Seminars & Colloquia
Jeffrey A. Stone
Penn State University - Schuylkill
"Leading Undergraduates from Structured Programming to Objects: A Case Study "
Wednesday May 11, 2011 10:00 AM
Location: 3211, EBII NCSU Centennial Campus
(Visitor parking instructions)
This presentation will discuss the speaker's prior experiences with transitioning undergraduate students from structured programming to an object-oriented paradigm. Computer Science (CS) and Information Science (IS) students at the host institution learn structured C++ in the introductory course but are shifted to object-oriented C++ (CS) or Java (IS) in the second course. The speaker posits that this paradigm shift requires two key elements: (1) a firm problem-solving foundation must be built in the introductory course, and (2) students must be shown the utility of the object paradigm in systems development. This presentation will discuss the speaker's current approach to managing this transition. Lessons learned will be discussed, and examples of in-class activities, samples, tools, and lecture methodology will be explored.
Jeffrey A. Stone is currently an Instructor of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at Penn State University, Schuylkill. Dr. Stone holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science from Shippensburg University and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Penn State University. Prior to his work in academia, Dr. Stone was employed as a Software Developer for a global engineering firm. Dr. Stone has also held teaching appointments at Harrisburg Area Community College and Dickinson College. His research interests lie in the areas of Computer Science Education, K-12 Computing, and Public Policy & IT.
Host: Dennis Bahler, Computer Science, NCSU