This is a brand new course! The old 15-110 was an introduction to programming in Java for students who have no prior programming experience. The new couse uses Python but is not just a programming couse. It is primarily a course on computational thinking that uses Python. This course is about abstractions (mental models) and automation of those abstractions (using computers to solve problems). We will discuss efficiency and correctness. Student will write programs and learn about simplicity, usability, modifiability, and maintianability.
This
course serves as a pre-requisite for 15-121, 15-122, and 15-251.
The course uses computers running Mac OS, Linux, and PCs running Windows (XP, Vista, Winodws7).
If you are planning to use your own computer (desktop or laptop) you need to download and install the following:
The recommended textbook is Exploring Python by T. Budd (Mc Graw Hill, ISBN: 978-0-07-352337-8 ).
15-110 meets
three times a week: Tue & Thus (lectures) for 70 minutes and Fridays
(recitations) for 50 minutes. Attendance
to lectures and recitations is mandatory
Each student will have a computer to use during recitation time. Quizzes and exams may be written or on-line.
At the end of the semester, every student will take a closed-book, closed-notes, written final exam. The final exam is worth 20% of your final grade. The exam will be given during the week of final exams in December. Sample exam questions and the questions to be used will be ditributed later on during the semester.
Labs and Exams
will be submitted electronically. The method used to submit assignments will
be demonstrated during the first week of class. Although you may work in small
groups, each student must submit his/her own program and the code may
not be a copy of others’ code. You
may share ideas and help – but you must write your own code and your assignment
MUST be SUBSTANTIALLY different from all others.