About the Workshop

Programming is a foundational skill in computer studies and informatics, but many students only just entering the field already find difficulty with the subject. In essence, the core competencies students should develop is in the logical formulation and algorithmic thinking; however, students often stumble and fail in tangential concerns — the syntax of the language, the compiler options, and the features of their Integrated Development Environment. With so many concerns competing to be addressed at the same time, is it any wonder that students lose their zest for programming?

Python is one way to address these concerns. Python is an interpreted scripting language that has a simple and easy-to-understand syntax. Python programs don’t need to be compiled, and so eliminates many extraneous steps to running programs. Python streamlines the program development process, shortening the time from coding to debugging and execution. At the same time, Python is a powerful programming language with extensive libraries, and can be used for developing GUI applications, web services, and client-server systems.

This five-day workshop aims to introduce educators handling college-level computer studies to the many possibilities of the Python programming language. The educators will work together to develop and refine material that they themselves will use in teaching Python as a one-semester undergraduate introductory programming class.

Workshop Schedule

Day 1
AM
What is Python?
The Python Programming Environment
The Python Programming Language
Python Libraries
Python Resources

PM
Python Programming Exercises
Solutions and Discussions
A Syllabus Plan for Introductory Programming Using Python

Day 2
AM
Work Session: Python environment, syntax, variables, input and output; developing exercises
Presentation and Discussion

PM
Functions
Modules
Debugging
Python Programming Exercises
Solutions and Discussion

Day 3
AM
Work Session: Conditional program flow, logic, conditionals; developing exercises
Presentation and Discussion

PM
Recursion
Stacks
Fruitful Functions
Python Programming Exercises
Solutions and Discussion

Day 4
AM
Work Session: Strings, Lists, and Iterations; Developing Exercises
Presentation and Discussion

PM
Lists, Dictionaries, and Tuples
File Input and Output
Python Programming Exercises
Solutions and Discussion

Day 5
AM
Introducing Turtleword
Turtleworld Exercises
Solutions and Discussions

PM
Looking Forward
Object Oriented Python
GUI applications
Client-server applications
Web development
Discussion