COURSE DESCRIPTION
Advanced Virtual Studies (AVS) courses are designed for students to improve critical thinking, reading for meaning, writing across the curriculum, textual analysis, and educational technology skills. These skill sets will allow students to succeed in meeting core high school standards while preparing for the rigors of college. AVS courses require significantly more student-teacher and student-student interaction and time than a general high school course.
Each AVS course is divided into modules, each of which focuses on Common Core elements. Students will be expected to then meet additional learning standards specific to the topic. These standards may include researching, integrating research into written assignments, experiential learning, highly engaged team projects, and STEM specific labs. Students will interact with the teacher and other students via Discussion Boards, Skype sessions, Blackboard Collaborate, or other medium deemed appropriate for reaching targeted learning objectives.
Introduction to Computer Science through Java is an introduction to computer science and programming intended for people with little or no experience. We start with the most basic concepts and are careful to define all terms when they are first used. The book presents each new idea in a logical progression. Larger topics, like recursion and object- oriented programming, are divided into smaller examples and introduced over the course of several chapters.
This book is intentionally concise. Each chapter is 12–14 pages and covers the material for one week of a college course. It is not meant to be a comprehensive presentation of Java, but rather, an initial exposure to programming constructs and techniques. We begin with small problems and basic algorithms and work up to object-oriented design. In the vocabulary of computer science pedagogy, this book uses the “objects late” approach.
CHAPTERS
Ch.1 – The Way of the Program
Ch.2 – Variables and Operators
Ch.3 – Input and Output
Ch.4 – Void Methods
Ch.5 – Conditionals and Logic |
Ch.6 – Value Methods
Ch.7 – Loops
Ch.8 – Arrays
Ch.9 – Strings and Things |
COURSE OBJECTIVE
The goal of this course is to teach you to think like a computer scientist. I like the way computer scientists think because they combine some of the best features of Mathematics, Engineering, and Natural Science. Like mathematicians, computer scientists use formal languages to denote ideas (specifically computations). Like engineers, they design things, assembling components into systems and evaluating trade offs among alternatives. Like scientists, they observe the behavior of complex systems, form hypotheses, and test predictions.
The single most important skill for a computer scientist is problem-solving. By that I mean the ability to formulate problems, think creatively about solutions, and express a solution clearly and accurately. As it turns out, the process of learning to program is an excellent opportunity to practice problem-solving skills. That’s why this chapter is called “The way of the program.”
On one level, you will be learning to program, which is a useful skill by itself. On another level you will use programming as a means to an end. As we go along, that end will become clearer.
