CSC 236 Data Structures
Berea College
CSC 236: Data Structures Website, Berea College
Dr. Jan Pearce
Berea College Fall 2025 Offering
Day 12: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Day 12: In class
- Possible peer-instruction question(s)
- Discussion of A06: Considering Diversity in Tech
- Questions on L3: Virtual Pets. The first milestone is due Friday.
- Complete and discuss T07: Measuring Algorithmic Efficiency.
Day 12: Outside of class
- Complete the first milestone of L3: Virtual Pets. Note that this requires a Google Doc submission into Moodle, so that is different from the other labs. The second milestone is due Monday.
Day 11: Monday, September 15, 2025
Day 11: In class
- Possible quiz on reading.
- Explanation of Exponentials and Logarithms
- Introduction of L3: Virtual Pets, possibly with a partner. The first milestone is due Friday.
- Begin T07: Measuring Algorithmic Efficiency.
Day 11: Outside of class
- Complete A06: Considering Diversity in Tech for Wednesday.
- Read L3: Virtual Pets, possibly find a partner and bring questions to class on Wednesday. The first milestone is due Friday.
Day 10: Friday, September 12, 2025
Day 10: In class
- Discuss A04: Videos and Blogs on Big O.
- Discuss L2: Bytes which is due Monday.
- Complete T06: Understanding OOP and ADTs.
Day 10: Outside of class
- Complete L2: Bytes. Don’t forget to submit the link to your repository in Moodle!
- Read Chapter 2 Reading on Big O and do all activities in preparation for a potential reading quiz. This is one of the most important topics in the entire course; you might try to find time to read it twice!
Day 9: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Day 9: In class
- Change partners
- Discuss A03: AI and Learning
- Questions on L2: Bytes. The second milestone is due Friday, and the full lab is due Monday.
- Begin T06: Understanding OOP and ADTs, which we will finish on Friday.
Day 9: Outside of class
- Complete milestone 2 of L2: Bytes by Friday, but the lab itself is not due until Monday.
- Complete A04: Videos and Blogs on Big O. Note that this is an introduction to the most and most conceptually difficult concept in the course. It is also due Friday.
Day 8: Monday, September 7, 2025
Day 8: In class
- Meme viewing! Followed by a discusion of A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA
- Questions on L2: Bytes. The second milestone is due Friday, and the full lab is due Monday.
- Complete and submit T05: Dice Rolls
Day 8: Outside of class
- Complete A03: AI and Learning. This is due Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 8 am.
- Try to complete a few of the methods in L2: Bytes by next time.
- If you have time, begin A04: Videos and Blogs on Big O. Note that this is an introduction to the most and most conceptually difficult concept in the course. It is due Friday, but so is the second lab milestone.
Day 7: Friday, September 5, 2025
Day 7: In class
- Art Show! Share your loopy graphics with the class.
- Introduction to L2: Bytes.
- Begin T05: Dice Rolls, which we will likely need to complete next time.
Day 7: Outside of class
- Begin L2: Bytes. This is an individual lab that has Milestone 1 due this coming Monday, the second milestone due Friday, and the full lab due on Monday, September 15.
- Complete A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA if you have not already done so. It is due Monday, September 8 at 8 am.
Day 6: Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Day 6: In class
- Possible peer instruction or quiz on OOP
- Discuss A02: OOP Principles.
- Discuss any questions on L1: Loopy Graphics with C-Turtle
- Complete T04: Fraction Class Understanding and Enhancement..
Day 6: Outside of class
- Complete L1: Loopy Graphics with C-Turtle by Friday at 8 AM, being sure to submit a link to your repository in Moodle.
- Complete T04: Fraction Class Understanding and Enhancement if you did not complete it in class today.
- At your very earliest convenience this week, complete A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA if you have not already done so. It has been posted a long time now. It is due
Friday, September 5Monday, September 8 at 8 am. PLEASE do NOT wait until the night before it is due because the assignment requires individual time with the TA, and there are only two TAs in the lab each night. They may not be able to accommodate everyone who waits until the last minute, and they have been instructed to give each student their full attention, so they will not be able to be rushed.
Day 5: Friday, August 29, 2025
Day 5: In class
- Discuss all questions posted on Slack in advance about Chapter 1 on OOP
- Possible quiz or peer instruction questions
- Discussion of reading on OOP principles and C-Turtle
- Art show! Share your ASCII art with the class.
- Introduction of L1: Loopy Graphics with C-Turtle
- Complete Teamwork T03: Debugging Techniques.
Day 5: Outside of class (There is no class on Monday, so these are due before class on Wednesday, September 5, 2025)
- Read L1: Loopy Graphics with C-Turtle and do the first milestone (due Wednesday). The final submission is due Friday.
- Read, complete, and submit A02: OOP Principles for Wednesday.
- At your earliest convenience, do A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA sooner rather than later. It is due Friday, September 5 at 8 am. Do not wait until the night before.
