Calendar and Coursenotes: Fall 2007
This page will show what we cover each day, including the course notes covered in class. The full course notes covered during the semester can be found here.
Reading assignments are also posted for each week. The intention is that you will have finished the reading for that week by the end of the week (that is, typically you would be expected to read material after the associated lecture). However, some folks like to read it before the lecture, so I will try to get it up by the beginning of the week if I can. Note that reading for the week will often be relevent to the homework due the following Tuesday.
- Week 1: Introduction, WASI
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Tuesday, August 21: Course introduction.
Take the Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory (WASI).
[In-class assignment: WASI, 25 points]
Today's coursenotes -
Thursday, August 23: Analyze the WASI
Today's coursenotes - Friday, August 24: Homework Assignment 1 due.
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Tuesday, August 21: Course introduction.
Take the Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory (WASI).
- Week 2: WASI, Myers-Briggs test
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Tuesday, August 28: Errors in reasoning, analyze the WASI (continued)
Reading assignment: "Errors in reasoning" material handed out last Thursday.
Today's coursenotes -
Thursday, August 30: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Reading Assignment: "Does Personality Matter? An Analysis of Code-Review Ability" by Da Cunha and Greathead.
Reading Assignment: Read about your identified type(s) at TypeLogic.
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, August 28: Errors in reasoning, analyze the WASI (continued)
- Week 3: Pairs problem solving; Getting started with a problem
- Monday, September 3: Homework Assignment 2 due.
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Tuesday, September 4: Pairs problem solving/thinking aloud
Reading assignment: Handout on role of "listener"
Informal assignment: Figure out who your class partner will be. Please send me email once you have a partner set.
Today's coursenotes
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Thursday, September 6: Getting started with a problem
Quiz on Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Reading assignment: Chapters 1 and 2 of Levine
Today's coursenotes
- Week 4: Verbal Reasoning and Analogy Problems
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Tuesday, September 10: Verbal Reasoning Problems
Reading assignment: Read Learning Styles and Strategies
Reading assignment: Handout in class with sample answers for verbal reasoning problems (use as a template for Homework Assignment 3)
Today's coursenotes
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Thursday, September 12: Analogy Problems
Today's coursenotes
- Friday, September 14: Homework Assignment 3 due.
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Tuesday, September 10: Verbal Reasoning Problems
- Week 5: Heuristics for problem solving "in the small"
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Tuesday, September 18: Heuristics: Externalize
Reading assignment: Chapter 3 in the Levine textbook
Today's coursenotes
Homework Assignment 4 due -
Thursday, September 20: Heuristics: Comprehension, visualization
Reading assignment: Chapters 4 and 5 in the Levine textbook
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, September 18: Heuristics: Externalize
- Week 6: Heuristics for problem solving "in the small"
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Tuesday, September 25: Special features of a problem; Midterm
Homework Assignment 5 due.
Today's coursenotes
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Thursday, September 27: Special features of a problem (continued)
Reading assignment: Chapters 6 and 7 in the Levine textbook
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, September 25: Special features of a problem; Midterm
- Week 7: Succeeding as a student;
Heuristics for problem solving
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Tuesday, October 2: Succeeding as a student
Reading assignment: Handout: "Successful Students' Strategies for Getting Unstuck"
Today's coursenotes
Homework Assignment 6 due. -
Thursday, October 4: Heuristics for Problem Solving: Simplify
Mid-semester course evaluation
Reading Assignment: Chapter 8 in the Levin textbook
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, October 2: Succeeding as a student
- Week 8: Heuristics for problem solving: Lateral thinking
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Tuesday, October 9:
Analysis of trends and patterns, Einstellung
Today's coursenotes
Reading Assignment: Chapter 9 in the Levin textbook
Homework Assignment 7 due. -
Thursday, October 11: Lateral thinking, brainstorming
Today's coursenotes
Reading Assignment: Chapter 10 in the Levin textbook
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Friday, October 12:
Homework Assignment 8 due.
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Tuesday, October 9:
- Week 9: Heuristics for problem solving
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Tuesday, October 16: Heuristics: Wishful thinking, penultimate step,
symmetry, pigeonhole principle, invariants
Today's coursenotes
Homework Assignment 9 due. -
Thursday, October 18: Deductive and Hypothetical thinking
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, October 16: Heuristics: Wishful thinking, penultimate step,
symmetry, pigeonhole principle, invariants
- Week 10: Presentation and Argument
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Tuesday, October 23: Presentation and Argument
Today's coursenotes
In-class exercise #3
Homework Assignment 10 due. -
Thursday, October 25: Midterm on the Heuristics List
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Tuesday, October 23: Presentation and Argument
- Week 11: Problem-solving in Computer Science
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Tuesday, October 30: Using computation for problem solving
Today's coursenotes
Homework Assignment 11 due. -
Thursday, November 1: Problem Solving in Programming
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, October 30: Using computation for problem solving
- Week 12: Problem solving in-the-large
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Tuesday, November 6: The problem statement
Today's coursenotes
Homework Assignment 12 due. -
Thursday, November 8: Generating Solutions
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, November 6: The problem statement
- Week 13: Problem solving in-the-large
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Tuesday, November 13: Making and Evaluating Decisions
Today's coursenotes
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Thursday, November 15: Presentation and argument: proofs
Homework Assignment 13 due.
Today's coursenotes
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Tuesday, November 13: Making and Evaluating Decisions
- Week 14: Interpersonal problem solving
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Tuesday, November 27: Interpersonal problem solving
Today's coursenotes
Reading assignment: Chapters 11, 12, and 13 in the Levine textbook
- Thursday, November 29: WASI Post-test
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Tuesday, November 27: Interpersonal problem solving
- Week 15: Wrap Up
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Monday, December 3:
Homework Assignment 14 due. -
Tuesday, December 4: Wrap up and course evaluations
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Monday, December 3:
Go to the CS2984 Homepage.