CS 139 – Algorithm Development

CS 139 – Algorithm Development Ms. Nancy Harris Lecturer, Department of Computer Science

Nancy Harris: About • Joined the faculty at JMU in Jan, 2002. • Before that, I worked for a software and services company, doing consulting, training, and conversion design work. • I usually teach CS139 in the fall. • I also work with our Center for Faculty Innovation. • I am married, with two grown sons. I enjoy quilting, traveling, and outdoor activities.

Class logistics • Together in lecture on M/W • Separate lab sections T/Th • Review the syllabus before class on Wednesday.

Registration • Currently we are full! • If you decide to drop, please do so as soon as possible so that another might have your seat. • If you are here, and you are not registered, you may attend this week, but I will not assign you a group until registration is official.

What is this class all about?

Meet two or three other people. • Gather into groups of three or four. More formal groups will be built tomorrow.

Calculate the average of these numbers. • 23 • 53 • 17 Ans: 31

Calculate the average of these numbers. • 14.7 • 13.8 Ans: 14.25

Calculate the average of these numbers. • 3 • -5 • -25 • 17 Ans: -2.5

Analyze these examples of calculating an average • How are they different? • How are they the same? • Can we calculate an average of any number of numbers? • What would that look like if we don’t know how many numbers?

In your group: • Think about the PROCESS of calculating an average. • If you were to explain it to someone who did not know how to calculate one, what steps would you tell them. • Write down the steps. • Test your solution with another set of numbers of your own making. • Post your steps on the whiteboard.

Looking at the steps on the board • What attributes do they share? • Which one(s) look like they would be easiest to follow? • What attributes do those easy ones share? • Are there any miracles happening? (Missed steps)

This class • is about teaching you to be better problem solvers.

Our audience

Class practices Or why do I do what I do?

Thinking of what you want to get out of your college experience and this course in particular, which of the following is MOST important to you? • Acquiring information (facts, principles, concepts). • Learning how to apply that information and knowledge in new situations. • Developing life-long learning skills. (Ability to learn new things). From: Gary Smith in The National Teaching & Learning Forum, Volume 17, Number 5, Sept 2008

So of these three goals, which do you think you can do through your own study and which would be best done in class? • Acquiring information (facts, principles, concepts). • Learning how to apply that information and knowledge in new situations. • Developing life-long learning skills. (Ability to learn new things). From: Gary Smith in The National Teaching & Learning Forum, Volume 17, Number 5, Sept 2008

Let’s FLIP this class In class we’ll do homework/practice problems. Out of class, you will listen to lectures. WHY?

My Role • Plan and execute the videos. • Plan the reading, practice exercises. • Plan the in class labs and activities. • Help coach, guide and challenge you. • Provide prompt feedback about your labs and in class work. • Provide prompt feedback for programming assignments and exams.

Your role • Prepare for class by finishing any labs and reviewing the video tutorials and reading before class begins. • Be an active participant in your team. If you don’t understand something, ask for help. If someone on your team doesn’t understand something, offer your help. • Listen to one another and respect one another. • Ask for clarification, assistance from the instructor where pertinent. • See what other students are putting on the board and offer suggestions or question your own answers. • Understand, don’t just memorize.

Attendance

Process Oriented Group Inquiry Learning Logos above link to the two sites.

VIDEO: https://pogil.org/about • POGIL materials are designed for use with self-managed teams that interact with the instructor as a facilitator of learning rather than as a source of information. • POGIL materials guide students through an exploration to construct understanding. • POGIL materials use discipline content to facilitate the development of higher-level thinking skills and the ability to learn and apply knowledge in new contexts. (from POGIL.org)

Effectiveness • https://pogil.org/about/effectiveness • Student attrition is lower for POGIL than traditional methods. • Student mastery of content is generally higher for POGIL than traditional methods. • Most students prefer POGIL over traditional methods.

Policies to highlight • Work is due by the deadlines: • labs, weekly quizzes, homework will not be accepted late • I drop about 10% of these grades. • For weekly quizzes, you will be scored on your best 10. • Programming assignments will have a late penalty for each day late and will not be accepted after 5 days (Saturday does not count as a day). • Late arrival for in class quizzes will result in your getting a zero for the portion of the quiz that you miss.

Planned absences • Religious or JMU sanctioned activity • See me at least two weeks ahead of the planned absence. • Provision for turning in your work early or late will be made. • You will not be able to make up in class activity work that may be collected for a grade. • Emergency absence or illness • I don’t need to know about individual missed days. • For longer absences, see me as soon as you are able to return. • If able, e-mail me for assignments during your absence.

MOSS • Measure of Software Similarity • Standford University tool to catch similar code. • It will be used on all PAs.

Wrap – up • There is a homework assignment for tomorrow, to get you ready for your first coding lab. If you do not yet have the book, the reading is not critical, but it does give an overview of the programming process. • If you have not done so already, fill out the survey. It is due tonight by 5pm.

CS 139 – Algorithm Development