1. My programming skills have greatly improved in the following ways:
My programming has improved by becoming acquainted with html, css, and javascript. I had very little to no prior experience and knowledge before this class. Now I am able to distinguish between the languages and their general uses and have a better understanding if their syntax. After some practice with certain functions, I can somewhat follow along and make sense of what given code is doing, but I still have a long way to go when it comes to understanding it well and feeling confident.
2. I need to work on the following to improve my programming skills:
There are a lot of ways in which my programming could use improvement. I am unable to construct proper and clean code from scratch on my own and need a lot of assistance and guidance to put together functions to get code to do what I intend. I find that I am so concerned about just getting code to work that thinking about conciseness and efficiency is the last thing on my mind.
3. I have learned a lot from doing WODs and I can do them without copying the screencast:
I have learned a lot from doing the WODs because I was able to apply what I have learned in class with guidance. I enjoyed this learning process the most because I was able to learn at my own pace and allowed to practice as many times as I needed without feeling the pressure of feeling like I was asking too many stupid questions. I had gotten stuck on almost all the WODs and had to watch the screencast to complete them. After watching the screencasts, I was able to understand how the solutions were reached and I practiced on my own to see if I could do them using the same reasoning. If I got stuck and had to watch the screencasts again I would start the WODs all over again until I could complete it on my own in a decent timeframe.
4. The labs have help me learn and I am able to complete them with confidence:
I learned how to apply code and how it can be used from the labs. The labs had also prepared me the most for Assignment 1 which was very helpful, but in general, the labs were very difficult for me. I appreciate how Professor Port would explain the whys behind the code and how he would have us try out different possibilities in class to deepen our understanding. But because it was an important way of introducing us to application of concepts- it was difficult when we were not able to complete them in class. I understand we must figure a lot of things out on our own through external research because not every scenario for what we code may be covered in class, however, I end up becoming more confused after looking up sources because there are so many with differing contexts. I would find myself spending hours on labs that are supposed to take a few minutes. In the end, I turn labs in not sure whether I did them right or understood them correctly. Since labs and the concepts in them build on each other, I felt they got harder and harder to complete.
5. I learned a lot from my experience doing Assignment 1 and feel ready to work on Assignment 2:
I learned a lot from Assignment 1. I had a very hard time with this assignment and should have asked for help sooner. I was able to meet with Professor Port during office hours, and he had helped me a lot with reconfiguring my code to make more sense. I had tried to piece together what I had done from previous assignments and hoped to get the code to work that way, but I learned it is better to have general idea of what you want the code to do and start from there. I still was not able to complete the assignment to its full potential, but it was a learning experience. I cannot say I am confident in my ability to tackle Assignment 2, but I will start sooner and ask for help when I get stuck.
6. I think the class can be improved to help my learning in the following ways:
I think having clear instructions and more guidance whether that be through screencasts or completing labs in class would be beneficial to learning the concepts and how to apply them. We go over a lot of things in class and for many it is our first time dealing with a subject like this. Therefore, it is helpful to have something to refer to.
7. What helps me the most in class are (WODs, Labs, class website, screencasts, readings, quizzes, one on one help, working with classmates, etc.):
Getting the help I needed with Professor Port during his office hours and working together with other classmates was the most helpful. I was very lost with assignment 1 and appreciative of any help. After going into office hours, I felt a better sense of how to complete the it.