Students enjoyed getting help from TAs on programming assignments and also enjoyed working with other students. They said that some projects were more work than could be finished in the designated lab period. They also said the lectures tended to be boring and sometimes did not correspond with the homework assignments. Students suggested having more TAs and reviewing the material more slowly. Overall, students recommended this as a worthwhile course, especially for beginners. 81

Students found this lab course very helpful for working on class assignments and better understanding programming concepts. They said the TAs were very helpful. However, there were times when there were not enough TAs to help al students. Students suggested having more TAs and doing more review of assignments, and other necessary skills. Students said that the lab course is definitely worth taking along with intro programming. They encouraged students to ask for help from the professor and TAs.

Students agreed that the lab course is a great opportunity to practice programming skills in a relaxed environment. It al owed them to work on class assignments with help from TAs. The downsides were that the labs were time-consuming, and some projects were tedious or unclear. Also, sometimes there were not enough TAs to help al of the students. Students suggested having shorter labs and having more TAs. The lab course is highly recommended for beginners. It helps students ful y understand concepts taught in class and gives them time to work on programming homework.

Students liked the way this class provided hands-on experience and effectively supported the material being taught in the introductory programming course. They thought the weakest aspect of this course was the lengthy time of some laboratory sessions. Students also disliked that they were not al owed to choose partners for the lab activities. Students felt the course could benefit from more detailed guidelines for the activities. They thought that people considering this class should know that the course was helpful for students who are entirely new to or just beginning to learn programming.

Students appreciated that this course provided an opportunity both to gain greater programming experience as wel as receive additional support on the lab’s corresponding introductory course. They thought that this course’s greatest drawback was the long time span of class sessions. Students felt the class could be improved with better preparatory materials being provided to the assistants guiding the activities. They also thought that people thinking about taking this class should know that this course was definitely helpful as a supplement to the corresponding introductory programming course.

The best aspects of this course included the hands-on application of what was taught in the corresponding lecture; also, students appreciated that there was a lot of one-on-one help from TAs and that the instructor and the students had the opportunity to consult with experienced programmers. Some students felt the labs varied too much in regards to difficulty and length of time required. One suggestion included providing students with clearer prompts. Another suggestion included minimizing the class size. Prospective students should know this is a very helpful course for first-time programmers.

During this course, students were able to use what they learned about programming in lab to complete homework assignments. TAs were readily available for students to approach them about questions and concerns, and the class environment was very relaxed and supportive. Course grades were based on attendance, so students didn’t feel pressured to complete assignments under strict deadlines. However, the class was three hours long on Friday afternoons, the learning curve was often steep and overwhelming, and lab instructions were unclear. It was suggested that the class meet three times a week for 50 minutes, the course include mini lessons before lab, lab partners be picked by students and slightly easier programming. Prospective students should be aware that they will be assigned a lab partner.

The best aspects of the course included the hands-on experience programming with Java. Many students recommended taking this course concurrently with the Java programming class as the two courses supplemented and reinforced topics which made the homework assignments much easier. Some students suggested that the three-hour lab was unnecessarily long and that many of the assignments were repetitive. Thus, they suggested making shorter but more poignant and comprehensive tasks for class. Students advised that this course will be particularly helpful for first-time programmers.