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SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE 

STUDIES 

To

?

SENATE 

NEW

COURSE PROJ?USALS: ?

I

Subject_MPT 103-3 - INTRODUCTION TO A HIGH 

Date ?

APRIL 18, 1974 

LEVEL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE I 

mrTTTTIM

A IJT('U_

LEVEL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE II 

MOTION 1: "That Senate 

the new cour 

MPT 103-3 - 

CMPT 104-4 - 

approve, as set forth in S.74-49, 

e proposals for: 

Introduction to a High Level 

Programming Language I 

Introduction to a High Level 

Programming Language II." 

.

?

MOTION 2: 

?

"That Senate waive the normal two semester 

time lag requirement in order that these two 

course may be first offered in the Fall 

semester 74-3." 

Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies 

From

..........................................................................................

Date.

April 19, 19714 

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

744

MEMORANDUM

The Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies has examined 

the attached course proposals for Computing Science 

103-3 

:Introduction 

to High Level Programming Language I; Computing Science 1041: 

Introduction to a High Level Programming Language II and recommends 

their approval to Senate. The Caiimittee further recommends that, if 

Senate approves the courses in question, the nonnal two semester tine 

lag be waived to enable these courses to be offered during the Fall 

1974. 

No question arose in the Canmittee concerning the academic 

acceptability of these courses; but there was some question about their 

overlap with courses currently offered by the Mathematics Department, 

in particular Mathematics 106. The Director of the Computing Science 

Program and the Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies were requested to 

discuss this question with the Mathematics Department and, on the 

understanding that that Department had no objection to these new 

courses and envisaged the withdrawal of Mathematics 106 from their 

program, the courses were approved. The attached memorandum from 

the Chairman of the Department of Mathematics addresses itself to 

this question. 

I. Mugridge 

:ams 

att. 

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

To

?

Dr. I. Mugridge 

Assistant Vice-President 

Vice-President, Academic 

New courses in Computer Science: 

Subject

............ 

.

Overlap with Mathematics 

1.9.6 

From ?

Dr. A.H. Lachlan 

?

Chairman 

Mathematics Department 

Date. .

April 19, .... 

This is in reply to your query regarding the new courses 

CMPT. 103 and CMPT. 104 proposed by the Computing Science Prb:graimne. Insofar 

as FORTRAN is treated in these courses, there certainly is overlap with 

Mathematics 106. However it is not forseen by this Department that 

Mathematics 106 will ever be offered again. Under the two year rule 

if it is not offered Mathematics 106 will eventually be struck from the 

calendar and in any case it will not be offered again as part of our 

regular course offerings. Thus, I feel that the fact that there is 

overlap with Mathematics 106 should not constitute any kind of obstacle 

to the approval of these two new courses. 

o

(. ? 

.L.. 

.

?

?

A.H. Lachlan 

AHL/lh 

cc: Dr. Aronoff 

Dean of Science 

Dr. I. Weinkaxn 

Computer Science 

MEMORANDUM

.From

Faculty, ,pf, Inte.di,scjplinary

onUnde rgraduate Studies.

Curriculum Committee.

Subject

......................... CM

.T.. ......

i3O.3.-.3 ... k..CMPT..jQ4-1,. .........

Date ......

...................... .

March

...

.5/74 .................................... ..............

The attached new course proposals have been approved

by the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum Committee, and are

now forwarded to you for consideration by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate

Studies. Would you please place them on the agenda.

Attachment.

,:'

• ? 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES 

NEW COURSE PROPOSAL FORM 

1.

Calendar Information 

?

S ?

Department: 

Comp 

uting Science Program 

Abbreviation Code:CMPT ? 

Course Number: 

103 ? 

Credit Hours: 

3 ?

Vector: 

3-0-0 ? 

Title 

of Course: 

Introduction to a High Level Programming Language I 

Calendar Description of Course: 

This course in    

the student to a high level 

programming language. Major Programming Languages are offered including PL11, COBOL, 

and FORTRAN. PL/1 

serves as the key language for most subsequent courses in the Com- 

puting Science Program; COBOL is an important language for business applications; and 

FORTRAN is still widely used in scientific applications. The student should consult 

the program 

?

advisor for a list of currently available languages and for advice in 

Nature of Course 

?

selecting the language most suited 

Guided 

Prerequisites 

self-s ttdy(or 

?

special instructions): 

to his program. 

no prerequisites 

What course (courses), if any, 

:.s

.eing dropped from the calendar if this course is 

approved: 

CMPT 102 

2.

