A methodology for a unified ADT course
M. D. Evans · ACM SIGCSE Bulletin · 1995
"From an instructor's perspective (and also from the student's perspective) a course is rarely satisfying unless there is some 'big idea' that seems to hold the disparate elements together." [3,Pg.78]. This big idea is often lacking in a traditional introductory abstract data type (ADT) course, as students frequently perceive it to be a study of disjoint topics - a collection of ADTs. This paper proposes a context, indeed a methodology, for providing a unifying view of the topics and their significance, while suggesting an emphasis on the abstract nature, and design , of ADT's. Simultaneously, it supports a set of broad themes and recurring concepts which offer a unifying perspective on the pair of courses CS1 and CS2, and which establish fundamental ideas and skills pervasive throughout further studies in computing science.