Class 55: Recap
Held:
We recap what we’ve learned (or might have learned) across the semester.
Preliminaries
Overview
- The subject matter(s) of the course
- More about the subject matter(s)
- Looking beyond the course
Related Pages
Updates
News / Etc.
- Sit whereever you’d like.
- Quizzes returned (provided I remember to bring them).
- This week
- Today: We talk about the final and the class as a whole.
- Friday: You fill out end-of-course evaluations and get your final PSA. Those who want to stay go over the sample final.
- If you cannot make Friday’s class, please remind me at 9:35 and I’ll have you fill out the EOCE in another room.
- Sample final available on the Web site.
- Tomorrow’s Thursday a.m. review session will be a chance to ask questions about the final.
- Thursday 7:30 p.m. review session: Final
- Next Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. review session: Final
- I hope to have all grades to you by next Monday.
Upcoming Work
- Exam 4 epilogue due TONIGHT.
- Optional Final Thursday at 9am, Friday at 9am, or Friday at 2pm.
- Let me know by Wednesday if/when you plan to take the exam.
Extra credit (Academic/Artistic)
- CS Extras, Thursday: Exploring Algorithms with Design and Analysis Techniques.
- CSC 322 presentations, Friday, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Science 3819.
Extra credit (Peer)
- Baseball, Friday, 9:00 a.m.
- Baseball, Friday, some other time tbd.
Other good things to do
- It’s week 14. Take good care of yourselves.
The Subject Matter(s) of the Course
I consider it important to end the semester with an overview of the primary learning goals and outcomes of the course, which we often call “the subject matter of the course.” I think of CSC 151 as having a broad range of subject matters. Here’s the high-level overview.
- Problem Solving. CSC 151 is about techniques for thinking about how to take a problem and develop a solution.
- Computer Science: Algorithms and Data Structures. We use the approach of computer scientists, developing algorithms that solve generalized problems and arranging the data in certain ways.
- Scheme. We make these issues concrete using the Scheme programming language.
- Program and Software Design. And think more broadly about how to represent algorithms as programs.
- General Thinking Skills. Every Grinnell class should develop skills beyond disciplinary skills. We work on a wide variety.
- And Beyond. I try to provide some moral perspective on the world, too.
Additional Details
With your partner, come up with three or so issues for each category. I’ve started with an example or two of each.
Problem Solving
Computer Science: Algorithms and Data Structures
Scheme
Program and Software Design
General Thinking Skills
And Beyond
Looking Beyond the Course
Where do you go from here?