Teaching Methodology

The five-minute case method

Every lecture is a sequence of case cycles. One cycle has four phases:

The case pages are written to be projected: short statements, visible constraints, and examples that fit on one screen.

Rhythm of a two-hour lecture

• 0:00–0:10 Warm-up: recap of the previous lecture via one quick question, plus the quiz/assignment handback when scheduled.
• 0:10–1:50 Four case cycles (three on weeks with a lab or quiz).
• 1:50–2:00 Synthesis: name the techniques seen today, connect to the learning outcomes, assign homework and preview the next lecture.

Lecture plans include a per-case timing budget and mark which cases may be dropped if time runs short. Every timing table ends with the same flex note: let an ignited discussion run and compress the synthesis; harvest partial attempts rather than extending the clock.

Session formats

The standard case rhythm above is the default, but eleven lectures deliberately use a different structure. Each plan's timing table names its format at the top:

All formats keep the attempt-first rule and the reveal discipline — only the packaging changes. Do not force a workshop lecture back into four identical cycles; the format is the pedagogy for that lecture.

What every lecture plan contains

All 32 plans share one anatomy (see any lectures/lecture-NN/plan.md):

1. Position in the course, learning objectives, and prerequisite knowledge with a concrete preparation task to assign beforehand.
2. A detailed topic outline split into core (mandatory) and extension (optional enrichment).
3. The case sequence with difficulties, and the format-specific timing plan.
4. A worked example plus the instructor demonstration that opens the lecture.
5. At least three classroom activities with minutes and prompts (reusing the standard activity formats where suitable).
6. The board plan, instructor explanation notes (reading the room, running the reveal, the one-sentence lecture focus), and common misconceptions to address by name.
7. Student practice exercises (core and enrichment), the formative assessment (exit questions with expected answers), homework, and the learning-outcome mapping back to the course outcomes.

The attempt-first rule

Students must produce something before the reveal — even a wrong approach, a diagram, or a question. Wrong attempts are treated as data for the discussion. This rule is what makes the method work: the reveal answers a question the student already has.

The hint ladder

During the attempt phase the instructor gives hints only in this order:

1. Clarify — restate what is being asked; point at the example.
2. Nudge — "what is the first thing you would need to know?"
3. Structure — suggest a decomposition or a table to fill in.
4. Approach — name a technique from an earlier lecture.

Never reveal during the attempt phase; the reveal phase belongs to the class discussion.

Mixed-ability design

Every student page separates:

• Core task — required of everyone, sized for five minutes at Beginner/Intermediate level.
• Extensions — optional, labelled Extension (enrichment), aimed at Advanced/Expert students.
• What to notice — a low-floor observation question so a struggling student still contributes to the discussion.

First-semester students are expected to master core tasks in Blocks I–II. Third-semester students should be attempting extensions routinely and can act as discussion leaders for Beginner cases.

Pseudocode before Python

Blocks I–II require a pseudocode or flowchart attempt before any Python. This keeps students without prior programming on equal footing and forces the reasoning to be explicit. From Block III, students may go straight to Python, but the discussion still asks "why does this work?" rather than "does it run?"

Discussion culture

• Volunteer first; cold-call only for observations, never for full solutions.
• Compare two approaches before evaluating either.
• Praise the diagnosis of a bug as highly as a working solution.
• The instructor writes student ideas on the board before opening the instructor page — the board plan in each lecture plan shows the layout.

What if nobody solves it?

That is a designed outcome for several Advanced and Expert cases. The plan marks them as discussion-target cases: the reveal becomes a mini-lecture driven by the instructor solution's reasoning section. Record in the course log which cases behaved this way — it informs next semester's pacing.

Enrichment vs mandatory

Each lecture plan tags cases Core or Enrichment. Core cases are the mandatory sequence; enrichment cases exist for fast classes, extra sessions, and self-study. Skipping every enrichment case still covers all learning outcomes (see Learning Outcomes).