Online Student Ratings Report
Period:Fall 2011
Instructor: McCarthy, Jay A (075667467)
Course:C S 142-004: Intro to Computer Programming

Page 1

Responses/Enrolled:
College:
Department:

35 / 70 = 50%
Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Computer Science

Instructor Below Overall Instructor Above Overall

CourseAmount learned
Materials & activities
effective
Well organized

Std
Dev

Sect Crse Mean Dept Mean Coll Mean Univ Mean
Mean Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/
Overall
Overall
Overall
Overall

VSD SD(1) (2)

D SwD SwA A(3) (4) (5) (6)SA VSA NR Resp
(7) (8)Rate

1.39

6.6 6.6 / 6.7 6.9 / 6.8 6.9 / 6.4 6.9 / 6.7

0

0

2

0

4

7

9

11

2 47%

1.59

6.3 6.3 / 6.3 6.4 / 6.5 6.4 / 6.2 6.4 / 6.6

0

1

2

2

2

8

11

7

2 47%

1.33

6.3 6.3 / 6.3 6.5 / 6.4 6.5 / 6.5 6.5 / 6.7

0

1

1

1

1

11 13

4

3 46%

Evaluations goodmeasures of learning

1.99

4.7 4.7 / 6.0 4.6 / 6.2 4.6 / 5.9 4.6 / 6.3

3

3

3

2

10

6

4

2

2 47%

Grading procedures
fair

2.12

5.1 5.1 / 6.4 4.9 / 6.5 4.9 / 6.3 4.9 / 6.6

4

2

1

3

5

9

7

2

2 47%

Intellectual skills
developed

1.82

6.3 6.3 / 6.8 6.6 / 6.8 6.6 / 6.4 6.6 / 6.5

1

1

1

1

5

3

11

9

3 46%

Testimonystrengthened

1.76

5.0 5.0 / 5.3 5.4 / 5.8 5.4 / 5.7 5.4 / 6.4

2

3

1

1

10 11

3

1

3 46%

Hours spent in class

Valuable time in class

0.53

2.8 2.8 / 2.8 2.9 / 2.9 2.9 / 3.3 2.9 / 2.8

47%

Std
Dev

Sect Crse Mean Dept Mean Coll Mean Univ Mean
Mean Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/
Overall
Overall
Overall
Overall

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% NR Resp(0) (10) (20) (30) (40) (50) (60) (70) (80) (90) (100)Rate28.76 70.9 70.9/60.975.3/71.475.3/74.975.3/81.2 0

Hours spent out ofclass

4.18 10.1 10.1/ 8.1 9.7 / 7.5 9.7 / 5.2 9.7 / 3.7

Valuable time out ofclass

25.85 59.4 59.4/75.366.6/79.366.6/79.166.6/80.8 0

1

4

2

0

1

1

4

6

8

6

0 47%
47%

2

3

3

0

5

4

4

7

4

1

0 47%

Instructor

Std
Dev

Sect Crse Mean Dept Mean Coll Mean Univ Mean
Mean Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/
Overall
Overall
Overall
Overall

VSD SD(1) (2)

D SwD SwA A(3) (4) (5) (6)SA VSA NR Resp
(7) (8)Rate

Interest in student
learning

1.45

6.9 6.9 / 7.1 6.8 / 7.2 6.8 / 6.8 6.8 / 7.1

1

0

0

1

0

9

8

14

2 47%

Opportunities to get
help

0.97

7.4 7.4 / 6.9 7.3 / 7.0 7.3 / 6.7 7.3 / 6.9

0

0

0

0

3

2

7

21

2 47%

Active student
involvement

1.14

6.5 6.5 / 6.8 6.6 / 6.9 6.6 / 6.5 6.6 / 6.9

0

0

1

1

1

14

9

6

3 46%

0.97

7.2 7.2 / 6.5 7.1 / 6.5 7.1 / 6.2 7.1 / 6.5

0

0

0

0

3

3

11 15

3 46%

Prompt feedback
Useful feedback

1.80

5.4 5.4 / 6.1 5.4 / 6.3 5.4 / 6.1 5.4 / 6.4

1

3

2

1

7

10

7

2

2 47%

Responded to
students respectfully

1.77

5.5 5.5 / 6.8 5.5 / 7.0 5.5 / 6.8 5.5 / 7.0

1

1

4

2

5

10

7

3

2 47%

Explained concepts
effectively

1.65

5.9 5.9 / 6.1 6.1 / 6.5 6.1 / 6.3 6.1 / 6.7

1

1

2

1

3

12 10

3

2 47%

Integrates gospel into
subject

1.65

5.2 5.2 / 5.8 5.6 / 6.4 5.6 / 6.2 5.6 / 6.7

2

1

1

4

9

10

5

1

2 47%

1.76

5.5 5.5 / 6.2 5.9 / 6.6 5.9 / 6.3 5.9 / 6.8

2

0

3

1

6

10

8

2

3 46%

Std
Dev

Sect Crse Mean Dept Mean Coll Mean Univ Mean
Mean Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/
Overall
Overall
Overall
Overall

EP
(1)

VP
(2)

P
(3)

SP
(4)

SG
(5)

G
(6)

VG
(7)

EG
(8)

NR RespRate

1.30

6.1 6.1 / 6.2 6.4 / 6.5 6.4 / 6.2 6.4 / 6.7

0

1

1

1

5

11 12

2

2 47%

1.90

6.0 6.0 / 6.4 6.3 / 6.8 6.3 / 6.6 6.3 / 6.9

1

2

2

1

1

11

7

2 47%

BYU Aims

Std
Dev

Sect Crse Mean Dept Mean Coll Mean Univ Mean
Mean Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/
Overall
Overall
Overall
Overall

VSD SD(1) (2)

D SwD SwA A(3) (4) (5) (6)SA VSA NR Resp
(7) (8)Rate

Contributed to BYU
Aims

1.49

6.0 6.0 / 6.5 6.3 / 6.8 6.3 / 6.6 6.3 / 6.9

1

1

10

Comments

Std
Dev

Sect Crse Mean Dept Mean Coll Mean Univ Mean
Mean Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/ Instructor/
Overall
Overall
Overall
Overall