Scheduling 

Row frequently will the course be offered? 

Every semester 

Semester in which the course will first be offered? 

Fall 1974 

Which of your present faculty would be 

? make the proposed of ferin 

possible? 

Ms. Doreen Godwin 

0.

ObjectivesoftheCourse 

See attached. 

4. BudgetaryandSpaceRequirements (for information only) 

What additional resources will be required in the following areas: 

Faculty 

None 

Staff 

None 

Library 

None 

Audio Visual None 

Space ? 

None 

Equipment 

?

None 

5. Approval? 

Date: 

•. 

?

Department 

i7Je 

Chairmay7 

YAC,L/

7%'

Dean 

?

Chairman, SCUS 

SCUS 73-34b:- (When completing this form, for instructions ace Memorandum SCUS 73-368. 

Attach course outline). 

• SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES 

NEW COURSE PROPOSAL FORM 

1.

Calendar Information 

?

Department: 

computing 

Scl p nc p 

Program 

Abbreviation Code:_ 

MPT

?

Course Number: 

104

?

Credit Hours:1 

?

Vector:_________ 

Title of Course: Introduction 

to a High Level Programming Language II 

Calendar Description of Course: 

This course is identical to CMPT 103-3 and is intended, 

for the student who wishes to learn a second high level language 

under 

supervision and 

for academic credit. It is considerably easier to master a second high level language; 

therefore this course carries only one credit. 

Nature of Course 

Guided self-study 

Prerequisites (or special instructions): 

The student must select a different language 

from the one that he studied in CMPT 103. 

?

.

What course (courses), if any, ;s .eing dropped from the calendar if this course is 

approved: 

CMPT 102 

2.

Scheduling 

Row frequently will the course be offered? 

Every semester 

Semester in which the course will first be offered? 

Fall 1974 

Which of your present faculty vc..ild be available to make the proposed offering 

possible? Ms. Doreen Godwin 

*Objectives of the Course 

See attached 

4. Budgetary and Space Requirements (for information only) 

What additional resources will be required in the following areas: 

Faculty 

None 

Staff 

None 

Library 

None 

Audio Visual 

None 

Space ? 

None 

Equipment ? 

None 

5. Approval 

Date:_______________ 

a

Department Chairman,,/ 

yeI2fJ..

Dean ? 

• ? 

Chairman, SCUS 

SCUS 73-34b:- (When completing this form, for instructions 

see

Memorandum SCUS 73-34a. 

Attnh enurne outline). 

Attachment for CMPT 103 and CMPT 104 Course Proposals. 

3. Objectives of the Course 

3(a) The purpose of the course is to make the student into a reasonably 

competent programmer in the selected-programming language. By the end 

of the course the student will be able to take a reasonably simple pro- 

gramming problem and define the necessary input/output requirements, 

prepare a flowchart of an algorithm to solve the problem, write the 

program in the selected programming language, debug it, and produce docu- 

mentation specifying how the program can be used and the overall methods 

by which it achieves its objectives. 

The course content includes the format and function of the major 

statements in the programming language, and the methods by which common 

• ? 

programming techniques such as looping, decision making, construction of 

subroutines, and input and output are achieved in the language. The 

student masters this material by working hi 

g

way through a suitable 

textbook covering one major topic at a time. For each topic 

to

be

covered, the student is given a reading assignment and a self-study quiz 

to

test his understanding of the assigned material. Upon completion of 

the reading assignment and quiz, the student consults with the instructor 

who assigns an appropriate programming assignment 

to

allow the student 

to obtain the necessary experience in using the language features he has 

studied. In 

the

later part of the course the programming assignments 

are designed 

to

integrate in a single assignment several of the language 

features previously studied separately. 

3(b) 

Knowledge of a high level programming language is a necessary pre- 

requisite for any further work in computing science. 

