Course syllabus for Programming and algorithmic thinking

Course syllabus adopted 2025-02-17 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameProgrammering och algoritmiskt tänkande
  • CodeMMS325
  • Credits3 Credits
  • OwnerTKSAM
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyComputer Science and Engineering
  • DepartmentMECHANICS AND MARITIME SCIENCES
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 58139
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0125 Examination 3 c
Grading: TH		3 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

No formal prerequisites, but many examples will build on upper secondary school mathematics and physics. Computer experience corresponding to the use of a word processor.

Aim

Computers are today one of the engineer's most important tools for computation, visualization, writing and documentation. By letting the computer carry out simple but time-consuming tasks, the engineer can focus on more complex and difficult tasks to be more productive. Furthermore, previous work (own or others’) can often be reused in many situations. Good programming skills provide access to an important toolbox for analysis, modeling, simulation and visualization of engineering problems, in the educational setting as well as in industry. Additionally, an important part of learning programming is the training in systematic problem-solving, which is perhaps the most important skill of an engineer. After completion of the course, the student will be able to continue to learn through active use of programming and algorithmic thinking in other situations.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • Use the computer as a tool to solve and numerically analyze engineering problems in subsequent courses and in industry
  • Develop own programs from problem descriptions
  • Interpret and extend existing programs

Content

The course introduces programming as a combination of up to five components: input, output, arithmetic, conditional execution and repetition. Parts: definitions and terms, types of variables, print to screen, if-while-for, algorithms, functions, efficiency and style, error messages and debugging, and write to/read from file. Special attention is paid during the second half of the course on algorithmic thinking.

Organisation

The education is organized in the form of lectures and computer classes. To learn programming, hands-on training in front of the computer is a necessity. Here, the mandatory hand-in plays a key role where the students are provided step-by-step guidance in the development of a more comprehensive program.

Literature

"Python från början" by Jan Skansholm, Second Edition, Studentlitteratur 2024

Examination including compulsory elements

At the end of the course there is an exam which is done individually in front of the computer, where the students are assessed. The exam is graded and constitutes the grade for the whole course. To get a passing grade, the mandatory assignment must also be completed.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.