CSCE 144 is a typical semester long introductory Java programming course. It is required for our majors and minors as well as for students from other disciplines such as mathematics and physics. The class meets in a lecture room for one hour three days per week and once per week for a two hour closed lab. (See the description of course context for more details.)

Course Objectives

Objective 1: FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS
Students should develop fundamental skills such as problem solving and abstract reasoning through computer programming. This will include learning the basic features of the programming language Java as well as good design practices that result in correct, robust and maintainable programs. A more specific list of skills and topics emphasized in the CSCE144 course, "Recommendations for Teaching CSCE 144", has been developed by departmental consensus and is used to shape the course content.

Motivation: Since we began teaching the course using Java it seems the content has become too focused on the language and not enough on problem solving and abstract reasoning. These skills are crucial for the other computer science courses that our majors and minors will eventually take and are also transferable to a wide range of situations outside the discipline. I would like for fundamental skills to be a main focus of the course but admit I have found it extremely challenging to stay focused and not get stuck in the Java quagmire.

Objective 2: DISCIPLINARY CONTEXT
Students should come away from this course with a sense of and appreciation for Computer Science as a discipline.

Motivation: All too often this course has been too narrowly focused on programming. This gives students an inaccurate picture of what computer science is all about and may cause some students, particularly women, to choose not to pursue a major or minor in computer science because they don't see how it fits into the larger scheme of things.

Objective 3: HOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENT
Students should experience a hospitable learning environment that is cooperative, comfortable and minimizes any feelings of inadequacy, particularly for students with less experience and confidence. It is also my goal to take steps to help alleviate the frustration of learning to program so that all the students may feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from what they are able to achieve in the course. I want the students to have fun!

Motivation: To promote diversity and help to dispel the reputation of the class as extremely difficult and inhospitable.

Last Modified: 06/02/2006