Podcast #19

Harvard computer science professor David J. Malan is most well-known for his wildly popular introductory computer science class: CS50. In this episode, David tells us all about its inner workings including the role of memorable moments, 20 page problem sets, hackathons, and balloons.

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Show Notes

0:00 ⏯ Intro

2:19 ⏯ Evolving CS 50: Changing the tone but not the syllabus.

5:42 ⏯ What else has changed since the beginning?

9:52 ⏯ What is a “lecture” in CS50?

12:41 ⏯ The role of “memorable moments.”

19:30 ⏯ Teaching critical thinking in a CS class.

25:16 ⏯ Analyzing student data and getting student work off paper.

29:28 ⏯ Combining rigor and balloons.

34:32 ⏯ Structuring student projects.

39:54 ⏯ A team of 140 running a course; teaching in 4k, 5k, and 6k.

42:07 ⏯ The CS50 student project fair.

46:46 ⏯ Coming soon: CS 50 - The AP Course.

49:32 ⏯ David’s teaching mistake: overconfidence.