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Cooper Union: Preparing for the AP* Computer Science A Exam — Part 1

An introduction to how computing can be used to solve real-world problems while encouraging student computational creativity. Part 1 of 2.

4 weeks
4–6 hours per week
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule
This course is archived
Future dates to be announced

About this course

Skip About this course

CSAP.1x covers the material of AP Computer Science A which is equivalent to a first-semester, college-level course in computer science. This highly interactive course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of computer science. The course will be structured to encourage students to think computationally and enjoy problem solving. New York City’s companies, museums, art and architecture will be used as examples to emphasize the ubiquitous role of computing and programming concepts in the world around us.

The course will delve into object- oriented problem solving and design using the Java programming language. Students will have access to practice problems that will help them learn to program without spending hours on finding and fixing syntax errors. These will include online multiple-choice questions in the style of those on the AP exam, mixed-up code that the user drags into the correct order, fill in the blank code and audio tours of the code.

Topics include problem solving, programming design strategies and data structures, algorithms, role of computation in real-world applications like smart phones, google glass and robots. This material may be used for self-study and as a preview by students and teachers considering the September 2015 offering of the course.

Learn more about our High School and AP* Exam Preparation Courses

*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these offerings.

At a glance

  • Institution:

    Cooper Union

  • Subject: Computer Science
  • Level: Introductory
  • Prerequisites:

    Algebra and basic Mathematical reasoning abilities.

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), Programming Concepts, Syntax, Problem Solving, Creativity, Algorithms, Data Structures, Computer Science, Google Glass, Software Design Patterns, Java (Programming Language)

What you'll learn

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  • Identify the use and proper use of Variables, Conditionals, Objects and primitives, control structures, booleans, lists and arrays, and Exceptions.
  • Implement problem descriptions in well designed code.
  • Identify and begin to design algorithms to solve interesting problems in their field of interest.

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