. Basic sorting algorithms: insertion and selection sort: Fastersorting algorithms: quicksort, heaps and heapsort, mergesort.8. Introduction to Analysis of Algorithms. Asymptotic notation,time and space complexity.If time permits, we would also discuss: Algorithm Design Techniques. Backtracking and branch-and bound.Using induction to design algorithms. Divide-and-conquer and dynamicprogramming. Graphs. Representation, traversals, minimum-cost spanning trees, andshortest path problems.There is some possibility of using Scheme to illustrate some points aboutSorting and Searching that would otherwise be dicult in C++.3.6 DiscussionThis is not a course in C++ programming. Students would not be introducedto all the features of C++.3.7 Administrative detailsWe presume we would teach 228X on HP-UX. There would have to be a smallsegment of the course devoted to teaching the students how to use the Unixsystem.AcknowledgementsThe courses described here were developed with the help of professors Gadiaand Oldehoeft. Many other faculty in the department have contributed ideasand discussions.8Course Specifications for New Introductory Courses: Computer Science 227X and 228XTR 92-09Albert L. Baker, David Fernandez-Baca, and Gary T. LeavensApril, 1992Iowa State University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Computer Science226 AtanasoffAmes, IA 50011IOWA  STATE  UNIVERSITYOF  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGYSCIENCEwithPRACTICEDEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCETech Report: TR 92-09Submission Date: April, 1992

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Course Specifications for New Introductory Courses: Computer Science 227X and 228X

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