Questions tagged [lesson-ideas]
Questions with this tag relate to planning lessons for a specific purpose, such as teaching some coding paradigm or skill. Planning lessons in Computer Science depends on the context and level of the students. If it is a lesson which introduces a new topic, the tag [introductory-lesson] may also be appropriate.
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Hands-on task to demystifying AI for high schooler
My colleagues are brainstorming the hands-on task to demystifying AI(to a level). We have some goals for these task,
First, it should be a doable programming exercise (python) for the high school kids....
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What strategies can be implemented to prevent students from cheating while completing online assignments?
As an educator, I've created a course with assignments featuring automated tests via browxy.com, an online solution. However, I'm concerned that students may seek solutions from external sources, such ...
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Teaching a coding language in an interactive way for a school club
I am currently a senior in high school who runs a club centered around teaching C++ to interested people. However, my fellow board members and I have recognized that our style of teaching the ...
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How would you define the word "render" in the vocabulary list, or define "render" for a text/exam, for a course on computer science?
In computer programming, the word render means to turn typed written code into a pretty picture for people to look at.
Outside of computer science, the word render means somthing like "boil ...
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What Informal Description Might Help Beginning Students Understand Python's `str.strip()` method?
When teaching python to new students in middle school (or any age group), the students sometimes find the python documentation to be a bit overwhelming.
What is a short, easy-to-understand description ...
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Non-native English speakers struggle to come up with decent variable names and function names
The students I teach at a middle school in Beijing normally have a limited vocabulary. They struggle to come up with decent variable names and function names. Most of the time they just name variables ...
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Theory of Computing project topics
I am looking for project ideas in theory of computing that I can assign to my students in lieu of a final exam.
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How to design an assignment on applications of Formal Verification?
I'm teaching a course on Intro to Theoretical CS, which is a compulsory course for CS majors.
A pre-requisite is Math for CS and a co-requisite is Design of Algorithms.
In this course we also cover ...
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Teaching ideas for string algorithm?
When teaching algorithm (high school) I always go with some sorting & searching algorithms and believe that should be enough, or at least lay a good foundation for them.
But I have come to realize ...
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Do you include coding assignments in an intro to complexity and computation course?
In an introductory course on complexity and computing, I am thinking about including some programming tasks.
I wonder what types of tasks I could give the students beyond "construct" a ...
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Finding "Filler" projects for students
Short Summary of the situation:
I live on the Dutch countryside, here there are several colleges/universities that offer IT degrees (post-secondary vocational education/ Bachelor Degree/Master Degree)....
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Who is the best software engineering teacher you know? what makes them the best? [closed]
Looking to find some of the best teachers in software engineering; not the best computer scientists or software engineers per se. But those who train and develop software engineers that and build ...
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Divide and conquer for subset sum problem
I want my students (equivalent first-year college students) to work on algorithmic paradigms during a 2 hours practical programming session in OCaml.
I chose the subset sum problem since it can ...
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is there any good specific pedagogy research to teach spreadsheets?
There is a lot of good research on how to teach introductory programming. But maybe(?) more important to most students is the ability to use a spreadsheet. What is the best way to teach introductory ...
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What are some fun projects for non-CS majors?
I'm teaching an undergrad Intro to Programming for Non-majors this semester (in Python) and I'm looking for some fun projects for my students that are engaging but not too difficult for them. This is ...
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Common questions students may ask when they learn OOP?
Reading this question Do we really need OO languages to manage software complexity? on one of SE sites and my own experiences in teaching object-oriented concept, e.g. Some real practical example to ...
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Some real practical example to teach object-oriented concepts and programming (in python)
I have taught my high school students to write some simple python scripts, taking some ideas from "Automate the Boring Stuff with Python", e.g. changing file names in a folder to a specific ...
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What are good, practical labs and activities for loops?
I am teaching some high school students, also the first time programmers, some basic programming concepts and applications. When introducing loop I find that using it to check prime number (and find ...
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Are there any conventions for writing logic statements for combinations of logic gate functions?
I am teaching logic gates. I would like to know if anyone knows if there are any conventions for writing combinations of logic gate functions. For example
...
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How do I teach problem solving and logical thinking to students of age group 12-18yrs through online session
I am currently researching some good content/problems to teach my students. I am referring to Mensa's Book on Logical thinking, which has a good amount of puzzles for all age groups. Is there any ...
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Counter-Example for Computability
I am a retired college teacher, now trying to teach computing to middle school kids. One of the parts of the definition of "algorithm" is that it must be "effectively computable." I'm looking for an ...
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HS Lessons On Modeling Virus Spread
I'd like to try teaching an online lesson to high school CS students on modeling the spread of a virus. Ideally it would be something that could be coded in a spreadsheet, Code.Org's Game Lab or App ...
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Physical Activity for Objects
I have a vague notion that I could create some sort of introductory activity for Objects. There would be worksheets ("programs") to get kids (high school, in this case) to physically go through the ...
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How to make someone enjoy programming if they don't like the products they make? [duplicate]
Background
I have a friend who loves applied math and physics, but hates programming. She is learning python right now because she thinks it's helpful in getting a math-related job, and her mom forces ...
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How do you teach when your students have wildly different backgrounds?
