T eaching L C
ondon omputing
A Level Computer Science
Topic 1: GCSE Python Recap
William Marsh
School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
Queen Mary University of London
Aims
• What is programming?
• Recap GCSE Python
• Programming concepts
• Learning programming
• Outline the course
• Contents
• A level curricula
• Materials
What is Programming?
• What is the essence of Programming?
• Do we learn Python or Programming?
Problem: Largest Item
• Find the largest one
27 12 53 13 25 68 18 66 23 15 36
• Definition:
• One of the numbers in the list
• No other number in the list is larger
• Programmer needs a recipe for finding it!
Problem: Largest Item
• Here is a recipe
largest ß first item
while more items in list
item ß next item
if item greater than largest
largest ß item
• Not yet a program!
Programming
• Recipe / procedure / algorithm for solving a
problem
• … in a language understood by a computer
Problem à Recipe à Program
Problem solving Writing a Program
Computational Thinking
“... the thought processes involved in formulating
problems and their solutions so that the solutions are
represented in a form that can be effectively carried out by
an information-processing agent”
• Concepts
• algorithmic thinking: developing steps
• decomposition: spotting the parts of a problem
• abstraction: ignoring unnecessary detail
• generalisation: making the specific more general
• evaluation: how good is it?
Practical Exercises 1.1 – 1.3
• Describe a recipe for finding the two largest
items in a list
Challenge Solution
• Describe a recipe for finding the two largest
items in a list
flrgst ß max(first item, second item)
slrgst ß min(first item, second item)
while more items in list
item ß next item
if item GT slrgst
if item GT flrgst
slrgst ß flgrst
flrgst ß item
else
slrgst ß item
Challenge – Simpler Solution?
• Describe a recipe for finding the two largest
items in a list
largest ß largest item of list
remove largest from list
second largest ß largest item of new list
Programming Concepts
Language Concepts
Concepts Python Example(s)
Literal (Constant) 'abc' "william" 42 3.14159!
Expression 2**3**4 "he"+"llo" x > 5!
Assignment area = length * width!
x = 7!
Sequence y = x - 5!
Selection if x > 5: !
Loop while x < 7:!
Function call print("ans=", ans)!
Function definition def area(l, w):!
Python Types
• Python values belong to types:
• String
• Integer
• Floating point
There are
• Boolean more types!
• List
• Types are ‘dynamic’
• Try the ‘type’ function
• Variable are not declared, but must be initialised
before they are referenced
Python Expressions
Type Operators Functions/Methods
Numbers + - * ** / // %! str() abs() pow()!
String +! len() int()!
.append() .remove() !
.split() .count()!
Boolean == != > < >= <= !
results
Boolean and or not!
operands
List in not in [:]! len() min() max()!
Python Library
• The library is a large collection of functions,
methods and module
• E.g. random module
• Standard library: all Python installations
• Other packages: installed when needed
• Issue
• Very complex: need to guide students
Practical Exercise 2.4
• Look up the standard library online; read the
introduction
• In Chapter 2, (Built in Functions), lookup and try
• the bin() function
• the bool() function
• the range() function
• In Chapter 4 (Built in Types), lookup
• << operator, e.g. 10 << 2!
• divmod() function
• Behaviour of a slice with 3 arguments: [m:n:o]!
Scope
• What variables are available at any place?
• Python uses dynamic scoping:
• Variables added by executing an assignment
• Other languages are different
• Local versus Global scope (simplified)
• Local: inside a function
• Global: not in a function
Practical Exercise 2.5 – 2.6
• Try the following program. Can you explain it?
def printX():!
print("This is x:", x)!
!
y = int(input("Enter a num> "))!
if y % 2 == 0:!
x = y!
!
printX()!
Errors (Practical Exercise 2.7)
• Syntax error
• Letters do not form a Python program
• E.g. brackets do not match
• Name (Scope) error
• Using a name that is not defined
• E.g. Reading a variable that has not been initialised
• Type errors
• Operation not available for these types
• E.g. "william" – "iam"
• Evaluation error
• Expression cannot be evaluated
• E.g. "william"[99]
Learning Programming
Axes of • Understanding programs
Learning • Can predict result of program
• Test it: what does this program
do?
• Writing programs
• Choose expressions and
Solving problems
statements
• Find bugs
• Test it: implement / complete
short program
• Solving problem
Writing programs • Problem à recipe
• Test it: solve open problems
Deepening and Mental Models
• Deeper understanding
• Initial understanding may be useful but partial
• Challenge and refine
• Example – assignment
• Understanding 1: assignment gives a name to
expression
• Understanding 2: assignment overwrites an existing
value in a variable (memory)
• Understanding 3: …
Example: Understanding Assignment
width = 10!
• Assignment as naming: height = 17!
area = height * width!
• … but what about: print(area)!
numA = ...!
numB = ...!
if numA < num B:!
numB = numA!
numA = numB!
print("The larger number is in numA")!
lst = [1,3,5,7]! myFriends = ["John", "Jo"]!
lst[3] = lst[1]! yourFriends = myFriends!
lst[0] = lst[0] + lst[1]! myFriends.remove("Jo")!
print(lst) ! yourFriends.append("Jane")!
print(myFriends)!
Practical Exercises 3.1 – 3.2
• Explore the sequence of ideas involved in
learning if statements
Problem Solving
• Understand problem
• Try example
• Simplify the problem
• Design the solution
• What is the input and output?
• Half-way techniques
• Pseudo code
• Flow charts
Software Development
• Do you:
Just Write a Program?
• Lifecycle
Analyse
• Describes the process
Design
• Analyse
• Understand problem Implement
• à specification
• Design
• Arrange parts Test
• How to design?
Characteristics of a Programmer
• Analytical
• Understanding problems
• Think like a computer
• Imaginative
• Invent solution
• Design program
• Resilient
• Trying different solutions
• Looking for bugs
Course Aims and Overview
Topics
1. Programming and s/w development
• Arrays and recursion
• Object-oriented programming
• Software design techniques
2. Algorithms and data structures
• Sorting and searching
• Trees and lists Computational
3. Computer systems
• Computer architecture
Thinking
• How programs are run
4. Theory of computing
• Finite state machines
• Language syntax and processing
A Level Curricula
• In transition: new from 2015
• A2 and AS separate
• Questions combine topics
• Differences between boards
• Mainly looked at: OCR, AQA
Details differ: themes the same
Course Materials
• Each session
• Slides
• Practical exercises
• References notes
• Same sections
• Practical work
• During slides
• After presentation
• Folder and web site
Summary
• Programs are recipes for a computer
• Recipe to solve a problem
• Program in a particular language
• Learning programming combines
• Problem solving
• Understanding programs
• Writing programs
Practical Exercises 3.3
• Planning a complex program
