Sample Journals
This is a sample journal question from a previous semester. In this case, the assignment was to read a newspaper article.
Question
The article seems to imply that whenever one is using a computer one is doing computer science. This leads to the observation that playing solitaire on a computer is doing computer science. Explain.
Grade of 1: repeats book material, shows little or no insight
The person who wrote the solitaire program and the person
who plays solitaire both use algorithms. So playing solitaire is
computer science.
Grade of 2: demonstrates basic engagement with the material
We learned in class that computer science is the study of algorithms.
So it seems as if someone needs to be using an algorithm in order to
be doing computer science. The biologists and physicists are using "number-crunching," according to the article. It seems as though this must describe
use of algorithms.
Grade of 4: shows meaningful insight into the material
We learned in class that computer science is the study of algorithms.
So it seems as if someone needs to be using an algorithm in order to
be doing computer science. The biologists and physicists are using "number-crunching," according to the article. It seems as though this must describe
use of algorithms because you would have to be crunching the numbers for
some purpose so you'd have to have a plan to get the answers you want. Whether
a solitaire player is also doing computer science depends on whether
you consider them to be using algorithms. It seems to me that he would
be using some sort of algorithm to decide which cards to play, but I'm not
sure if this counts as computer science. A solitaire player using cards
would also be using an algorithm, but it wouldn't be computer science. I'm
still a little confused about the difference.