CS371p — Final Blog
Not only is OOP a critical skill in the workforce, but at UT, the class is taught by one of the best lecturers in the department, Professor Downing, and thus definitely was and is worth taking. The class is meant to be more educational than difficult, and a lot of Professor Downing’s techniques, such as cold calling, are reinforcements of that.
How well do you think the course conveyed the intended material?
Professor Downing is a great lecturer, and so he always conveys the content well. In addition, I liked how lectures were supplemented by weekly article readings, which reinforced the S.O.L.I.D. principles.
How did you feel about two-stage quizzes and tests?
I thought two-stage quizzes and tests helped me understand the material better. It also serves as a nice buffer for the students who might not have done as well, and lets them refocus on the quality of their education and learning rather than just grades.
How did you feel about cold calling?
I enjoy the concept of cold calling. It encourages students to pay attention during lecture, if only to not appear like a fool when having to answer questions, and ensures the lecturer gets some random but individual time with each student to make sure they’re understanding the content.
Give me your suggestions for improving the course.
I think a few things could’ve been improved. First, I think the daily notes could be annotated better — as in each test case should have some sort of indication as to what point the test case is trying to make. This makes review much easier. Second, I think the lectures should have more concrete examples of the S.O.L.I.D. principles in action. I found I couldn’t relate well to the readings, and they were too abstract to be used as guidance during the projects, so some in-class work by Professor Downing to bridge the concepts would’ve been nice, too. Other than that, I think the course was fantastic.