Spiritually inspiring

Overall
Overall Course
Overall Instructor

Comments

0

1

7

9

8

4

2 47%

23%

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C S 142-004 Fall 2011 - Comments
Responses: 16 Total
I was already a programmer before I took this class, so all of my answers will bebiased. I only took this class because it was required for me (I'm a CS major), and I
didn't know C++ yet (or Java. I think when I signed up for it it still said it was Java.
Not that I care or anything).
That said:
I didn't like this class. It was probably my least favorite this semester. I did not likethe way the course was organized and the order things were taught in. It made it sothat I had to program things in ways that were completely diﬀerent from how I
would normally do them. I found the "design process" to be EXTREMELY annoying. I
would often (usually) see what I thought was the simple answer to the problem, but
I would still have to write out the screenful of comments to go with the one line ofcode. That design process is not how I have ever programmed before, but I had towrite the whole thing out so that could get the grade.
I also found the grading policies extremely annoying. I could miss two of the mostinconsequential things and get a zero on an exercise. The program would work justﬁne of course, but I forgot two lines of comments somewhere. On assignment 2(immediately before the "allow one mistake" rule was implemented, I forgot, inevery exercise, literally the simplest, most meaningless comment in the entire thing.
I think I forgot to state that I was generalizing two return statements. I had both ofthem there, and the generalized one was there and correct, I had just for gotten to
speciﬁcally STATE that that's what I was doing. It couldn't have been more obvious
and still not had a comment.
While I think that in general Jay did a very good job with being open for help andquestions, in class, having oﬃce hours, TAs, a mailing list, and an IRC chat, there
were several times when I felt that his responses were not very good, both to me
and to other people. One choice example of this is when I asked him a question andhe gave a response that I did not think applied to the situation in question. I
explained it further to him, and he ignored my explanation, insisting I was wrong.
Three times. I did eventually ﬁgure out what his problem with it was, but not after
failing that assignment. There was one time when I asked Jay a question about anassignment that I then got a very bad grade on. I honestly believe (and I have myreasons) that had I not asked that question, I would have done signiﬁcantly betteron the assignment.
Also, a link to LMGTFY is just about the most condescending way to answer aquestion. While sometimes the questions people ask are indeed simple and theyshould be able to ﬁgure it out on their own, it isn't really that hard to just answer it
and then point out that they could have and should in the future ﬁnd it themselves.

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One last thing: void. Void functions, or rather the lack of them, was one of my pet
peeves about this class. Teach them sooner. Like, right when you're teaching
functions. They're really simple and easy to understand, and would have saved just alittle bit of work and annoyance for me. "void show()" would have been incredibly
useful. I found it annoying to compile the program and have it warn me that I forgot
to "return 0;" from my show function.
So yeah. Could have used less "design process", fairer grading, morestraightforward and respectful responses, and sooner voids.
That is all. (Well, probably not, but I'm sick of typing; I'm a programmer.)
There was a bit of a learning curve in knowing not just what you wanted us to do,but how you wanted us to do it. Initially I got very few assignments correct the ﬁrst
time. Perhaps you could make it clear from the get-go the format that is required forfull credit (ie. template, substitution, examples, etc). For example, at the beginningof the semester, I didn't know substitution was required for EVERY exercise, so I
only did it for one. Others have been confused on what is required for examples andtest cases fairly far into the semester.
Although everything you expect can be found somewhere on the website, it is notalways initially apparent. Maybe a more thorough explanation could help, although I
do appreciate how you take time to cover the new process of substitution, examples,
etc when you introduce new concepts and processes.
Jay McCarthy is a wonderful teacher, but a horrible giver of feedback. On his
website he teaches that a good programmer will use tools such as google to learn
how to program. Despite this, I received 0 credit on more than half of myassignments because I was "using features of C++ not covered in class". The
programs worked, and I learned how to program, but because I went above andbeyond the expectations of class I received a failing grade. Whenever I asked forhelp in class the teacher was quick to ridicule me. When I asked for speciﬁc help herefused. Even if your programs work, you will only receive any credit for them ifthey were produced through the same logic as the teacher; otherwise you get a zero.
I have never been so frustrated with a class as I have with this one.
Lectures Good. Attentiveness Good. Grading needs to be looked at again.
I feel that this course really helped me to learn about programming, however, I also
felt that I would have understood some concepts better had I not spent so muchtime on assignments - I spent an average of ﬁfteen hours a week on my homework,and some of this time proved fruitless, as I would come out of it with a poor gradeon the assignment.
This was the most time-intensive three credit class I have taken at BYU – perhaps
even more than my four credit class, Math 113.
Having never programmed before, however, I learned a great deal this semester, in

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part because of the amount of time we spent every week. It was a diﬃcult class, but
this diﬃculty helped me to understand these basic concepts.
I have never had a professor oﬀer so much of his time to helping us in ourclasswork; Jay was remarkable in that respect. I found, however, that face-to-face
discussion was the most eﬀective way for me to understand my problems in myhomework. It was diﬃcult to understand that on the chat room, but that is because
it is the medium, not the communication.
All in all, an excellent class. I will recommend it to future students, as long as they
understand the time commitment they need in order to succeed in the class.
It was great learning experience in this course with this instructor. I wish I had did
my assignments consistently and diligently from the beginning. You can get a really
good score in this class. The instructor does provide you with the opportunities to do
so.
I've learned so much in this class. It's amazing. It takes a lot of time, however, andmy other classes have suﬀered. I spend anywhere from 15-30 hours a week onhomework, usually closer to 30. The reason it takes so long is mostly because of thecomments that are required in each assignment. I can usually get all my programs
running in a few hours, but the documentation takes about 3-4 times longer thanwriting the code itself.
Jay, however, is phenomenal. he responds to emails nearly instantly, he has longoﬃce hours, and he records class. The grading system is extremely fair, there is a
lot of extra credit available.
This was a wonderful class. The material we covered was very challenging for the
majority of the class and the time outside class was much higher than I've ever had
in a 3 credit course. However, I do think it was all eﬀective. So I don't havecomplaints about the course, but I don't feel like it's really a 3 credit hour class,more like 4 credit hour. I wish I'd had a way to know at the beginning of thesemester how much time would be required so I could have adjusted my schedule toallow for it.
The professor was excellent. He's incredibly smart and more willing to help students
than teachers usually are. He also did a good job of introducing concepts in classwhen he had time to. Sometimes I wish he'd maybe spent just a little more time
introducing the later concepts because I started to have trouble understanding
conceptually on the last couple.
The course required multiple hours of homework per homework assignment. This
would not be a problem if the instructor were to provide easy to understandinformation. Often, I would sit in class and listen to the lecture and not understand asingle word of it. I believe the instructor would beneﬁt much if he were to somehow
integrate student participation in the lectures, rather than making it seem like an

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online class where only he talks.
Extremely eﬀective at teaching programming concepts, very poor at evaluating how
well they were mastered.
Prof McCarthy was such a great teacher. I learned so much from him, but from theamount of time that I spent on the homework in this class should make this class a 4
credit class.
Probably the worst class I've taken at byu so far. The class itself is very good, I justfelt Jay did a very poor job in the course. There were a few pros: I liked how weturned in our assignments through the schizo server, rather than by email. I also likethe organization of the materials, so you knew exactly what you needed to do. He
was very quick to respond, which was good.
However, there were many things that needed to be changed. The grading policies
were terrible: you cannot grade people on multiple things within the assignment,
and still do an "all or nothing" grade. The grading either needs to give partial credit,or the policy needs to change so that if your programs work, you get full credit.
Partial credit would be the most obviously beneﬁcial, as it allows students to see
what they need to work on, but at the same time be able to get credit for the things
they did right. It does take more time to do it this way, but I feel like if you get 75%of the material correct, you should get the beneﬁt of the doubt and get either 75%(partial credit), or 100%, but certainly not 0% just because you messed up on acouple of your comments. It's very frustrating to spend 2 hours on getting a
program to work like it should, feeling very happy in seeing that it does, but thenbeing shut down by getting a zero for something as basic as missing a couple points
in substitution or the template. It certainly doesn't make you want to spend the timeto program, because you know that it's very likely you made a little mistake that willthrow all of your eﬀorts down the drain.
I also feel that Jay needs to take more time to be courteous to people's inquiries, andgive much better feedback. "Incorrect template, incorrect substitution" doesn't help
anyone. Even when asking for an explanation, often you simply get a one line
feedback saying "this part makes no sense" without explaining why it makes nosense. He often comes about as being very rude when giving feedback, rather thantrying to be polite and actually show a genuine interest in spending time to help
them, rather than brushing aside their questions with a one line comment that
doesn't help anyone.
Jay is a pretty entertaining guy, and I feel like he could be a very good teacher, hejust needs to change some of his policies and show a little more respect to his
students, and then I think the course would be good.
Jay was very eﬀective at slowly unfolding new information so that everyone could
understand, and he was always available to help, whether through email, phone, or
the online chat. Perhaps because of that, I felt that he was sometimes a little short

