Professor: Krishnamurthi Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 25 Total Enrollment: 29 Class Composition: Froshs: 0 Sophs: 8 Jrs: 5 Srs: 5

Instructor Average: 1.41 Course Average: 1.35

The practice of computer programming has often been approached from a very syntactical viewpoint, often ignoring the foundation of the language itself. As its title indicates, "Introduction to Programming Languages" attempts to deviate from this methodology, exploring the principles governing computer programming from a theoretical perspective. This is an upper level computer science course and as such students should have taken CS22, CS31, CS51 and either CS16 or CS18 prior to entry.

Respondents didn't have a single negative word to say about Professor Krishnamurthi, suggesting that his mere presence brings a sense of energy and fervor to the classroom. According to most, his effectiveness has much to do with his humor and 'quick tongue', which keep everyone on their toes. Class members indicate that he was extremely sensitive to individual concerns and is extremely accessible as a result.

The grading system for CS173 involves 9 total assignments, a midterm, and a final examination. Students seemed to feel that this workload was more than manageable. However, some indicate that the lack of a defined syllabus was often a burden in terms of time allocation. Occasionally, this course issued required readings, but they were always directly related to the concepts currently being covered in class. As a result, most students found them to be worthwhile and intellectually valuable.

On the whole, class members devoted approximately five to eight hours per week outside of class to related work. Survey correspondents convey that this was far less than they had initially anticipated. Since this course is filled with mostly computer science concentrators, the majority of respondents welcomed CS173 as a break from the extreme time commitments of other classes in the department. By overall consensus, CS173 presents interesting yet challenging material unique from other such courses. Correspondingly, anyone with an interest in the area, especially computer science majors, is urged to consider "Introduction to Programming Languages."

View CS/0173 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.