Teaching computer algorithms and data structures to students in engineering and the physical sciences

Author

Murphy, Robin R.

Author_Institution

Colorado Sch. of Mines, Golden, CO, USA

fYear

1993

fDate

6-9 Nov 1993

Firstpage

397

Lastpage

400

Abstract

The author describes a new three credit-hour course at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), MACS 410: Scientific Programming in C. This one-semester course is targeted for students in engineering or the physical sciences who have finished the CSM core courses in computing and not expect to either major or minor in CS. The purpose of the class is to teach the fundamentals of scientific computing, bring students up to speed in the C programming language, and introduce them to UNIX, and available software tools and techniques. Instruction relies on two novel techniques which are expected to be applicable to other colleges: (1) MACS 410 is taught as a laboratory course with in-class exercises on UNIX workstations, and (2) it uses the XTANGO X-11 based algorithm animation program for interactive computer-based instruction

Keywords

C language; Unix; computer aided instruction; computer science education; educational courses; engineering computing; engineering education; engineering workstations; object-oriented programming; software tools; teaching; C programming language; CAI; MACS 410; UNIX; USA; XTANGO X-11; animation; computer algorithms; course; data structures; education; engineering; interactive computer-based instruction; laboratory; physical sciences; scientific computing; software techniques; software tools; students; teaching; workstations; Animation; Computer languages; Data structures; Education; Educational institutions; Laboratories; Physics computing; Scientific computing; Software tools; Workstations;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Frontiers in Education Conference, 1993. Twenty-Third Annual Conference. 'Engineering Education: Renewing America's Technology', Proceedings.

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

ISSN

0190-5848

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1482-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/FIE.1993.405494

Filename

405494