Outline of Class 39: Wrapup

Miscellaneous

• I misread the instructions on the course evaluation forms. Since I need to give them in class, we'll need to use much of today's class for those evaluations.
  • The timing is less good than I would have liked, particularly because I have been negligent in returning assignments. Feel free to criticize me for that.
• I will therefore hold a review session sometime (or sometimes) next week. My inclination is 11am Thursday, as I don't believe we have a convocation. Let me know if you have other preferences.
• A review sheet with sample problems is now available.
• Today's talk is on browser security.
• The order of presentations is now given in the course syllabus.
• In our continuing trend of "bashing big brother, I present the following joke, taken from the EvangeList digest,

  Bill Gates and Scott McNealy were playing a friendly game of frisbee on the Gate's estate on the shore of Lake Washington. At one point, Bill accidentally sends the frisbee over Scott's head, and the frisbee lands in the lake. Scott walks out onto the surface of the lake and retrieves the frisbee.
  
  The next day the newspapers report:
  
  GATE'S THROW EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
  Sun CEO Unable to Swim

Reflection

• Before reviewing what we've learned in the class, I'd like to step back for a few moments and reflect on the course and its processes.
• This is a somewhat unique version of CS223.
  • It is perhaps the only time we'll have a 223 that includes so much time on Java. Hopefully, we can assume Java knowledge when it is next taught.
  • We therefore spent more time on Java and less on other issues.
  • It appears at an odd time in the development of Java. In a few years, we'll have better equipment and better environments.
  • This may reduce programming and debugging time.
  • It is the first time I taught software design. While I am familiar with all the topics we covered, I've never before tried to figure out how to fit them in one class.
  • This made the class less structured and more variable than I would have liked.
  • This is my first term at Grinnell.
  • I clearly had incorrect expectations about your knowledge.
• There are a number of things that I could have done to make the class better. In general, my failures to do so are related to time issues and my getting settled here. I apologize for not doing better.
  • I clearly should have graded your assignments more quickly and otherwise provided you with more regular feedback.
  • I should have provided more online examples, particularly as we were learning Java.
  • I should have spent more time on the makeup of groups.
  • I should have provided more of a "stick" to enforce an appropriate work ethic (see below). Of course, given my own failings, it was difficult for me to crack down too hard on you folks.
  • I should have been more organized.
  • Fill in your own.
• There are also a number of things that I'd recommend that you do to improve your own learning.
  • Please do the reading before each class. Many topics could have been covered much more quickly if you'd had the background the readings were intended to give.
  • Please start assignments earlier. You will do a much better job on your assignments if you give yourself time to reflect, correct errors, and such.
  • Please try to incorporate what we discussed in class within your own work. For example, many of you completely ignored my advice to have a global TESTING variable when you were printing debugging output.
  • Please be prepared to participate actively in class. Ask questions, be willing to make mistakes, etc.
  • Realize that not all of your learning can be from reading, class, and assignments. [I'm guessing this is why so few of you are facile at algorithm analysis; it seems that while you read and discussed algorithm analysis, you rarely did it on homework assignments.]
  • Fill in your own.

Review

• Today's review will necessarily be short. More information can be found in the handout.
• Note that we've learned stuff from a variety of sources, including lecture/discussion, readings, exercises, and presentations.
• I'd categorize the stuff we've learned into a few (many?) core areas. In no particular order, they are
  • Java
  • Tools
  • The software construction process
  • Algorithms
  • Human factors
  • Software insecurity
  • Miscellaneous

Final statements

• My mother taught Psychology at Boston University for over thirty years. ("Aha, that explains SamR's personality.") She ended every class with the same statement. I try to do the same, although the statement is filtered through my sensibilities.

  Most of us will take or teach other classes. However, this one is unique; none will ever be quite like this it for a number of reasons. The people in the class made it what it was. We should acknoledge each other's contributions and commit ourselves to making similar contributions in future classes. I thank all of you for your contributions.

• Mom also makes a statement on the order of

  While I enjoyed having you in my class, I'm also happy to have you move on to other things. Like any parent, I've enjoyed seeing you grow, but also want you to test your own wings.

• Mom also tells a story of an elementary school teacher she had worked with who was leaving her job. Mom stopped by to give the teacher a goodbye present. The teacher cried. Mom said "I expect that you've been crying all day as you said goodbye to your students." The teacher said "No, I forgot to say goodbye." Since then mom has always made it a point to say goodbye to her classes. I encourage you to say goodbye to your friends and colleagues who you may not see again.