Next: 1. An Overview of Computer Hardware and Software Systems
Preface
This web materials are written for the course of Basic Computing Concepts and Programming in C/C++ with Labs for the freshman students of Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science (IECS), Feng Chia University. In the past, this course is a two-semester course and is divided into two parts. The first part is called Introduction to Computer; the second part is called The Programming Laboratory.
Introduction to Computer is a three-credit-hour lecture course. The old course contents cover almost all areas of computer science and are intended to teach students basic knowledge in these areas. The areas range over computer organization, programming language, operating system, algorithm, database management system, network and data communication, artificial intelligence, theory of computation, etc. Each area is taught two to three weeks that it leads to a result only superficial, shallow, and somehow even misguiding. The Programming Laboratory is a one-credit-hour lab course. Programming in C is taught in this course. It is believed that a course of C programming can be taught in one credit hour. However, it is a difficult, if not an impossible, mission for teaching an entry programming course to computer science major freshmen in a one-credit-hour course.
A question to IECS freshman students was often asked in the first class meeting, "What do you expect to learn in the IECS Department?" The instructors were surprised at some of the replies. "I would like to learn how to use Mircrosoft Office." "I would like to learn how to design a web page." "I would like to learn how to use Maya to create game characters." "I would like to learn how to manage a computer network." So far so good. Students are eager to learn "computer." The students were told "We don't teach these subjects in the IECS Department."
It is the time to make changes. The first year IECS students should be mainly trained to do computer programming and only taught limited and necessary subjects of basic computing concepts. A subcommittee has been formed to study curriculum restructuring of the first computing course of the IECS Department. The subcommittee recommend this two-semester course for freshman students of the IECS Department. The first semester is to teach basic computing concepts and programming in C language. The second semester is to emphasize object-oriented concepts and programming in C++ language. This recommendation skips low-level materials, such as Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, FTP, e-mail, etc., for the students should prepare themselves for these application tools. Also, the recommendation postpones high-level materials, such as operating system, database management system, network and data communication, artificial intelligence, theory of computation, etc., for students will learn these subjects in advanced IECS courses.
The subcommittee of curriculum restructuring for the first computing course consists of committee members Prof. Chua-Huang Huang, Prof. Yi-Wen Wang, Prof. Wei-Bin Lee, Prof. Jyh-Ming Huang, Prof. De-Sheng Chen, Prof. Nien-Lin Hsueh, and Mr. Kuo-Kuei Lin.
Next: 1. An Overview of Computer Hardware and Software Systems