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with students and their questions. I also felt that if I didn't ask my questions justright, I wouldn't get the help I was looking for, but an explanation on why myquestion didn't make sense, which can be frustrating to someone who is reallyhaving a hard time with the technicality of programming. However, overall, I amvery pleased with the organization and teaching in this course, and I felt that I didlearn what was outlined in the course objectives.
It was a really diﬃcult course for me. I felt like the homework load was abnormallyhuge, but the teacher was very willing to help in any way possible and spent a lot oftime helping me to do my best.
Class time and lectures were not very helpful. The most useful part was putting thecode up on the website. The lectures were always the same. I understand that
programming is monotonous, but there must be some way to teach the material sothat the students can be involved--or at least interested. I felt disconnected from theclass as a whole and from the teacher, although he was very helpful when asked.
I liked that the entire grade was based on assignments and that there were no
exams.
The assignments were often diﬃcult because they felt completely diﬀerent fromwhat we did in class. I would try to pay attention during lecture, only to be utterly
unable to even understand the assignment.
I appreciated that the instructor was willing to change his grading procedure in the
middle of the course (allowing for small errors). That deﬁnitely took a burden oﬀ ourshoulders.
I don't like starting mutation near the end of the semester. It is a very diﬃcult topic,
and since my grade is high enough to miss a few assignments, I just haven't been
bothering to learn it. Also, at the beginning of the semester, I was depressed withthe ﬁrst few assignments. I have never done any programming before, I wascompletely confused, and I felt like nothing we learned in class made any sense atall. Maybe there is some better way to introduce programming in general? Please
remember that there are students who come in with zero programming/computer ingeneral experience.
The best part of this class was the abundant opportunities to get help. I liked that, if
you were willing to go get help, you could. Sometimes, though, the TAs would help
in ways that you would grade wrong.
On a more superﬁcial level, I didn't like that the professor wanted to be referred toby his ﬁrst name instead of as a professor (i.e., "Jay" instead of "Professor/Dr.
McCarthy"). It's a little thing, but it helps to keep that relationship more
professional.
Overall, grading the instructor, I would say that he is very dedicated and intelligent,

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an excellent programmer, but still working on his skills as a teacher.
The course overall was very frustrating.

12/31/2011 08:34 AM

Instructor Name:
Course Name:
Response Rate:

Jay McCarthy
C S 142 Sec-004
42/96
44%

I am learning a great deal in this course.
Average Rating

6.5/8.0

Very Strongly Agree:
Strongly Agree:
Agree:
Somewhat Agree:
Somewhat Disagree:
Disagree:Strongly Disagree:
Very Strongly Disagree:

Response
Count
11
13
9
7
1
0
1
0

Response
Rate(%)
26%
31%
21%
17%
2%
0%
2%
0%

Course materials and learning activities are effective in helping me learn.
Average Rating

6.3/8.0

Very Strongly Agree:
Strongly Agree:
Agree:
Somewhat Agree:
Somewhat Disagree:
Disagree:Strongly Disagree:
Very Strongly Disagree:

Response
Count
8
13
10
8
2
1
0
0

Response
Rate(%)
19%
31%
24%
19%
5%
2%
0%
0%

This course is helping me develop intellectual skills (such as critical thinking,analytical reasoning, integration of knowledge).
Average Rating

6.5/8.0

Very Strongly Agree:
Strongly Agree:
Agree:
Somewhat Agree:
Somewhat Disagree:

Response
Count
13
9
12
5
1

Response
Rate(%)
31%
21%
29%
12%
2%

Disagree:
Strongly Disagree:
Very Strongly Disagree:

1
0
1

2%
0%
2%

The instructor shows genuine interest in students and their learning.
Average Rating

7.4/8.0

Very Strongly Agree:
Strongly Agree:
Agree:
Somewhat Agree:
Somewhat Disagree:
Disagree:Strongly Disagree:
Very Strongly Disagree:

Response
Count
25
10
6
1
0
0
0
0

Response
Rate(%)
60%
24%
14%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%

What is going well in class? What contributes most to your learning?
Lectures are very effective. If I participate and pay attention the whole time, the lectures should
cover all of the work outside of class.
The examples he gives in class, and getting help from him and the TA's.
The availability of help, on the chatroom, the google group, ta office and opportunity to call Jay.
Also the instruction and examples in lecture help for understanding.
Jay is a very engaging instructor. He explains concepts very well, and showing them on the power
point is very helpful.
The class is funny, and we can review the classes using the videos he makes of the class.
Jay willingly answers every question emailed, or chatted, or voiced in class that is posed at him.
Quickly too. He is always willing to help, and never simply passes it off to a T.A.
I think that when you explain everything that you are doing when its first introduced, i learn the most.
I like that I can approach jay at just about any time. He's super helpful. Generally speaking, I get
the TAs to look over my code when I'm having trouble. Then when I think I've done a good job, I
take the project to Jay. He then tells me what I've done wrong as far as the process is concerned.
It works out quite well.
I find it helpful to have access to the screen codes/recordings post-lecture. Also, having theprofessor and TAs always willing to help makes overcoming challenges posed in the homework
much less daunting.
I like the fact that you try to make it entertaining and try to make sure people with no experience canlearn.

