Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!merrimack.edu!pa_scott From: pa_scott@merrimack.edu (qwerty?) Newsgroups: comp.org.acm Subject: Re: Programming contests Message-ID: <1991May2.170600.21778@merrimack.edu> Date: 2 May 91 17:06:00 GMT References: <91120.075856TAINT021@ysub.ysu.edu><9105020134.AA29577@enuxha.eas.asu.edu> Organization: Merrimack College, No. Andover, MA Lines: 47 This whole idea of a 1 program contest is GREAT ! The complexity of the problem is VASTLY different when talking about college-level contestants and high school level contestants. A lot of time highschoolers don't get to work in a team environment to produce one system. One learns alot from doing a group project/program, and I think any high school students that have this type of exposure will have a GREAT advantage in their college/post high school years. Highschol students should, IMHO, be able to solve problems that involve : a. arrays b. character/string manipulation c. high school math (trig, algebra, geometry) So your kind-a limited to what you can do with the high schoolers but "Joe's Sub Shop" is a good thing to have them attempt. Could be like a cash register/reciept system. Where as college level students should be able to solve probelms that involve : a. data structures (stacks, queues, link lists,...) b. Calculus c. file i/o (maybe) d. pointers e. etc.,etc. The scope of "Joe's Sub Shop" for college students would be a lot greater. They SHOULD have some back gropund in group projects, and their computer porgramming skills are a lot greater. This idea of group programming contest is a GREAT idea for both the high school and college levels. Too bad I'm graduating from Merrimack this year, cause I'd like to try this in our high school contest next year. Greener p.s. 17 days till graduation :-) YOW ! -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Scott Green "EMACS" = "Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift" Class of 1991 pa_scott@merrimack.edu or uunet!samsung!hubdub!pa_scott Merrimack College - North Andover, Massachusetts "qwerty ? dnim fo etats A...srekcah nexalf k'neat!"