I am a young professor teaching a data structures course for the first time. I'm teaching at an engineering college that provides an academic degree, but the focus is preparing future computer programmers, not academics.
Before the start of the semester I decided to present the algorithms as java code, instead of pseudocode. I felt that this would make the presentation more precise, and show the students how to put these algorithms to practical use.
My experience has been mixed. It seems like the problem is that now the students think that the various algorithms are the java code. They are complaining that, for example, I can't possibly expect them to know the counting sort algorithm, because how can they be expected to learn code by heart? So I am starting to understand the wisdom of using pseudocode.
My question, intended for other teachers, is: What has been your experience when using pseudocode vs using code?