Jay explains things well in terms that everyone can understand. He goes through the design
process slowly and step by step.
I have found watching Jay's lectures and being able to go back and re-watch / review what wasdone extremely helpful. There is always someone either in an office or online to help when errors
arise. The humor keeps a good atmosphere.
Jay has a good sense of humor, which keeps the class attentive and awake. Also, he shows
examples on the screen of everything he talks about. This helps us visualize the processes we'relearning.
I do like seeing the coding being done. It is very helpful to see real life problems instead of justtalking about what we "should" be doing.
I really like the videos. I think Jay does a very good job and explaining things. And he's really good
and transitioning through his lessons and well as making them fun and interesting.
I enjoy the class very much. Jay McCarthy is a wonderful teacher and i love his style of teaching. I
especially like that everything he does in class is accessible online.
The things that are going well for me in this class are the way that Prof. McCarthy shows the classthe information. He presents it in a way that allows all of the class to view it at once, and explains it
well. The thing that contributes most to my personal learning is the fact that he lets the class view
what we went over that class period.
I like that we are not only learning how to program but also to make a readable program. So thatanyone, even I, could look at the code and understand what I intended to do.
I enjoy the format of the lectures.
I appreciate the way that Jay explains things in this class. I appreciate that he provides a forum forstudents to provide feedback, ask questions, and get responses and answers from himself, the TAs,
and from other students. He teaches to our needs and makes an effort to teach us programming insuch a way that we will understand the principles and skills required to be effective programmers
instead of just teaching us shortcuts and tricks that bypass actual programming. He is very available
to us to help us--very appreciated it.
The teacher explains the main points of each lecture very clearly. He keeps it entertaining andengaging and emphasizes learning the proper use of the material, not just rote memorization.
The things that helps me learn the most and I enjoy the most are way Jay teaches the class as if
everyone in it is brand new to programming, which I am. He helps me learn not just how to program
something but how the program will run so when we get to harder things I know the steps. It is also
really helpful that if we have any questions Jay is usually very available and cares about each of us.
Lectures are helpful. Jay keeps it fun. I learn most from the code Jay shows in class. I appreciatethat Jay takes time to answer everyone's questions (both in class and via email).
Writing down the code and providing a screenshot of the code.

I like the teaching style. I think that it is good for beginners. I like that we're encouraged to think
through the problem so that we are able to do it ourselves.
Jay teaches things very clearly and makes sure that we understand some of the concepts behind
C++ as well. He also is very concerned with how our thought processes are when we tackle thehomework assignments. From what I can see so far, he clearly is preparing us for the time when weneed to start making paper prototypes and outlines for our programs. He also has made theenvironment fun and interactive instead of him lecturing on components of C++.
He is able to keep the classes attention very well and he does it in a creative way that I've neverseen before and I really like it. He really tries to help us understand how to program C++ while
making it a simple as possible to keep everyone on the same level. He has provided many different
sources that we can look towards to find what information we need to do our assignments and I
think the best of these items is the class recordings because we can always go back and take thatday again and get a very good refresher course.
Jay is willing to spend extra hours to help us get the material
The attitude of the professor (Jay) is always great, having the lectures recorded also helps.
The whole learning atmosphere of the class is very laid back which makes it easy to learn thematerial. I enjoy the class and also gain a lot from it. This is a rare quality for a class in my opinion.
The explanations and the step by step development process taught in writing the programs
He teaches us what we need for the programs that are due. He does it in a very simple way so thateveryone understands. He also is very enjoyable to listen to he doesn't just drag on but makes itinteresting. He is very good at answering questions and making sure everyone is happy and getting
what they want.
I really really like how available Jay has made himself. It reduces the stress so much to know that i
can usually get an answer in just a few minutes when I am stuck
Doing assignments
I love the atmosphere in the class. It makes it very comfortable. This class is, honestly, one of themost enjoyable classes I have. This makes it easier to pay attention, because I'm focusing on
something that I can enjoy rather than something I hate.
I appreciate Jay's efforts to make sure we take time to learn these steps on our own so that we
retain these basic programming principles more. I am also grateful for his extensive hours for us tobe contact him with help â€“ that is wonderful!
I appreciate that Jay "pretends" to not know programming concepts and ideas that we have notcovered in class. This means that much of programming that isn't helpful to know at the beginning ofclass (because it dose't make sense at the beginning) is not talked about or go over.
NoteL i have previously taken isys 303, and am taking cs 142 to learn a different language ofprogramming.

Things are going well, sometimes a little fast on the math needed to do the programs but good.
Lectures are awesome. Enjoyable. Good learning environment.
I enjoy writing the programs, and I like the way that Prof. Jay teaches. He makes class enjoyableand fun.
the teaching done on-screen
I like the pace that we go in class for the material. It allows for the thorough understanding of aconcept before moving on to the next one.

What could be improved? How could this course be more effective in helping you
learn?
Some information could be easier to access. However, it's clear that Jay is working to try and makeinformation easier to access.
Grading policy is better now, but I wish what he wanted was more clear cut.
Sometimes explanations of code or functions are put forth as though I already know what is being
talked about. Very simple explanations as in, 'do this and this will happen and this is why' would help
very much. Showing connections between the different parts of code and why/how they work
together would help with the general understanding.
There is not much to be improved with this course, since he implemented his most grading policy.
When he uploads a new code command onto the website, if he could bold the new code, it would
really help to review what we just learned in that class.
A bit more explanation of concepts, and a better organized website. The hierarchy is difficult tonavigate. The way the assignments are posted makes perfect sense, but everything that has to dowith the formatting of the assignments is confusing.
I think that if you did several quick examples whenever you use a new subject, and explain a couple
times what it does, then i could better understand the new subject and how to use it in the upcoming
homework.
The code that Jay posts from the class is often hard to follow. Now that he's posted anotherexample of just straight code with test cases, I think that it will be better.
Not really sure, I'm very new to Computer Programming so I do not know a more effective way of
doing it.
I think that your game of very very specific requirements for comments and format of program is
ridiculous. I understand that you want to teach us good programming flow and design process but
you are very picky in your vision of how that is done. instead of teaching people how to program
you're teaching us how to copy someone else work. Or you get offended when people declarevariables in different ways etc etc ... Oh wait we're not even allowed to use that word.... we're
naming values. And then whenever theres something you don't want to explain yet you say things
like "thats german for blah blah blah" instead of taking a minute to explain it or saying theres a goodreason for that but don't worry about it yet or anything else. (like the decimal place holder in printf,
german for integer instead of decimal vs hex or octal) (or simply explaining a little bit about thatstrings are stored as Char arrays and thats why the declaration looks funny)
I feel that you purposely designed parts of the class to hurt people who either study ahead, or havesome experience already (zeros if you do things we haven't covered in class?). I feel that while it isgood to help support people perhaps struggling it's not good to purposefully hurt those who are
excelling.