Day 4: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Day 4: In class
- Possible quiz or peer instruction question
- In Runestone change courses to BC_cppds2_F25. We have a reading out of this book for Friday.
- Questions on L0: ASCII-Art which is due Friday. (Reminders about escaping backslashes and quotes.)
- Demo of debugging in Visual Studio
- Begin Teamwork T03: Debugging Techniques. We will complete this on Friday.
- Work on L0: ASCII-Art.
Day 4: Outside of class
- Complete L0: ASCII-Art. The final submission is due on Friday.
- The next textbook reading is on object-oriented programming in C++ in the main textbook for the course. It is a bit longer than the readings in the transition book, and you may find it more conceptually challenging. Again, you will need to be logged in to Moodle to get credit for the reading. The reading is on the latter part of Chapter 1 in the Runestone book BC_cppds2_F25 and is due Friday, August 29 2025. See R04: Read 1.5, 1.6, and 1.12-1.15 plus questions. Note that the reading is only six sections of the first chapter plus questions.
- At your convenience, do A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA, which is due Friday, September 5 at 8 am. The TAs are eager to meet you.
Day 3: Monday, August 25, 2025
Day 3: In class
- Possible quiz or peer instruction question
- Discuss Teamwork T01: Visual Studio, Github, and ASCII Art
- Discuss L0: ASCII-Art which is due Friday, but the first milestone is due Wednesday. (Read the hints in the lab on escaping backslashes and quotes!)
- show primer on branches in Github
- Complete Teamwork T02: Collaboration via Branches with a partner in class.
Day 3: Outside of class
- Read Chapters 6, 7, and 8 in C++ for Python Programmers for a possible reading quiz next class. Be sure you are logged in and do all activities to get credit!
- Complete the first milestone for L0: ASCII-Art. The final submission is due on Friday.
- Fix any challenges you have had with the first two readings by going through Moodle. See your grades in Moodle and make them perfect by doing everything!
- At your convenience, do A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA, which is due Friday, September 5 at 8 am. The TAs are eager to meet you.
Day 2: Friday, August 22, 2025
Day 2: In class
- Debrief on data structures game
- Possible quiz or peer instruction question
- Debrief on installations, C++, the syllabus, and the AI policy in particular
- Watch Github Copilot in Visual Studio Community
- Discuss the implications for you as a student and as a future professional
- How did the sign-up for Github Student Developer Pack go? Note that it might take more time to get this, so don’t fret since we do not need Github Copilot and you are likely better off not using it for the first lab. You will need it for Lab L7, but there is plenty of time to get it before then.
- Discuss the first lab, L0: ASCII-Art
- Try to complete, then download, and submit Teamwork T01: Visual Studio, Github, and ASCII Art
Day 2: Outside of class (all due 8 am)
- Finish up and submit Teamwork T01: Visual Studio, Github, and ASCII Art which is due by 8 am on Monday, August 25, 2025.
- Read Chapters 3, 4,and 5 in C++ for Python Programmers for a potential reading quiz on Monday, August 25, 2025. Be sure you are logged in and do all activities to get credit!
- Begin L0: ASCII-Art. This is an individual Lab. The first milestone is due Wednesday, August 27, 2025. The final completion milestone of the lab is due Friday, August 29, 2025.
- At your convenience, do A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA, which is due Friday, September 5 at 8 am. The TAs are eager to meet you.
Day 1: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Day 1: In class
- Welcome!
- List all of the data structures you used in Python
- What is data structures about? And what is it NOT about?
- Read the first part of The Impact of AI on Computer Science Education
- Discussion of course: content, texts, syllabus, flow, other ideas
- Sign up for our first text: C++ for Python Programmers. Be sure to use (or make) the login from your Berea email and Berea username and then sign-up for the book BC_cpp4py_F25. (Note that the account you used in CSC 226 should be fine as long as the email address is your Berea College one.)
- Data structures game
Day 1: Outside of class:
- Complete A00:Getting Started and submit to Moodle by 8 am on Friday. Note that there are 6 tasks, some of which will take some time:
- Help us get to know you better
- Connect Data Structures to your career
- Set-up your Required IDE (this will take some time!)
- Read the syllabus to understand the course structure
- Read both Chapters 1 and 2 of C++ for Python Programmers and the course syllabus in preparation for a potential reading quiz.
- Introduce yourself to the class and the TAs on Slack
- An additional assignment has been posted with a much longer deadline. See A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA, which is due Friday, September 5 at 8 am. You can do this at any time before then. The TAs are eager to meet you. art of becoming a professional is learning to manage your time both effectively and efficiently. Assignments with longer deadlines like this are best to do at your earliest convenience, and part of becoming a professional is to learn to manage your own calendar. Mark your calendar for your best evening to go that is well before the deadline, so you are not held up by any procrastinators who have not yet learned to manage their calendars, so do everything at the very last minute.