3(c) 

This course replaces CMPT 102. It does not overlap any other exist- 

ing courses. 

Rationale for the proposed courses CMPT 103 and CMPT 104 

Teaching an introductory course in a high level programming language 

presents two problems: One problem is that there are a number of lang- 

uages that a student may legitimately wish to study as his first exposure 

to high level language programming. For example students in Economics 

and Commerce need to learn the COBOL language, whereas science students 

desiring only to deal with numerical problems using one of the available 

subroutine packages need to study FORTRAN. On the other hand, because 

of its greater scope and versatility, PL/1 is the major language used 

in most advanced courses in the Computing Science Program. The second 

problem is that regardless of the language chosen, students come to such 

a course with a wide range of backgrounds and aptitudes; When the course 

is offered in a traditional lecture format, only one language may be 

taught at a time; and, regardless of the pace selected, it is too slow 

for many students and too fast for others. 

Interviews of students studying a high level language for the first 

time reveal that most of the material is mastered by reading the textbook 

and putting the material presented into practice through programming 

assignments. Students actually learn relatively little material in the 

lectures; but they do have a need to ask specific questions to clear up 

individual misunderstandings. 

An instructional technique which allows each student to read the text 

and solve programming problems at his own pace with the aid of a carefully 

prepared self-study guide overcomes both of these problems and, at the 

same time, frees the instructor to deal with individual questions and 

misunderstandings. This method of teaching introductory high level lang- 

uage programming has been tried experimentally during the Spring 1974 

semester in the course CMPT 102. Two sections of the course were sch4led 

but it was not announced in advance that there would be any difference in 

instructional technique. One of the sections followed the normal lecture 

method that has been used in previous offerings of the course. In the 

other section the guided self-study method was used. (A copy of the self- 

study guide is attached.) 

Both sections used the same text (Pollack,S. and Sterling, T., 

Essentials of PL/l) and were given the same assignments and tests. The 

self—study class met with the instructor twice a week at the regularly 

scheduled time for a work session and to handle any individual problems. 

This encouraged students to keep up with the recommended time schedule 

by providing a regularly scheduled period in which the course work could 

be done. The assignment marks and the relative number of students who 

has fallen behind schedule were equivalent for the two groups. However 

in the self-study group three students had corñpletcd the course by the 

mid-semester point and several others were ahead of the suggested schedule. 

No difference in performance could be observod on the test. The class 

. ?

average of the lecture group was 20.1; that of the self-study group was 

20.7. 

2

This method of teaching computer languages is not a new approach 

but has been used within the computer industry for about five years. 

It has been found very helpful in accommodating various background 

knowledge levels and in providing a choice in computer language study. 

A similar approach has also been used in teaching other subjects; 

for example Maitbie, et al (1) describe the use of a "proctorial' system 

of instruction in Mathematics and give several additional references. 

A student evaluation of both sections of CMPT 102 was conducted in 

the Spring 1974 semester. The departmental assistant and faculty mem- 

bers not involved in teaching the course met with the students and 

instructor at the regularly scheduled class time for a discussion of 

the course content, teaching methods, and overall reaction to the course. 

The results of the evaluation support our belief that the guided 

self-study method is the preferable method for teaching high level pro- 

gramming languages. None of the students in either section was opposed 

to using the self-study method exclusively in the future. On the other 

hand, virtually all students in both sections strongly felt that the 

workload of the course was too great for a two credit course. As ex- 

pected some students in the lecture section complained that the pace 

was too fast while others had the opposite complaint. 

CMPT 100 and CMPT 102 were approved by Senate in 1972 in order to 

• ? 

make it possible to offer a minimal introductory sequence to SFU students. 

While CMPT 102 was intended to teach PL/1 only, CMPT 103,. which 'ill 

replace it, will enable the student to take any of the major programming 

languages. Initially, study guides are prepared for PL/l, COBOL, or 

FORTRAN. Students in the mainstream of Computing Science, i.e., either 

majoring or minoring in the subject, will still be required to take 

PL/l. Students taking a minimal amount of Computing Science courses 

mainly to support work in Economics and Commerce will probably prefer 

to learn COBOL, while such students desiring to work in Sciences Mathe- 

matics, or those primarily interested in numerical analysis may prefer 

FORTRAN. Other languages intended for work with text or graphics will 

be offered as the demand arises. 