I do not mean to offend you. From what I've met of you so far you seem like a really nice guy, youknow what you're talking about, and that you would make a great teacher for higher level classes
when you don't need to worry about trying to help people learn basics. I merely mean to point out
my frustrations with the class.
Simplifying the system. It took a while to get accustomed to the Linux system of creating and turningin files, which was in addition to the real goal of learning C++. Perhaps a more organized syllabus(which is comprehensive but confusing at times) and clear, defined guidelines on what is expected
for each Assignment.
Occasionally there is a information dump which can confuse me, but there is always a more in depth
explanation or "If it doesn't make sense ignore everything I said" available.
The hardest part as I began the semester was understanding exactly what was expected in theassignments and I felt that the specific expectations for our work weren't explained/documented very
well. Following the process was confusing because the notes (especially the posted code) had a lotof extra stuff written in (helpful notes, but not in the right places); also because of wording as if wealready understood a lot of the stuff we were learning. In the last week or so, though, Jay has
responded to a lot of questions and updated a lot of his course web site, which has helped a lot andit's not so much of a problem anymore.
The homework is a little nerve-racking, with all the pressure placed on each assignment. Since I
have no previous coding experience, I usually need both days of class before I start the assignment.
That leaves only one day to finish the assignment, along with my other homework.
Provide breakfast??
Sometimes i mess up one thing on an exercise, and even thought the program runs correctly ill get a0, sometimes i wish there was a way for partial credit, like each exercise be worth 2 instead of 1.
I think that if Prof. McCarthy were more clear in describing what he wants from the class as far as
assignments go, more specifically the details of the exercises. I have received a couple of 0's
because I was not sure what the text needed to include.
I like the class how it is. At first the website was a little bit confusing but I got use to it now.
The homework is due the day we start the next topic; unfortunately this gives us, in effect, a single
night to do the homework as it's hard to apply things before we learn them in the second lecture onthe topic. An extra day to do the homework would be very much appreciated.
Maybe doing more sample problems before we actually have an assignment due--a lot of it I feel weunderstand the principles but have only done one example in class so when something is a little
different it can be hard to know how to apply the principle taught.
Sometimes it is difficult to understand all the details because there is so much information to cover.
There are a lot of resources to access from the class website, but this can also be difficult to find or
it's hard to find exactly what you are looking for.
From the start I wish that I had more of an understanding of what he exactly wanted in theassignments, I know now after 2 failed attempts. He gives us the content in the syllabus but it
confusing at first because we dont know the terminology and there are things in there that we havenot covered yet so it threw me off track.
I would like to see more examples coded in class. I would also really like more technical terms usedin class. It seems like Jay is trying to dumb it down so much that things get a little confusing
sometimes. Also, I feel sometimes that about 70% of the coding is busy work (excessive comments)
and that frustrates me to the point that I give up on doing one or two of the excersises.
Spend a little more time at the beginning telling what you want in the comments so that we all knowwhat you want.
I thought the grading was too strict (thanks for changing that). I think that the full test-driven
development is a bit much for simple math functions. It helps for more complex things, but I
personally would like to be able to keep the function general for simpler math because that's the way
I actually think about the problem. I have nothing against testing, certainly you need to test it toverify that it works, but having to go into numbers, then back out to get the formula that I've had in
my head the whole time is kind of tedious. I've done programming before, and it's kind of annoying
to go through all this stuff when I essentially want to learn how to do what I already know, in a new
language. I know that's not the purpose of the course though, so there's not much that can be done
about that.
Although the comments that we write to outline our thought processes is very important and I can
see that, I don't always know how he wants each part commented. For example, with assignment 3,
I didn't start the homework until after the 2nd lecture, because I was afraid that he would give us
new information on how he wants the comments, and I was right, I.E. the movie theater example. It
would be much nicer for me if we covered this new information in the first lecture instead of focusing
on convert3 or spending so much time on cheapskateTip, so I could start my homework earlier withno worries that I am going to have to redo all my comments. Also, even though the homework
consists of usually 4 - 8 exercises, some of them take a good chunk of my time when I add all thecomments. It took me 3.5 to 4 hours to do the homework, and while that isn't too bad, this amount of
homework at this early stage of the game worries me for when we get to the more advanced topics,
like Lists, trees, and in the closer future, objects. These topics are going to take us longer becauseof all the features of C++ that we will be using. I would really prefer that all the homework did nottake longer than 4hrs. Or maybe we learn all the comments we need for the section in the firstlecture and we can start programming earlier so, in that case, maybe 6 hrs tops. Anything more than

6 hours is an overload right now, since I have 4 other classes to worry about too. So, maybe
combine 2 exercises into one larger one, but saves us on mutual comments, because that's wheremost of the time comes from. Or maybe drop some of the easier exercises and leave us with themore challenging ones. I don't know. I would just like to know what new comments we need to add
sooner, so that I can start my homework sooner.
I think it would be nice if we did some examples that were more closely related to our assignments
in a way that can help us see what really needs to be done.
possibly a modified grading system. However efforts are already being made to find the best fit.
The class is slow (but probably just for me, I can see others need the slowed pace)
I think it would be helpful if the homework was explained a bit.
The software we use could be a little easier to use. It's fine once the bugs are worked out, but it canbe a little tedious to try to fix it.
As stated in class, allowing for small forgotten elements of the developmental process to go missing
once in a program, as long as the program still compiles correctly.
He does an amazing job. The only thing that I think need to change is that the TA don't know what
is really going on in the programs either. I'm sure they know how to program they just don't knowwhat he wants in the programs. The only thing is given more time to turn things in. He finishes
teaching us thing and the assignment for what he just taught is due 2-3 days later. some of the
programs take a up to 3 hours to do.
So of the written instructions are not always clear enough for me so if they could be more specificthat would help. I think part of the problem is that I have such a small knowledge base on what weare learning and sometimes Jay forgets that it seems
I just got back things for assignment 3, a list of exactly what points or things I can add that you want
to see would be nice.
Personally, I think that the turnin systems could be a little less draconian. Also the pass/fail methodof grading the homework. If those were in place, I could concentrate more on the subject, rather
than concentrate so hard on making sure I have every comment that I need to put in, that I am
handling linux right, that I am meeting all of the rules for homework, etc.
Now that I am starting to get a feel for the class, I can't think of anything off the top of my head. Jay
has been very responsive to students' comments and concerns, and I appreciate the slight changes
he has made in the grading and in the resources he provides (the simplified code, for example â€“
2-2p.cc).
The only major problem with the course is that the requirements for the different exercises are notscaled to the individual exercises. For example, the first 2 or 3 exercises we did not have to havecontract, purpose and template comments, because we had not covered what they were in classyet. Other than that the class is a great introduction to programming.
I personally do not like that we have to run emacs instead of getting a C++ program onto ourpersonal computers. I do understand why it is needful, because i am a ta for isys 201 and it isalways a hassle making sure that everyone has the right programs at the beginning of the year.
Making sure that the instuctions are clear. example 2m/s^2 is a unit not a math formula but it was
hard to tell.
More examples of what our homework will be like. I often feel I don't know where to start, but oncethe ball gets rolling I feel more comfortable. Help me feel more confident in whats going on.
I do not appreciate haviing do test cases for all of my programs. It slows me way down. I could havesome of the programs done extremely fast, but the test cases add a minimum of 45 minutes on topof the rest of the coding. I tried to do the test cases as I write the program, but I always forget what
I'm trying to do because I get distracted with the test cases.
I can't think of any.
I feel like there is/was a lot of unclear instructions on how to do things the way he wants us to for the
homework. The majority of the points I have missed in this class have been from misunderstanding
due to the unclear nature of his expectations for the format of the programs in general, or unclear
instructions of the programs he would like us to make. He has made it a little better by giving an
example of the format, but there are still many things that aren't as clearly drawn out as they should
be. Some questions he answers in the Google Group for the course, but there is so many questions
and posts in there that it is difficult to see what is necessary to do the homework right and what isjust good advice or information.

