Thread: Study Aides

  1. #1
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    Study Aides

    Hi All,

    I have been tasked with the job of creating some simple study aides for students in a first year introductory procedural programming course (where C is the language of choice).

    The course covers the following content
    - Variables, operators, and expressions
    - Functions
    - Program flow control
    - Pointers
    - Data structures (i.e., arrays and structs)

    So far I have created quite a few study aides covering
    - the basics of how expressions evaluate
    - converting mathematical formulae into C expressions (the
    lecturer is pretty heavy with this sort of stuff)
    - working with arrays (searching, sorting, calculating averages,
    etc)
    - some basic usage of structs and arrays of structs

    However, I have now reached the point where I am running out of ideas. So I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide some suggestions as to what else I could work on. Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated.

    Best Regards
    Bidski

  2. #2
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    You need to include a section for strings and file I/O

    You could look into something like linked lists or Embedded programming: However, I think that you may run out of time for the Semester
    Fact - Beethoven wrote his first symphony in C

  3. #3
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    I second Click_here's observation that this is quite a heavy course load!

    Have you thought about specific programming assignments on these topics? You can read about programming until you're blue in the face, but the only way to truly learn is by doing. If you haven't already, I'd suggest making a list of programs and "challenges" for the students to write, based on the theory they learn.

    If you make the assignments unique enough, you'll be able to log in here and find the students that are begging for answers.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Click_here View Post
    You need to include a section for strings and file I/O

    You could look into something like linked lists or Embedded programming: However, I think that you may run out of time for the Semester
    Hmmm strings and files. I have used them in some of the other study aides that I made but I haven't done anything specifically for them. Thats a good idea. Thanks.

    Embedded programming is too far out of the scope of the course and there is another course offered that is specifically for data structures (a C++ course) so I am steering clear of data structures entirely.

    Thanks again.
    Bidski

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matticus View Post
    Have you thought about specific programming assignments on these topics? You can read about programming until you're blue in the face, but the only way to truly learn is by doing. If you haven't already, I'd suggest making a list of programs and "challenges" for the students to write, based on the theory they learn.
    I have thought about assignment style study aides, both to give the lecturer for things to work with and for use as study aides. Haven't managed to dream up something that is within the scope of the couse yet though.

    You think thats a heavy course load? Its a 12 week course and what I posted in only 8 weeks of it ....

  6. #6
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    Most of this stuff looks like it should go any any C primer.

    For experience, the subject that causes most problems is pointers, partly because of the fact that * is used in both declaration and dereferencing, partly because it's actually hard to come up with a few line example where pointers to single basic types are useful.

    I suggest you take a look at Basic Algorithms. The later chapters will be too advanced. But the earlier ones contain and introduction to simple data structures, and also the basics of specifying functions.
    I'm the author of MiniBasic: How to write a script interpreter and Basic Algorithms
    Visit my website for lots of associated C programming resources.
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