Quill & QuotientSyllabus
The syllabus
The four courses, in teaching order
Each course covers one area of an undergraduate computing module, and they are ordered so a beginner can start at the top. Later courses assume the debugging habits taught in the first.
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Python for first-year modules
Beginner5 weeks5 lessons
A ground-up pass through the Python you meet in first-year modules: types, control flow, functions and files. Each lesson ends with a small program written on the call, not a worked example to copy.
You will be able to Trace a program line by line and predict its outputWrite functions that return values instead of printingRead a traceback and find the failing lineHandle files and lists without index errors
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Java and object-oriented coursework
Intermediate6 weeks5 lessons
Java coursework usually fails on design rather than syntax. We work through classes, interfaces and inheritance using the brief you already have, then break the code on purpose to see what the tests catch.
You will be able to Design classes with clear responsibilitiesExplain the difference between overriding and overloadingUse interfaces to keep code testableRead a stack trace from the deepest frame out
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Data structures and algorithms
Intermediate6 weeks5 lessons
Big-O notation is easier once you have counted the steps yourself. We implement lists, trees and hash tables in the language your module uses, then compare what each one costs.
You will be able to Compare array and linked list operations by costTrace a depth-first search on paperExplain what a hash collision does to lookup timeChoose a structure for a given problem
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Debugging and exam preparation
Intermediate4 weeks5 lessons
Written exams ask you to find faults in code you have never seen. We practise reproduction, breakpoints and timed papers, using questions from your own course wherever you have them.
You will be able to Reproduce a fault from a written descriptionNarrow a bug to one function in minutesWrite a test that fails before you fix itExplain a fix out loud as you would in a viva