What course resources (i.e. code notes, TAs, professor office hours, professor phone
calls, etc) have you used? What else should I provide?
I've used TAs, professor office hours, mibbit chat room. I don't use the code notes very often
because I have attended every class and I do everything he does in class on my computer duringclass so I basically have his code in my 'notes' (which are actually just code). I refer to thesefrequently.
code notes, professor office hours, TAs, should provide example exercises somewhat related towhat we're learning
Chat room, Google Group, professor phone calls, course website. Perhaps a link to a website that
explains the different parts of c++.
I have used the TA help hours and the google group. The amount of help you provide is very
astounding, I don't think there is much else you could do.
I've used TAs and chat to contact TAs and McCarthy
TAs and the Google Group.
The Ta's and yourself on Chat have been very helpful. Perhaps for homework if you could provide asimilar question with your answers, then i wouldn't be as confused on what you are asking for in the
homework.

I frequent the TA labs. I go to Jays office hours. I check up on google groups and code notes.
Personally, I feel that everything I would need has been provided.
Code notes, TAs, and professor hours. These are just fine. I wouldn't expect our professor to do
anything else, he already is going beyond the call of duty by responding so quickly to chatrooms/emails etc (even when they're ridiculous).
code notes because they're the only way to make sure you're doing things in the manner you want.
Chat room, google group, email, TAs. Everything that can be is provided for this course.
I have used code notes, TA's, uploaded videos, google groups and chat. I think everything I need isout there, I just have to know what I'm looking for.
class online mailing list; course web site including directions, examples, and pieces of code fromclass. Jay has been very good at responding quickly to all communication from his students (andthere have been a lot of questions â€“ so far there have been about 400 individual messages sent
via the mailing list, for example, including replies).
I have used the TAs and the Google group. I don't think there really needs to be anything else; wehave plentiful access points to help.
I've met with TA's a few times, I look at the code notes, and watch the videos. I think you do atutorial video on emacs. There are things you can do so quickly in class. Like jump up and down thepage and copy and move things that I wish I knew how to do better that would help a lot when I do
my assignments
I have visited the TA's for help once and plan on doing so again soon. They are very helpful and agood resource for help. I constantly use the many resources online such as the lectures and notesfrom class.
So far I have only used the code notes, there is enough help provided.
I used : TAs and professor office hours
I would use: TA more if they were available in the Labs
Code, glossary; I feel like I receive all the resources I need.
I have used code notes, the chat room (very helpful), the TAs, and the course website--all are very
helpful and are appreciated tremendously. The google group is a very helpful resource. I think one
thing that will help is to take the code notes and separate examples, mark better what happened
where--sometimes I go back to look and get confused because we have taken something and doneit 4 times, 3 of which are wrong, but I can't remember what is wrong and why
I have used the code notes, TAs, and the google group. As far as I'm concerned there are plenty ofresources.
All of the above except phone calls. I think Jay is already going above and beyond what mostteachers do and has it pretty well covered. The only thing that might even make sense would be if
there was some way (drop box) maybe to send Jay or a TA an offline version of a program to checkbefore we turned in the rest of the assignment.

I love the chat group. I love the google group, but sometimes I think it's a little hard to find the issues
I'm looking for in there, even though I know I saw something about it at one point. But I can't think of
any way to better group or organize the google group. I like the web site Jay has for the class, but I
think it would be much easier to read if it was better formatted. It's too text heavy now and is hard tolook through.
Chat, Google Group, the screenshot of the code.
Mailing list, chat room, web site
It would be nice if there was a better tutorial for Emacs and Linux (yeah, we have one now, and I
managed to figure it out on my own). I found it helpful to get an Emacs reference card. (There's one
that comes with Emacs that's pretty good. It's at /usr/share/emacs/23.2/etc/refcards/refcard.pdf on
my computer.)He does have a website with tons of resources, but sometimes it is hard to find what you are looking
for, maybe more links on the side? We do have a chat channel for when we need help, He is trying
to reposition his TAs so that they can be more help to us, created a Google group, and Jay havemade it crystal clear that he wants to help us. I have only used the chat channel and Google Group
periodically, but they are helpful. However, maybe we could get people sending help requests
through an e-mail instead of the google group because it is rather annoying when I open my e-mailand there are 28 new messages from the google group, and they seem to be asking strange things
that don't pertain to me, or problems that I have already tackled and therefore are kind of irrelevant
to me. I would try and help, but frankly, it would sap all my time if I started trying to answer people's
questions.
I have used code notes, the videos of the class, the professor phone calls, the chat room, and thegoogle group we have as a class. I don't think there is anything else you should need to provide
because you have given us so many options to get a hold of you or someone else and get help at
almost any time of day.
office hours, chat room, Google groups.
The website that has been provided.
I have used it, and I've also used google
I've used the code notes quite heavily and have talked to TAs. The resources are there.
code notes have been the most helpful. I cannot think of additional tools at this time.
I have used code notes, recorded class, TAs, professor office hours, and online chat. I think that all
you have provided is good. Except the online explanations of how to do things. they containeverything for the whole year and it is hard to tell what you need exactly for that program. But online
code is very clear and nice. Also the recordings help a lot.
I really can't think of anything else that you can provide I have used the code notes, video, google
group, chat room talked to you in person.
I used the online videos, alotI have used the codes from the class online rather frequently. I think there should be a sample
program, complete with all of the comments we're supposed to add, but you appear to be working
on that already.
I have used the TAs for basic programming questions, and I have been to Jay's office to double
check on what is expected in the assignment and how I can best represent that. I think there isplenty provided for us to be able to use when it is needed.
Code notes and the screen video, along with google chat. Also emails with the professor. But thereis plenty being provided.
I have used office hours, code notes so far. It seems to be good what Jay has offered to help
students.
everything except for the TA's. They are constantly busy helping others or are so busy with theonline chats, their help is often very rushed and busy. Other than that all help offered is great!
I wish that the tips and tutorials were easier to find. I have to look substantially harder than I would
like to, through the website and the google group, so I end up seeing the TA's more that if they wereeasier to find. The TA's are very helpful, but I feel like the online resources should be betterorganized.
TA, code notes, emailing google group.
I've used the Google Groups and the code notes, which are useful for the most part. The code
notes for the classes can get confusing because so much gets put into one txt file of code, but it still
can be useful.

Instructor Name:
Course Name:
Response Rate:

Jay McCarthy
C S 142 Sec-004
16/86
19%

I am learning a great deal in this course.
Average Rating

6.3/8.0

Very Strongly Agree:
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25%
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Course materials and learning activities are effective in helping me learn.
Average Rating

6.4/8.0

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25%
38%
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This course is helping me develop intellectual skills (such as critical thinking,analytical reasoning, integration of knowledge).
Average Rating

6.3/8.0

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2
0
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13%
0%
0%

The instructor shows genuine interest in students and their learning.
Average Rating

6.3/8.0

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38%
13%
19%
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0%

What is going well in class? What contributes most to your learning?
Jay's teaching style is pretty funny. Class isn't really the place where I learn the material. It plants
the subject matter in my head, but most of my learning takes place outside of class, doing
assignments.
Jay is very helpful and makes himself available so that he can help students as much as possible. I
don't know of any other professor that puts so much time in outside of class to help the students. He
is charismatic and he tries to make the class fun and entertaining while still showing us how to write
the program. He is a good teacher and makes his classes fun.
I think the examples in the class and the homework. Practice really helps me to remember andunderstand. I think the exercises that we need to do really helps to understand the concepts taught
in class.
The fact that you slide a lot of little funny things into the sample program, like naming a variable
something funny.
I think the design process helps the most - writing contracts helps me to know what I need to returnwith a function, while the template helps me to understand what I can use in my function call.
I was completely lost from the beginning and I feel completely lost still
The posting of example code is very helpful. The Google group is also very useful.
I appreciate all the ways that we can get help. the TA's are great resources, as well as the chatroom and google groups and Jay is very on top of helping students with students.
Personally, i learn through examples, because they help me see how to apply what i am taught tothe hw/ making programs, and Jay is very good at giving us examples in class.

