Introduction to Programming (Autumn 2019)

Abstract

Students learn about the concept of computational thinking and get a hands-on introduction to programming using the Python programming language.

Description

The course provides students with a basic understanding of computational thinking and programming both for their own future use and for their ability to collaborate with experienced programmers and software developers.

The students will learn about the concept of computational thinking and get a hands-on introduction to programming using the Python programming language.

Programming and computational thinking are basic primitives in today’s IT world. This course provides a basic and hands-on introduction into these topics. The programming language is going to be Python. After taking the course, students have a solid technical foundation with regard to programming.

Contents of the course: 

• Sequential execution, expression, selection, iteration, state, variable, assignment 
• String manipulation and text files
• Testing and debugging
• Searching, sorting 
• Worst-case running time 
• Types
• Objects, classes

Formal prerequisites

The student is able to use a modern electronic computer for text processing, email, and web browsing. The student is able to download and install new software.

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• analyze a given, simple computational task such as manipulation of a text-based database or external hardware device to the extent of designing a programmatic solution and implementing it in a modern, text-base, domain-neutral programming language
• test the correctness of a piece of code
• write program documentation
• reason about the computational complexity of an algorithm
• express functionality in terms of abstract data type or application programming interface
• use text-based tools of program development, including an editor and command-line tools.

Learning activities

14 weeks of lectures or individual study of the course material.

Mandatory activities

4 out of 5 mandatory programming exercises must be passed.

The student will receive the grade NA (not approved) at the ordinary exam, if the mandatory activities are not approved and the student will use an exam attempt.

Course literature

The course literature is published in the course page in LearnIT.

Ordinary exam

Exam type:
A: Written exam on premises, external (7-trinsskala)
Exam variation:
A22: Written exam on premises with restrictions. Restrictions may concern which software and which books you may use.
Exam description:

A22: Written exam on premises with restrictions., (7-scale, external exam) 

4 hours individual programming exam on premises at computers not connected to the internet.

Books and notes are allowed at the exam.  Calculators too, but they will be of no specific use.

Time and date