Through Abstraction Abstract Stephen Wong will present an object-oriented programming first approach as a means of teaching students fundamental CS principles and abstract thinking. Abstract thinking is difficult for many students to learn, but is a crucial component for learning computer science. I have developed a process that not only enables students to learn abstraction but also inspires and motivates them to push the boundaries of their abilities. This process utilizes carefully constructed lecture and laboratory materials that leverage intrinsic understandings of object behavior.
Students learn the power of abstractly decomposing a problem and expressing it in their designs.
Powerful and appealing programming assignments are used to inspire and motivate while driving home fundamental CS principles. The careful integration of many pedagogical facets results in students who have strong abstraction skills and who can produce unprecedently powerful software. About Stephen Wong Dr. Wong received his B.A. with honors from Swarthmore College in 1980 and a PH.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Physics at the California Lutheran University in 1993 and then as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics at Oberlin College in 1996. Dr. Wong is an experienced computer scientist, physicist, and educator dedicated to combining the resources of an extensive diverse background in teaching, software, hardware, experimental and theoretical physics and chemistry into a balanced and innovative liberal arts educational program.