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Comment area for Week of February 13

Just finished the first midterm!
Time to take stock of how the class is going.


I think that Java should be taught in CS 1315. I felt this class wnt a bit too fast with explaining Java and how it works.
REMOVEDge the grading policy. It's unfair that this class has no curve at all. Some people depend on the curve to pass classes here. It's not that these people are stupid or lazy, but its just the way Tech is. How else can someone explain how the highest grade in a class could be a 67 and that would be an A? Here a 67 is failing. Classes are too hard and don't have enough explanations to not be graded without a curve.
Well, I agree that the grading policy should be changed to include a curve, but not to that extent. A 67 should be a c, not an A. An A should be like 85 or above.
I want a retest policy that allows students to retake a test(or tests) based on a class average or something. But to help cut down on people who aren't serious about it, make the retest replace the first test grade AUTOMATICALLY. That way only people who know they can do better will take the test.
How many people take this class? According to the midterm grades, its less than 20. Is that even possible?
Actually it is 20 people in the class. Since 8+6+3+1=20, there are 20 people. But....what about all those 1315 students? Don't they need to take 1316 as well? What happened to them?
When 8 people out of 20 get A's, a curve would mean that FEWER people would get A's, not more. A curve means to fit the scores to a normal distribution, not to just give everyone higher grades. Not everyone requires 1316 – in fact, only CM requires it. Mark Guzdial
If you find Java hard here, why do you think it would be easier in 1315? Would you really want everyone, in their very first class, to deal with type declarations and public static void main? Mark Guzdial
Mmm. As far as I'm aware, the highest grade on this test was at least a few points higher than a 67.
And, as Mark points out, if anyone's "depending on the curve to pass classes," they'll be disappointed by these results–
the curve on this particular test would not have been very helpful...
I think it would have been better to learn Java in 1315 actually. Simply because it would have helped me to become more familar with a computer language that is commonly used and pretty useful. I just feel that all my Jython knowledge was wasted as I what I learned there can't really be applied to Java, and Jython/Python just doesn't seem to be a language that is used as often as Java. Plus, I'm pretty sure some people would rather be lost and confused the first month of their first class and then understand and build on their knowledge for the next two years than learn one language that's easier one year to throw it all away the next year. Besides, CS 1316 just feels like "CS 1315 in Java" right now.
You raise good points. We picked Python for 1315 because it is a real language – check out ads at Google, where they actively recruit Python programmers. (If you're interested in our whole process of picking Python, check out http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-plan/uploads/37/designing-non-major-CS1-v6.pdf). You're actually not "throwing away" your knowledge of Python. Java would be a lot harder without starting with Python – we know this from when we used to teach Scheme in the first class and learning Java became just as hard to start over. Yes, the first four weeks of 1316 is "CS1315 in Java" on purpose, but I hope that you're recognizing that we didn't do linked lists and trees in CS1315. Mark Guzdial
Um, how can CM require CS 1316? I know a lot of CM majors who started out in CS 1321, which is suppose to be above CS 1316 as my advisor told me. I took the CS 1315-1316 route to CS 1322 because I was very bad at programming. So I should have taken CS 1321 but didn't. So the CM people who have taken CS 1321 have to take CS 1316 as well? I'm lost.
If you start in CS1321 with CM, you go on to CS1322. If you start in CS1315 with CM, you need to take CS1316 before going on to CS1322. BTW, this is the last semester CS1321 and CS1322 will be taught. In the Fall, we'll instead be teaching CS1301, 1331, and 1332. CS1316 will feed into CS1331. Mark Guzdial
I think the class needs to go a little slower. To be an easy CS class, this class is not easy.
The last comments page suggested that the class is too slow. 8/20 A's on the midterm suggests that it's not going too fast. You may need to spend a little more time studying outside of class, or coming to see me at office hours to ask questions. Manabu said that only four people came to recitation the Monday before the Midterm – if it's going too fast, I'd expect more people to be seeking help. Mark Guzdial
There is no such thing as an EASY class at Georgia Tech. It's Georgia Tech.
If you take CS 1315 and don't switch majors(or fail the class), then you would have to take CS 1316 next, right? I mean, in 1315, there was at least 100 people total, so why is it only 1/4 of that amount in 1316?
Most majors that require CS1315 (like Architecture and Management) do not also require CS1316. Mark Guzdial
Could you put and extra credit question or two on the next test? Nothing major, just 3-5 points worth.
Definitely worth considering – thanks for the suggestion! Mark Guzdial
I was wondering if you can do any kind of 3-D modeling in Java? I'm just curious.
Link! He come to town, hw come to save the princess Zeldaaaa! Gannon took her away, now the children don't play, but they will when Link save the day!
Absolutely – there is a Java 3-D package and a package makes OpenGL accessible from Java. Take a look at http://www.alice.org – that's all done with Java and Jython. Mark Guzdial


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