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Introduction to

Computational Thinking

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Asst Prof Chi-Wing FU, Philip

Office: N4-02c-104

email: cwfu[at]ntu.edu.sg

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CE1003/CZ1003Introduction to Computational Thinking

Dr FU Chi Wing, Philip

Email: cwfu@ntu.edu.sg

&

Dr Michael Harold Lees

Email: mhlees@ntu.edu.sg

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Course Syllabus

• Computing and Algorithms

• Introduction to Python

• Basic Syntax and Semantics

• Variables, Data types, and Operators

• More on Numbers and Built-in functions

• Flow Control: Selection and Repetition

• Program Development Issues (supplementary)

• Strings and Characters

• Composite types

• User-defined Functions and Modules

• File management

• Exceptions

FU Chi Wing

Michael Lees

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Course Structure

• Lectures – around 13 Weeks

– About 26 lectures: 2 Hrs/week (check holidays)

• Tutorials

– 1 Hr/week

– Start from week 3

• Laboratory – 5 Lab Sessions

– 2 Hrs/session [Software Project Lab (N4-b1b-11)]

– Start from week 3 or 4

* Check your OWN lab./tutorial schedule

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Course Schedule

Red – Holidays/Recess and Blue – Lectures

Later need a

make-up lecture

due to “Union day”

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- Lecture slides, tutorial questions, and lab

questions will be available in Edventure.

- Lecture slides: You can print them out from

Edventure before lectures.

- Tutorial questions: Some tutorials you are

expected to try before, others require group work.

- Lab questions: You are required to do

programming with documentation.

You should start learning how to access Edventure

http://edventure.ntu.edu.sg/

Course Material

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Focus on this course

• This is more than a programming course

• Though we talk about and teach Python, but we indeed use Python as a tool

• Rather… We hope that you can learn computational thinking so that you know how to apply computers and

programming as problem solving tools!!!

Problem Algorithm Program

Run onComputational

Thinking

Programming

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Learning Outcomes

• Understand how algorithmic solutions may be used to solve numerical and textual problems

• Capture requirements in a methodical fashion and derive an appropriate algorithm

• Implement algorithms using a high-level programming

language

• Be able to understand and use appropriate

file management techniques

• Plan for testing of programs

• Acquire and adopt good programming practice

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Our Course Practice

• University Students …

– Be considerate to others: including your

fellow classmates and me

• Switch your phone(s) to quiet mode

• No talking during the lecture

– This is a huge class!

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Textbook: CE1003/CZ1003The Practice of Computing using Python

By William Punch and Richard Enbody

Addison-Wesley, 2010 (1st Ed.) and 2012 (2nd Ed.)

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Reference Material

– Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer

Science, 2nd Ed., by John Zelle, Pub. Franklin, Beedle & Associates Incorporated, 2010, ISBN-13: 978-1-59028-241-0.

– Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python, by Jennifer Campbell, Paul Gries,

Jason Montojo, and Greg Wilson, Pub. The Pragmatic Programmers 2009, ISBN-13: 978-1-93435-627-2

– http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Python_Programming

– http://www.tutorialspoint.com/python/index.htm

– http://docs.python.org/tutorial/

– http://docs.python.org/py3k/tutorial/

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Begins Early

• Good Programming Style!!!– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programming_style

– http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008

Program is not just for computer to run, but also for human to readElse… you may find 80% of your programming time for debugging

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Assessment

• Assessment

– Examination

– Coursework

• Examination

– Answer All 4 questions

• Coursework

– Quiz x 2 in Labs 3 & 5

– Programming assignment x 2

(a simple looping problem and a simple game)

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Academic Honesty

• Unless otherwise noted, worked turned in

should reflect your independent capabilities.

• Plagiarism (Copying of part/complete

assignment) – considered as cheating.

You may be expelled because of it.

• Both source and copier could be penalized.

• A certain system will be used to check

your programs for plagiarism for your lab

submission.

This is a foundation course in CS/CE!!!

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How to Study? • Lectures:

– Attend lectures -> learn!

– Read lecture notes

– Read textbook (and reference material)

• Tutorials:

– Work out tutorials; don’t just listen -> learn and practice!

– Try your tutorial questions and verify them

• Labs:

– Work out all lab questions yourself -> practice! practice!

– DO lab assignments yourself (this is an intro course)

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Self Study

• No one becomes an expert in 24-26 hours!

• You should understand lectures are to

introduce/refresh material.

• The responsibility lies with you!

• What is necessary vs. good vs. ideal.

• This is the start of the journey – it just begins when

you have finished and passed this exam!

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Interaction

• Talk to each other…

• Learning from more experienced students.

– This helps the helper, explaining a concept really makes it clear in your mind

– This helps the helped, they can understand!

– This helps us, distributed learning.

• Learn to deal with others!

– Lab partners, tutorial classes.

• Talk to us and smile at us! We need to know of issues.

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Last words

1. Self-motivation

2. Use time wisely

3. Make an effort