Because of the large variety of Computer Programming Languages and 

the different approaches to data representation and problem solving that 

they engender a student may legitimately wish to learn more than one 

programming language and should be encouraged to do so. Computing 104-1 

is intended for students who wish to learn a second high level language 

under supervision and for academic credit. This course is identical 

with CMPT 103 but carries only 1 credit because learning a second high 

level language is by no means as formidable a task as learning one for 

the first time. Once the student has mastered.two high level languages, 

however, he will not be able to earn additional academic credit; by 

learning other languages. However, we would encourage students to use 

the CMPT 103 course materials to study additional languages independently. 

0 ?

Reference 

1 ?

Maitbie, 31., Savage R., and Wasih J.; The Operation and Evaluation 

of a Proctorial System of Instruction in Mathematics; American 

Mathernaticsl Monthly, 81: 71-78; 1974. 

.

0 ?

Self-Study Guide for CMPT 102 

Introduction to a High Level Language - PL11 

This course has been set up as a self-study course. This means you 

may work at your 

own

pace. An instructor will be available to answer 

questions. 

Each chapter of the "Essentials of PL/l" textbook has been divided 

into a number of steps. A step generally consists of: 

1)

a reading 

assignment

2)

a self-study quiz 

3)

a work 

assignment

The reading assignment introduces you to new material and as such 

should be done first. Next ask the instructor for the self-study quiz. 

Do the quiz, correct your answers, and return your work to the instructor. 

To correct your answers, ask for an "answer sheet". You will also dis- 

cover that many of the self-study quiz problems have answers in the back 

of the "Essentials of PL11" textbook. Any discrepancies between your 

answers and those on the answer sheet should be reviewed with the advisor. 

Remember, the self-study quiz is your check to see that the reading as- 

signment has been digested properly; it will not effect your final grade. 

Two weeks will be allowed for each assignment. Seventy percent of 

all assignments must be handed in. Your final grade will be based on 

assignments

plus a final project. 

The final project may be one of your own choice or one selected from 

a list of 

assignments.

Prior approval of your 

own

project by the depart- 

ment will be required. 

Remember the .instructor is there to assist you. This allows you to 

concentrate on the areas you do not understand rather than listering to 

a lecture on areas you do understand. If the study quiz indicates a 

lack of understanding for that section, further 

assignments

or quizzes 

may be given. 

STUDENT OUTLINE: 

CHAPTER I 

A. 1 Introduction - read pages 1 - 11 (sections 1.1 tb 2.2) 

2 If you are not familiar with Floating Point numbers read the 

Appendix B, pages 358 - 364. 

3 See the Instructor for Study Quiz 1 

4 Read the KEYPUNCHING handout. If after reading the handout 

you donot feel confident to punch cards, please.sign your 

name on the Keypunching Tutorial Sheet, indicating which 

tutorial you wish to attend. 

B. 1 Read pages 11 - 24 (sections 1.2.3. to 1.2.6.2) 

2 See the Instructor .for Study Quiz 2 

3 If you are unfamiliar with Flowcharting, read the FLOWCHARTING 

handout. For further information on Flowcharting, sign your 

name on the Flowcharting Tutorial Sheet. 

4

Assignment:

Draw a flowchart for one of the following operations; 

i.

changing a tire 

ii.

baking a cake 

iii. 

registering at SFU 

. 5 Read the COMPUTER RUN REQUIREMENTS handout. Sign your name on 

the Computer RunRequireznents Tutorial sheet, if you have any 

doubts about preparing and/or submitting data for the computer 

run. 

6. Assignment B: 

(Note: All future assignments will consist of flowcharting, 

coding and 

running

a problem on the computer. The flowchart 

and computer output, properly headed with your name, course 

number and section, must be handed in. 

(Do not hand in Card Decks) 

Flowchart and code either problem 8 or problem 10 (page 36 - 37). 

C. 1 Read page24 - 31 (section 2.6.3 to 1.3) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 3 

3 Flowchart and code either problem 15 or problem 16 (pages 38 - 39). 

(Note: Assume P21P1 will always be greater than 1 for Problem 15.) 