All is well in the class.
Teaching by showing how some code doesn't work.
The screen capture of the classes help me remember what we have learned more so than my notes.
Jay offers help in many ways. He is available pretty much all day which is awesome. TAs are always
in the lab for your help if he is not around. If you cant be on campus, there is a chat online forclassmates and TAs to help you. Jay also post the lectures online, so watching the lecture backhelps learning a ton. So basically its all great.
I liked how Jay showed us how to start a new program (last class) by using a "blank slate" rather
than a file with a bunch of code and notes in it already. It was confusing to learn and follow what
was going on in a big file with a lot of different samples and programs. I also like how he (last class)taught us how to code using commonly-used variable/function names. It's good to know thatvariables, etc., can be called anything and I think it's essential that students understand that as well,
but learning what programmers commonly call things helps us in the future if we look up how to dosomething online, for example.
The structure of the class is excellent, Jay teaches very well, and the exercises are usually helpful.
I appreciate the plentiful number of resources that Jay makes available for us, it provides a lot of
help in completing the assignments.
classes are interesting, but I feel like most of the learning is on our own and what we learn in class isonly like 50% of what we need to know for the assignments
The constant help and the codes and video online.

What could be improved? How could this course be more effective in helping you
learn?
The online code is a little hard to follow sometimes. Maybe a better format would do the trick?
I think the thing that would help me the most is if at the beginning of the semester if someone reallyhelped and walked me through a program. this is my first time programing and at the beginning of
the semester i felt lost and a little overwhelmed and I tried to follow templates done in class but 1
class period wasn't enough for me I really needed a good thorough walk through very slowly
explaining everything. I think that would have helped me get it faster.
Maybe a big project that has to be turned in by the end of the semester but that we can work pieceby piece through out the semester. I think that we could see the importance of the little things.
I think the grading system could be a little less harsh, because I am too busy worrying about that. I
also think that the number of comments we need to add in our program isn't helping me learn, it's
just making it take longer. I understand what is going on, and I don't really want to take the time tocomment every little detail on every test case out, and then get penalized if I forget one small thing.
Personally, I think they should be graded on whether or not the program runs the way its supposed
to and does what its supposed to, meeting the objective in the problem.
I had a hard time finding the information for the other course software we can use, and I think a littlemore information would be great for that. Other than that, I think the class helps me with what I learnvery well.
I feel that if some of the words you use and how you present the calss could definitely be changed
especially to help those who have no previous experience with computers.
At the beginning of the semester it was kind of hard to determine what was necessary for theassignments. I think a single list of all the requirements would be helpful.
At the beginning of the course, since i never had any experience programming, I was very confused
and felt like Jay could have explained some things better. But as I have gotten more experience, ifind that his way of teaching does explain things extremely well, because he gives a lot of analogies
that helps explain programming.
Clarity in what works and what doesn't.
I can't think of many things that would majorly help.
Jay McCarthy once or twice forgot something minor about the code or an equation. Students could
look things up on their computer and send him a Mibbit Chat message with the answer.
It might be helpful if you helped us understand the method behind your madness. I know somepeople are frustrated with the way you do many things, but I belive it is because they don't
understand how everything is working.
I'm kind of having trouble remembering what all the different pieces of the code mean. I've been able
to, for the most part, see a pattern and imitate it for similar results, but it would be good if themeaning of the little bits of code were repeated more often. I keep up with the homework mainly byimitating and adapting chunks of code from my notes or the online notes, but am rarely able toproduce anything from scratch (which is not good). Because of this, it takes me a while to figure out
the "pattern" for each new exercise, then adapt it, instead of just building my programming intuitionand producing it by logic. It could just be a problem on my part, not necessarily the teaching.
6-8 exercises is waaaay over the top. These assignments take 10+ hours to complete. Also I feellike I understand the material very well after 2-3 exercises.
I have a very hard time asking for help in this class. Every time I have asked for help I have felt like I
wasn't treated very fairly. I often feel like I am looked down upon for asking because of the snappy
responses I get. I have a hard time asking TA's for help too. Every time I ask them for help they arevery short, rude, and unhelpful--often commenting openly about how dumb the mistakes were that
we made, etc. I have a hard time because I don't ask just to find out the answer and move on. I ask
questions because I have usually spent 30 minutes to an hour trying to resolve the particular issue
going through the google group, example code, videos, test cases, etc and then when I don't get
something I ask. It does not help me at all to get told to go back to the design process or that I
shouldn't be asking that question--I obviously don't know what I'm doing or I wouldn't be asking. A
much more patient approach with helping me know what the answer is and WHY instead of justwhat resource to go look at for an hour or making rude comments about my coding would be more
helpful. I wish I didn't have to feel stupid for asking questions, a more open approach would beappreciated.

The code that is posted on the site is confusing sometimes because it usually contains like 4 days
worth of material. I think each day should be a completely new set of code instead of building on theprevious days so it would be easier to determine what the new stuff is.
Better support from the TAs, most are very good but there are 1 or 2 that actually seem to hurtrather then help us learn.

What course resources (i.e. code notes, TAs, professor office hours, professor phone
calls, etc) have you used? What else should I provide?
Always use the notes, videos, TAs, office hours. Everything has already been thought of.
the notes Jay does in class. I use those a lot. I also use the TA office hours, jay's office hours andthe google chat thing. Those have help me the most.
I've used the code notes, professor office hours, TAs and email.
I've not used a whole lot.
I've used absolutely everything! In the beginning of the class, I didn't use any of the tools other than
the screen captures and the class code, and I can testify to the fact that it really helps to use theresources. Really, if you think about it, there are hours available for help on most days from 8 am to
10 pm. That's over 12 hours that you can use to get help. If I can't get the help I need from visiting
TA's, it's usually because I haven't really grasped a certain concept, and so visiting you during youroffice hours really helps. The best thing I've learned is to give myself at least 10 hours or so to do
homework, just in case I don't understand something, and to start my assignments while there is still
plenty of time to get help. Starting an assignment after midnight is NOT a good idea - you might still
be doing some last minute coding come midnight, but I'm really trying to use my time better, and thisclass especially is helping me to do that - if you don't learn to use your time, you WILL NOT succeedin this class. Period. (Actually...That's three periods, but still.)TA's and professor phone calls
There is very little else you could provide. I have used the sample code, the TA lab, and the Google
group.
code notes, TA's, chat room, google groups. all of which are very useful
i don't think it's possible to provide any more course resources
TA, emailI've used the class code, the class website, the class chatroom, and the class screen captures.
I have used code notes, online chat, TAs, and professor office hours. What else can you provide?
Web site, online notes/code, mailing list (indispensable).
I've used everything on the website and the mail group.
I use just about everything--I use code notes, the google group, the recorded class sessions, TAs,
computer lab, chat room, and communication with the professor.

