Lecture Archive

Click on a title to expand a lecture.

Aug. 26 › Types and Expressions

In this class we give an overview of the course and its expectations. We also also talk about setting up Python over the weekend.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Aug. 31 › Variables and Assignments

In this class we build a mental model to understand how Python works. This will be our first class where we use Poll Everywhere.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 2 › Functions and Modules

In this class we talk about how to import optional features into Python. We also show how to make program files we can run.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 7 › User-Defined Functions

In this lecture we introduce how to define our own functions. We also develop a mental model for executing functions.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 9 › Strings

In this lecture we introduce how to process text in Python. These techniques will be used in the first assignment.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 14 › Specifications and Testing

In this lecture we introduce the concept of testing as a formal process. This material forms the basis of software engineering.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 16 › Conditionals and Program Flow

In this lecture, we demonstrate the difference between program structure and program flow. We also introduce our first control structure: the conditional.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 21 › Algorithm Design

Your first assignment was very much do-this/do-that. Today we step back and see how we would design a complex program from the beginning.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 23 › Objects

This lecture introduces the notion of objects, a new type of data. It will also force us to question what we know about Python.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 28 › Memory in Python

The last lecture pulled back the curtain on what really is happenind with memory in Python. Today we put everything back together.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Sep. 30 › Asserts and Error Handling

In this lecture we show how to use our understanding of Python memory to read error messages. We also show how to create our own error messages and why.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Oct. 5 › Lists (and Sequences)

Today we introduce another sliceable data type: lists. They are similar to strings, except that they can contain data other than text.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Oct. 7 › For-Loops

Lists (and sequences) come with their own special control structure: the for-loop. This is the last traditional control structure we will see for a while.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Oct. 14 › Recursion

Recursion is a powerful programming tool and one of the fundamental principles of computer science. It is used in many advanced algorithms.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Oct. 19 › More Recursion

The divide-and-conquer examples we saw in the previous session were on the easy side. In this session we look at some much more challenging examples.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Oct. 21 › Nested Lists and Dictionaries

This presentation explores the last built-in (as opposed to user-defined) types in this course. These types are often used to store data in files.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Oct. 26 › Classes

Up until now, if we wanted to use objects, we imported a module that provided the class. In this lecture we finally learn how to create our own classes.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Oct. 28 › Object-Oriented Design

In the lecture on algorithm design, we talked about how to properly implement a a function definition. In this lecture we do the same for classes.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 2 › Inheritance

This lecture introduces subclasses, which can add extra functionality to an existing class. Subclasses and inheritance important parts of object oriented programming.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 4 › Operators and Abstraction

We have seen several mysterious double-underscore methods in Python classes. In this lecture show why these methods are so important.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 9 › Dynamic Typing

Typing is the act of determining the type of a value. Today we question why typing is so important, and show why this has become much trickier with the introduction of subclasses.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 11 › While Loops

Today we introduce while-loops, which are an alternate form of iteration. We show why they are different from for-loops, and when to use them.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 16 › GUI Applications

This lecture combines while-loops and classes to show how to make complex graphical applications. This lecture will provide you all that you need to know to get started on the last assignment.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 18 › Generators

In this lecture we introduce generators, which are a very “Pythonic” feature. They give us a way to speed up for-loops, and introduce us to an entirely new way of thinking about programs.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 23 › Coroutines

Generators are a specific example of a concept known as coroutines. In this lecture we go into more detail on coroutines and show how they are used in the final assignment.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Nov. 30 › Searching and Sorting

In this lecture we end with a preview of what higher-level computer science courses look like. We talk about the concept of sorting, and given an in-depth look at some of the algorithms available.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Dec. 2 › Advanced Sorting

In the previous lecture, we talked about sorting, but the algorithms we introduced were pretty slow. In this lecture we show how to use recursion to create better sorting algorithms.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Dec. 7 › Course Wrap-Up

Hopefully you have enjoyed this course. Assuming that you have, today we discuss your options about what to do next in computer science.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos

Dec. 10 › Review Session

This is the video for the review session for generators and coroutines. It also includes the question-and-answer session afterward.   Watch ›

no handout

no slides

no demos