CHAPTER II 

A. 1 Read pages 41 - 50. 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 4 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart, code and run Problem 6 (page 53). 

is

CHAPTER III 

. ?

A. 1 Read pages 55 - 67 (Sections 111.1 to 111.3.4) 

3

Assignment: 

2 See 

I

nstructor for Study Quiz 5. 

11,

Flowchart, 

13 or 14 

code 

(pages 

and

99

run

- 101). 

one of the 

following 

problems 

B. 1 Read pages 67 - 77 (Sections 111.I.1 to 111.4.5) 

Data Aggregates and Arrays 

3

2

Assignment: 

See

Instructor 

for Study Quiz 6. 

Rewrite Problem 13, Chapter 1 (page 37) using arrays for 

?

land rates. (Use sample input from 13 for your computer run.) 

C.

2

1

See

Read 

I

nstructor 

St

ructures 

for

pages 

Study 

77

Quiz 

- 84 

7.(Section 

?

111

4.2) 

3 Assignment: 

Fl

owchart and run Problem ii (page 100). 

B. 1 Read Advanced Topics (pages 85 - 96). 

2 See 

Instructor 

for Study Quiz 8. 

CHAPTER IV

Internal Manipulations 

A. 1 Read pages 103 - 121 (Section IV.l 

to

IV.2.2) 

2

See Instructor for Study Quiz 9. 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart and run Problem 18 (page 152) 

B. 1 Read pages 121 - 128 (Section IV.3 to IV.3.2.4) 

2

See Instructor for Study Quiz 10 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart and code Problem 10 (page 150) 

C. 1 Read pages 128 - 139 (Sections IV.4 to IV.4.1.5) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 11 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart and code Problem 24. (Modify to 20 questions 

to simplify input requirements.) 

0

D. ' 

1 Read Advanced Topics (pages 139 - 146) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 12 

0 ?

CHAPTER V 

?

Control Operations 

A. 1 Read pages 155 - 172 (Sections V.1 to V.2.3) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 13 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart and code Problem 16 (page 199) 

B. 1 Read pages 173 - 188 (Sections V.3 to V.3.3.2) 

•

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 14 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart and code Problem 11 (page 198) 

C. 1 Read pages 188 - 194 (Section V.4 to V.4.3) 

Advanced Topics 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 15 

S

CHAPTER VI ? 

Stream Oriented Input/Output 

A. 1 Read pages 203 - 221 (Sections VI.l to VI.2.2.4) 

Data Directed Input/Output 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 16 

B. 1 Read pages 221 - 237 (Sections VI.3 - VI.3.3) 

List Directed Input/Output 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 17 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart and run Problem 8 (page 264) for one array (C) 

C. 1 Read pages 237 - 253 (Sections VIA) ? - 

Edit directed Input/Output 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 18 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart and run one of Problems 14, 19, 21 

.

( pages 267 - 

270) 

Note: Sample input cards listed for Problem 20 solution 

may be used for Problem 19. 

D. 1 Read pages 253 - 261 (Sections VI.5 to VI.5.4) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 19 

. . I.- 

M. ,

• ? 

CHAPTER VII ? 

Record Oriented Input/Output 

A.

1 Read pages 273 - 283 (Section VII.1 to VII-1.2-3) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 20 

B.

1 Read pages 284 - 294 (Sections VII.2 to VII.3.3) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 21 

3 Assignment: 

Code only - Problem 4 (page 296) 

.

...

CHAPTER VIII 

?

Modular Construction of Programs 

A.

.1 Read pages 297 - 305 (Sections VIII.l to 

VIII.1.4) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 22 

B.

1 Read pages 305 - 314 (Sections VIII.2 to VIII.2.1.3) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 23 

C.

1 Read pages 314 - 321 (Sections VIII.2.2 to VIII.3.2) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 24 

3 Assignment: 

Flowchart, Code and Run one of the following Problems: 

7, 12, 14, 15 or 17 

. ?

CHAPTER IX 

A. 1 Read pages 329 - 350 (Sections IX.l to IX..3) 

2 See Instructor for Study Quiz 25 

Note: It may be desirable to have the student 

do parts of these chapters earlier in the course. 