CSC 236 Data Structures
Berea College
CSC 236: Data Structures Website, Berea College
Dr. Jan Pearce
Berea College Fall 2026 Offering
Day 4: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Day 4: In class
- Possible quiz or peer instruction question on reading
- Discuss Runestone readings and quizzes and how to maximize your points.
- Runestone logs everything you do in Runestone, and the TAs and I can view the logs. I am sure none of you would do this but lying about what you did or when you did it will not work since the platform has been tested by tens of thousands of students for more than a decade and is very robust.
- You must go though the Moodle link for readings to get full credit.
- For quizzes, you must go through the Moodle link and cannot leave the page or refresh. If you do either, you will get a zero. If you have a problem, you need to communicate in real-time. Telling me after the fact will not suffice - you need to show me the problem.
- Discuss Teamwork T02: Debugging Techniques. What did you learn about debuggers? Did you identify the problem in the code using the debugger?
- In Moodle click to add the main book bc_cppds2_f26. We will have a quiz on the reading out of this book on Monday.
- Questions on L0: ASCII-Art which is due Friday. (Reminders about escaping backslashes and quotes.)
- Complete Teamwork T03: Collaboration via Branches with a partner in class. Be sure to go slowly and carefully, and ask questions if you are unsure. This is a new skill for some of you and a new IDE for most of you.
- Work on L0: ASCII-Art.
Day 4: Outside of class
- Complete L0: ASCII-Art. The final submission is due on Monday.
- 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_f26 and is due Monday. 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 Wednesday, September 2 at Noon. The TAs are eager to meet you.
Day 3: Monday, August 24, 2026
Day 3: In class
- Possible quiz or peer instruction question
- Discuss any challenges with Teamwork T01: Visual Studio, Github, and ASCII Art
- Discuss L0: ASCII-Art which is due on Friday, but the first milestone is due Wednesday. (Be sure to read the hints in the lab on escaping backslashes and quotes!)
- Complete Teamwork T02: Debugging Techniques in class today.
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 go through Moodle and do all the exercises 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, Wednesday, September 2 at noon. The TAs are eager to meet you.
Day 2: Friday, August 21, 2026
Day 2: In class
- Debrief on homework and reading. Remember that I give participation points for doing the reading on-time in preparation for class, and the additional questions by noon. (If you do not currently have full credit, be sure to redo it by next time. If the future, I will not give participation credit for students are do not complete it by noon because I need to see where there were challenges. Late participation credit is not awarded.)
- Possible short quiz on reading R01.
- Debrief on installations, C++, the syllabus, and the AI policy in particular
- 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 - just be sure to work on it soon.
- Discuss the first lab, L0: ASCII-Art
- Work to complete, then download, and submit Teamwork T01: Visual Studio, Github, and ASCII Art. It is due by noon on Monday.
Day 2: Outside of class
- Be sure to complete and submit [Teamwork T01: Visual Studio, Github, and ASCII Art] by noon on Monday.
- Read Chapters 3, 4,and 5 in C++ for Python Programmers for a potential reading quiz on Monday. Be sure to go through the Moodle link to get full credit. Due at noon on Monday.
- Read L0: ASCII-Art. This is an individual Lab. The first milestone is due Monday, August 26 at noon. The final completion milestone of the lab is due Friday, August 28 at noon.
- Don’t procrastinate on A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA, which is due Wednesday, September 2 at noon. You can do this at any time before then, but it is best to schedule it at your convenience rather than waiting until the last minute.
Day 1: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
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-f26. (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: (Note: all assignments in this course are due by noon on the due date unless otherwise specified.)
- Complete A00:Getting Started and submit to Moodle by noon 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
- Going through the link in Moodle, read both Chapters 1 and 2 of C++ for Python Programmers and the course syllabus and do all activities in preparation for a potential reading quiz. Note that if you do not go through the link to the book, not only will you not get participation points, butyou will not be able to do the activities and will not be adequately prepared for the reading quiz.
- Introduce yourself to the class and the TAs on Slack
- An additional assignment has been posted with a longer deadline. See A01: Interview with a CSC 236 TA, which is due Wednesday, September 2 at noon. You can currently do this at any time before then, but I may set up a schedule if too many people procrastinate. The TAs are eager to meet you. Part 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, and who do everything at the very last minute.