INTRO TO COMPUTING AND PROGRAMMING IN PYTHON A MULTIMEDIA APPROACH

FOR COURSES IN INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING OR INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING. THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN COMPUTING FOR NON-CS MAJORS, OR FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED THEIR MAJORS (SOMETIMES CALLED THE "CS0" MARKET). COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSORS ARE ALSO CONFRONTED WITH INCREASED ATTRITION AND FAILURE RATES. GUZDIAL INTRODUCES PROGRAMMING AS A WAY OF CREATING AND MANIPULATING MEDIA-A CONTEXT FAMILIAR AND INTRIGUING TO TODAY,S STUDENTS. STUDENTS BEGIN ACTUAL PROGRAMMING EARLY ON (SOMETIMES OVER 100 LINES OF CODE IN THE SECOND ASSIGNMENT). GUZDIAL,S APPROACH HAS MET WITH SUBSTANTIAL SUCCESS IN CLASS TESTING.