Python as first language

CREATED: 200704051519 The choice of the first programming language to introduce computer science concepts has always been a hotly debated topic. In SoC, we offer a choice of either Scheme (CS1101S) or Java (CS1101), the second programming course which focuses on data structures and algorithms is taught in Java only. Recently I’ve read a couple of articles (Zelle 1999, Chou 2002) which prompted me to look at this issue again.

• CS2103 is in Java, early exposure helps students to cope with idiosyncrasies of the languag
• CS3215 is in C++ or C#

http://www.shlomifish.org/philosophy/computers/education/introductory-language/ http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2000/06/02/magazine/python_first_language.html http://mcsp.wartburg.edu/zelle/python/

Zelle1999 Python as a First Language http://mcsp.wartburg.edu/zelle/python/python-first.html

Chou2002 Algorithm Education in Python http://www.ece.uci.edu/~chou/py02/python.html

Radenski2006 “Python First”: A Lab-Based Digital Introduction to Computer Science http://www1.chapman.edu/~radenski/research/abstracts/python-iticse06.html