Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 5 sessions / week for 2 weeks, 1 hour / session

Labs: 5 sessions / week for 2 weeks, 2 hours / session

Course Description

This 6-unit P/D/F course will provide a gentle introduction to programming using Python for highly motivated students with little or no prior experience in programming computers over the first two weeks of IAP. The course will focus on planning and organizing programs, as well as the grammar of the Python programming language. Lectures will be interactive, featuring in-class exercises with lots of support from the course staff.

This class is designed to help prepare students for 6.01 Introduction to EECS I. 6.01 assumes some knowledge of Python upon entering; the course material for 6.189 has been specially designed to make sure that concepts important to 6.01 are covered.

Grading

This class is a fast-paced 10-day course. Attendance at every class session is required. Assignments will be due the following day at the beginning of lecture. Be sure to bring your completed assignment to lecture each day!

If all class sessions are attended and all assignments are handed in, you will receive a Pass for the course. There will be no formal exams, but a final evaluation will be given on the last day of class for you to personally assess your Python ability.

Textbook

The free textbook How to Think Like a Computer Scientist is fantastic, and detailed reading assignments are given in the Readings section.

Calendar