Week 1

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

  • Describe, compare, and contrast various professions and careers in Computing
  • Chart an educational pathway for entrance into these professions
  • Identify key developments in the evolution of computing hardware
  • Explain how computers make use of indexes to search for information
  • Make simple modifications to existing Python programs to observe the effects

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

In class:

  • Class welcome and policies
  • What is CS?
  • Do Indexing activity and introduce Algorithm of the Week

Independent:

  • Do Algorithm of the Week reading
  • Do the background survey and class policies quiz

Second Class Meeting

In class:

  • Programming Intro
  • Computing Fields & Careers

Independent:

  • Programming - Complete Ch 13
  • Programming - Ch 14 Reading
  • Do Computer Fields readings
  • Do History of Computing reading
  • Do written assignment

Class Policies

Make sure that you have read and understood the Syllabus (in elearn). Then take the background survey and Syllabus/Policy quiz in elearn.

Activities

What is CS? Why study it?

Why learn about CS? What kinds of things do people with CS degrees do? Watch these videos:


Algorithm of the Week: Indexing

Read Chapters 1-2 of Nine Algorithms that Changed the Future : Introduction and Indexing Algorithm

The Nine Algorithms book is available from the Chemeketa bookstore, Amazon, VitalSource, etc...


Computing Fields & Careers

Read Computing Related Fields (Ch 1) in Welcome To CS. (Welcome to CS is a free etext.)

Here at Chemeketa here is how you get started in the various computing fields:

  • If you are interested in CS or SE, the CS department is your starting point.

  • If you are interested in CE you should check out the Engineering Department.

  • If you are interested in a technical focused IT or IS degree, you should look at the CIS Department.

  • If you are interested in cybersecurity, you probably want to check out the CIS Department's cybersecurity program unless you are interested in a very code oriented cybersecurity degree (reverse engineering, malware analysis) in which case a CS degree may make sense.

OPTIONAL: You may also want to browse through these sites for more information on various computing career opportunities and the associated educational requirements:


Programming

Do the following assignments based on Programming chapters from Welcome to CS.

  • Ch 13 - Completion
  • Ch 14 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Reading assignments are graded for attempting all of the interactive elements on the pages in the chapter. (All the pages up to the chapter summary.) Think of them as your chance to go through the material and try everything. After each reading assignment there will be some time to get help if you need it before the completion assignment is due.

Completion assignments are graded for correctly completing particular problems from a chapter. Most of the problems you already will have tried in the Reading assignment for that chapter, though you will also usually have a few new problems from the Exercises page at the end of the chapter.

Make sure you are logged into the book so your work is saved and you get credit!

Your grade on programming assignments won't instantly show up in Canvas. The gradebooks in Welcome to CS and Canvas need to be manually synced. I do that about once per week.

This video shows how to make sure you are logged into the book and how to track your progress on assignments:


History of Computing

Read History of Computing (Ch 2) of Welcome To CS.


Optional Extras

An interesting "behind the scenes" stories about the birth of computing and where it may head in the future from famed inventor George Dyson: