CS 40 - Lecture 1

Cay S. Horstmann

CS 40

• Introduction to Computers, AKA Computing for Future Congressmen/women
  (Berkeley has Physics for future Presidents—http://muller.lbl.gov/teaching/Physics10/PffP.html)
• For green sheet, contact information, etc., see http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/cay.horstmann

What's In It For You?

• Get a passing grade (provided you participate)
• Learn enough programming to be dangerous
• Maybe even have some fun
• Find out if CS is for you

What's In It For Us (the CS Dept)?

• Learn how to effectively teach this course
• Serve non-majors
• Seduce some students into becoming CS majors

The Graph

CS Has an Image Problem

• Live in cubicle land
• Work long hours
• Lose job to outsourcing

Reality

• Money Magazine. #1 Job? Check it out:
  http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/moneymag/bestjobs/frameset.exclude.html
  (Also check out #2 :-))
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: 6 of the ten fastest growing occupations that require a BS are in computing: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocotjt1.htm

What Do Computer Scientists Do?

What Will We Do In This Course?

• Animations with Alice
• Societal Impact of Computing
• Image and Sound Editing in Java
• Simulations and Games with GreenFoot (Maybe)

Changing Your Brain

From: J. Zull, The Art of Changing the Brain, Stylus Publishing, 2002

Active Learning

• No couch potatos!
• Short Lecture
• Lab or Activity
• Debriefing
• Use web-based software for active learning

Ubiquitous Presenter / ActiveLecture.org

• You can participate--write with pen, mouse, or keyboard
• Ubiquitous Presenter: research project to study active learning, developed at UCSD
• ActiveLecture.org: participation software that doesn't require Windows, PowerPoint, or pens
• Your participation will help in developing these projects

Things To Do Today

• Go to the eCampus site http://sjsu6.blackboard.com/webct/logon/1507893001
• Login with your eCampus ID = your student number, such as 000112358.
• Initial password is spring
• Change your password
• Upload a photo and a short description of yourself
• Really do this...it is very helpful for me and for potential project team members to have your photo

Alice

• Programming language
• Animate characters, tell stories
• Drag and drop; no frustrating syntax errors
• Teach programming concepts, then move on to a “real” language
• Developed for middle school girls
• Will it work in a college setting?
• Last semester, it worked great...with a tough crowd.