CS200 Course Improvement Survey

There are two course evaluation surveys you should do for CS200:

• Official SEAS Survey — This is the survey that will be used by the Deans and my Department Head to decide the future of CS200 and whether or not I should be fired. This survey should be returned to Evong Nham, who will deliver them to the SEAS Dean's office.
• This Course Improvement Survey — the official evaulation questions don't offer much help in improving the course. For that, you need lots of specific, direct questions. That's what this survey is. Your answers will help make future editions of CS200 better course. This survey should be returned to Evong Nham, who will deliver them to me.

Please answer as many questions as you want, as usefully as you can. This survey is designed so you can answer all the questions just by circling choices, but please feel free to write out your own answers if you don't like any of the provided choices. Recall that by signing the course pledge you promised:

I will provide useful feedback. I realize this is an evolving course and it is important that I let the course staff know what they need to improve the course. I will not wait until the end of the course to make the course staff aware of any problems. I will provide feedback either anonymously (using the course feedback form) or by contacting the course staff directly. I will fill out all course evaluation surveys honestly and thoroughly.

General Questions

For each statement, circle a choice to indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement.

1. Before taking CS200, I thought programming was fun.	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Not Sure	Agree	Strongly Agree
2. After taking CS200, I thought programming was fun.	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Not Sure	Agree	Strongly Agree
3. Before taking CS200, I expected to take more CS courses.	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Not Sure	Agree	Strongly Agree	Not applicable: I'm graduating
4. After taking CS200, I expect to take more CS courses.	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Not Sure	Agree	Strongly Agree	Not applicable: I'm graduating
5. I thought the time I spent on the problem sets was worthwhile.	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Not Sure	Agree	Strongly Agree
6. I thought the time I spent on the exams was worthwhile.	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Not Sure	Agree	Strongly Agree
7. I thought that the time I spent attending lectures was worthwhile.	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Not Sure	Agree	Strongly Agree

8. How many units should CS200 be worth?

2

3

3.5

4

5

9. How much reading from GEB should be required?	More than this year	Same as this year	Less than this year	None

10. Should the Abelson and Sussman be replaced with a book written for this class?

No, SICP is a great book

Maybe, if one exists

Yes, you need to write a new book

If you indicated a new book is needed, what should that book be like?

11. Problem Sets for future CS200 courses should involve?

More programming, less non-programming work

Simlar balance as this year

Less programming, more non-programming work

12. There should be:

More, shorter problem sets

Simlar number and size as this year

Fewer, longer problem sets

13. There should be:

Less content, slower pace

About the same

More content, faster pace

14. Which one of these topics should be cut to make room for new material or slower pacing (check as many as you want to remove):

____ BNF Grammars
____ Environment Diagrams
____ Quicksort
____ Lambda Calculus
____ PHP and SQL
____ Public-Key Cryptography

Problem Sets

For each problem set, indicate whether you think a similar problem set should be reused next year. If you have suggestions for what the changes should be, they are appreciated.

PS 1. Making Mosaics	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:
PS 2. Predicting Primaries	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:
PS 3. L-System Fractals	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:
PS 4. Lorenz Cipher	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:
PS 5. Wahoo! Auctions	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:
PS 6. Adventures	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:
PS 7. Building Web Communities	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:
PS 8. Dynamic Web Sites	Worst PS	Don't Use Again	Maybe reuse, needs major changes	Reuse with minor changes	Best PS
Comments:

Others

Have I done anything in this course that you found offensive?

Have you learned anything in this course that you expect to use over the summer?

Have you learned anything in this course that you expect to remember 10 years from now?

Do you have any comments about the Assistant Coaches? (Note: unlike the other questions, the responses to this question will not be made public, but will be conveyed to the ACs and used by me to help decide who should be asked to help in future classes.)

Any other suggestions for improving this course?