I use the code notes, and I visit with the TAs. Requiring a textbook might be helpful.
All of it, keep it up.

Instructor Name:
Course Name:
Response Rate:

Jay McCarthy
C S 142 Sec-004
13/70
19%

I am learning a great deal in this course.
Average Rating

6.2/8.0

Very Strongly Agree:
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23%
31%
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8%
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15%
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Course materials and learning activities are effective in helping me learn.
Average Rating

5.7/8.0

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15%
23%
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8%
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8%

This course is helping me develop intellectual skills (such as critical thinking,analytical reasoning, integration of knowledge).
Average Rating

6.5/8.0

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1
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8%
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The instructor shows genuine interest in students and their learning.
Average Rating

7.3/8.0

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2
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62%
15%
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8%
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What is going well in class? What contributes most to your learning?
Humor used in lecture is greatly appreciated.
I think that working on the homework contributes most to my learning. Although the lectures do agood job too. Honestly, the design process that Jay showed us has help me immensely in finishing
my programs.
The homework reviews help me the most
Jay's teaching method is really helpful. He starts with the basics and move further. His Explanationand examples are very relevant and simple to understand.
Not much is going well in class, but the notes help a lot.
Class discussions are good. I really like when Jay kind of summarizes what we've been doing before
we move on . For example, class before last he talked about all the different kinds of data structuresand said which ones we'd covered, which we would cover, and which were probably not going to becovered so we didn't have to worry about it. It's nice to step back and understand where things fit in.
Recording the lectures is fantastic. It allows for imperfect attendance, in circumstances when you
can't make it to class. Extra credit helps BIG TIME.
This class is the bomb. I like the grading system, and the assignments are structured well.
Looking at the codes and screens on line is very helpful.
Jay is very helpful. He is making sure that I have every opportunity to succeed. His office hours arerather long which makes it easier for me to talk with him and get help.
The fact that everything is online so I can watch the lectures repeatedly. This is more helpful thanthe actually lectures because you talk to fast for me to process it. The video allows me to pause andre-watch sections so I can get it.
The examples done in class
Everything is going according to the time table. The teaching is good.

What could be improved? How could this course be more effective in helping you
learn?
It is very frustrating to receive zero credit for hours of work when the program appears to be correct.
It discourages even attempting the more complicated exercises, especially when the answers will
just be given in class the next day and the make-up assignments are often extremely simple incomparison. Why spend 2 hours on a problem you probably won't get credit for when the bonus willtake 30 min? I'm not suggesting a traditional %100 scoring, in general your system is extremely
effective in eliciting good coding. Perhaps half credit for programs that don't use un-coveredfeatures, produce the correct answer, but are faulty in some other way.
I learn from textbooks. I think that it would have been nice to have something besides the lecturenotes and people to refer to for more help. I might be the outlier in this respect.
For me I would rather things be straight to the point. It would be easier for me to cut out all the "getto the point" process because it sometimes confuses me, however I know it is effective for others
having a harder time.
Only thing I don't like is that the class takes more than 12 hrs each assignment. Since theassignment is due after every 2 lectures classes, it almost take 16-17 hrs per week for 3 credit
course. Sometimes your email replies are vague and brief.
Take more time on the more complicated stuff, like trees.
I really value the time in class going over things. A couple of times lately the material we were
supposed to cover is taking a back seat to going through the homework solutions. I wonder if thesolutions could be available (whenever all classes are ready for it, or just through email with Jay)
outside of class and we could maybe ask questions to TAs and stuff. Then Jay wouldn't rush at theend of class on the first day introducing things. Sometimes when it's rushed, I can't get everything
down and I leave without a complete picture of how what we were supposed to learn.
Jay, you're really smart. I think you expect that we are all progressing at the pace you were at ourage (which is generous, and kind). That is certainly not the case most of the time. I little lessintensity would be nice.
I think the TA lab should be emphasized more in lecture, it is super helpful. Also, I think that the test
cases should be optional after like a couple weeks into the class, I always write them after the returnstatements, because I can always figure out the return statement without the test cases and the test
cases take me forever to write out.
Sometimes I am not sure if what I am learning is commonly used in the real world, or if it just so I
know how to do it. Sometimes I would like to know what I am going to actually use and what I amjust learning for class.
The design process is being used as our main teaching tool. The problem with that is that I havefollowed the design process many times to arrive at the wrong answer, or lead to do something thatis impossible for C++ to do. Maybe I am just doing it wrong, but it would be helpful to see the entire
process in a lecture.
The code online seems very jumbled. There are so many comments that sometimes its hard to tellwhat is actually used in the program.
I think covering more examples, and not taking ANY shortcuts in class, this meaning to the complete
process for every function, including subsitution
This course is very effective.

What course resources (i.e. code notes, TAs, professor office hours, professor phone
calls, etc) have you used? What else should I provide?
Professor email and office hours, class blog. No suggestions, very accomodating.
I have often used the screen recordings, chat room, google groups, and even called Jay on his cellon may occasions. I think that Saturday is the only time that its hard to get help.
professor office hours. You do a great job at making help available.
I have used code notes, TAs, Professor Office hours, Professor phone calls, and emails. For me
You are doing what you can possibly do. I have never had such a devoted professor like you. You
are always there to answer our questions through emails, or phone. I really appreciate your help.
Code notes, TA lab
I use most of things. I normally chat with the professor, not call him because that feels less intrusive.
However, I'd call if I felt like I really needed to talk through something. I go see TAs occasionally, butsometimes they aren't sure what Jay's looking for, so I more often go to Jay for help.
Class recordings
I've used the gmail, and I used the TA lab for the first time today. I think maybe the TA lab should berecommended more in class, its super helpful.
I use it all. But sometimes when asking questions to either Jay or the TAs the responses seem
more to criticize or put down, then they actually help.
I have used the website, chat, e-mail/google group and Jay's office hours. I have been lead a strayby the TAs before, so I avoid them, instead going straight to Jay for my questions. This has tended
to work out so far.
I have done everything except phone calls. I think that more examples of code would be very
helpful.
TA's constantlyCode notes, TAs, professor, videos. I think you've provided everything!

Do you have to wait long for help either from me or TAs?
No. Actually, the speed at which emails get replied to and exercises are graded is somewhat
frightening.
Not usually...except Saturday, but that it too be expected.
No
Not really.
Kind of.
Not usually, unless it's a time that's not necessarily time I should expect help (like a Sat. afternoon).
No.
The wait time is short, if anything.
Not too long.
No, not really.
Depends on the day, sometimes i get right in, others it takes forever.
Depends on the hourNO