I'm going to do a course for my entire University, this means students that are in the last year and also in the first year. What can I do so what I teach isn't too hard to understand for the first ...
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Does it make sense to write tutorial when content of the tutorial can be already learned from internet without that tutorial?
For example, does it makes sense to write tutorial called Best Intellij shortcuts. You can already find so many shortcuts online in many places. If the answer is "...
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How to construct non computer-based, Paper Parsons Problem
I was reading this article “Ten quick tips for teaching programming” by Neil C. C. Brown and Greg Wilson at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5886386/ It had many useful suggestions one of ...
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How might I structure an assignment with two "levels"?
I've been mulling this over for several hours, and have looked at a tangentially related question here. That question was about making a task more challenging for a "more confident" learner. I have ...
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Assignment repositories
Are there any assignment repositories that you use for assignment ideas? I am aware of the Nifty Assignments from Stanford and have used several. There are a lot of good fine grained problems on ...
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Recent Graduate becomes a teacher
In less than one month I'll be graduating from the equivalent of high school (I'm in Latvia). In my high school you also get a certificate based on which career you choose eg. a Chef or a Computer ...
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How To develop One's Interest in Programming [closed]
My younger brother is having a hard time learning programming. This seems strange because he's very good at other computer related subjects. He isn't choosing any other field, so how can he develop ...
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How to introduce problem solving to primary school pupils?
I'm interested into knowing your experiences about introducing problem solving to primary school pupils.
I'm a PhD candidate in Operations Research and, together with my University or my public ...
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Suggestions for teaching selection sort with candy
It's the end of the semester, so my students are pretty burnt out, and a bit of sugar might go a long way (plus, evaluations are around the corner ;-). I'm envisioning a tactile class where students ...
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How do you teach Theory of Automata / Formal Language Theory / Computation Complexity?
i'm a new instructor & also new here.
How do you teach Theory of Automata / Formal Language Theory / Computation Complexity?
Is it theory only, or including programming? If theory only, how ...
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Turtle examples for loops and variables, or even something else
I'm going to teach using the well known drawing turtle, with one developed by me to fit my students, so in case it can also be modified. It features drawing movement, non-drawing movement and pen ...
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Examples of innocent looking faulty code for shock effect
I'm becoming more and more convinced that starting with an imperative attitude is not doing a favor to the students, especially if it's all about scheduling and repeating some ...
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What is a good teaching example/application for jagged arrays (2d arrays with irregular row lengths)?
We are teaching an AP CS class and the topic of 2d-arrays is coming up. There are plenty of cool and approachable sample applications for standard rectanglular arrays - matrix math, MIDI music, sudoku,...
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Advise on a class project
Me and my friend are both in high school taking a “PLTW” Engineering class, where our goal is to design a solution to any problem and work on that solution over the course of the year. We’re reaching ...
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How would you explain what is a race condition to a five years old
TL;DR: How would you explain what is a race condition to a five years old. Which analogy to concepts he is familiar with would you use?
Long version:
I am not a teacher but a software engineer. ...
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Python function has access to global variables, and doesn't need passed arguments
When teaching functions in Python I get a little annoyed that the code below actually prints out the greeting. I know the preferred way would be to pass in the name, but, for students, if it works ...
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Lab ideas for set theory
The title of the question actually says almost everything there is to say. I cannot think of any programming labs whatsoever that would naturally flow from set theory.
My students will be coding in ...
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How to give students practice with streaming computation?
I'm teaching a theory-focused randomized algorithms course at the undergraduate level, and have included a section on streaming algorithms. It would be great to get students to implement these ...
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Small to medium scale exercises about Haskell's higher abstractions
Short version: Where can I find highly varying, small or medium-sized exercises and examples on the use, identification and instance declaration of Haskell's abstractions such as applicatives, monads, ...
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Short foundational lessons for 7-8 year olds
I have an opportunity to run four classes of about half an hour, with 7 to 8 year olds (my sons age). This is part of a program called STEM professionals in schools. All I am there to do really is ...
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How to structure a Predictive Keyboard project similar to GBoard
Many are now familiar with GBoard, the Google / Android predictive Keyboard. I don't actually know how it works. Obviously it must gather usage data on the device where it is being used, but it ...
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How to teach sums and asymptotics to students who don’t know limits
I am to teach sums and asymptotics to first year CS undergraduates who have only high school math. I thought it would be attractive to follow chapter 14 of https://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.042/...
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Interesting Programming Exercises to Teach Inheritance?
I originally asked this over on Stack Overflow, but they suggested I look here instead:
I'm currently teaching my students about the concept of inheritance (we're using Python 3) but am unable to ...
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"Computer sciency" and "practical" exercices involving dictionaries
I am teaching a course in data structures to a 2o semester.
We hear often that the dictionary is a very versatile data structure, and solves quite so many problems. I'd like to illustrate that, but, ...
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How do you teach Big O to high schoolers with varying degrees of math exposure?
My second semester programming curriculum includes a searching and sorting unit and mentions Big O notation, giving the notation for each search and sort we implement. It does not show the ...
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Use of jshell in AP CS A
I recently installed jshell in my IDE for use in demoing concepts in AP CS A. It came at just the right time as it was a powerful way to teach ArrayLists and its ...
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