Dr. Ophir Frieder and Dr. David Grossman have completed a draft manuscript for an introductory book on Computer Science. The impulse behind this book is dissatisfaction with the way introductory... Show moreDr. Ophir Frieder and Dr. David Grossman have completed a draft manuscript for an introductory book on Computer Science. The impulse behind this book is dissatisfaction with the way introductory computer science is currently taught. To our knowledge, there has yet to exist a text that focuses on semantic and algorithmic issues, rather than purely syntactical. Most students get bogged down by the intricacies of the programming language itself, which hinders their problem solving development. This book, in contrast to its many predecessors, will use the Ruby programming language. The language offers some good pedagogical aspects and this is couple with the fact that it is also becoming extremely popular in industry (e.g. 37Signals, as featured in BusinessWeek). By using Ruby, the team aims to aid students in learning semantic and algorithmic issues rather than the syntactical problems they face when learning other languages such as C++ and Java. In Fall 2007, the IPRO developed problem sets with solutions for the book, improved its examples, and developed sidebars. This semester, the IPRO will focus on testing the book with students new to computer science Show less
