>>> import computational_thinking
CMPSC 100
Computational Expression
An introduction to the principles of computer science, with an emphasis on creative expression through the medium of a programming language. Fall 2026, Allegheny College.
Where to start
What this course is
You'll learn Python fundamentals — variables, control flow, lists, dictionaries, functions, and object-oriented design — the same way you'd actually use them: to build things. Most weeks pair a lecture with a hands-on lab, and after the first couple of weeks those labs run on real hardware: a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with LEDs, a button, and a temperature sensor.
Assessment leans on frequent, low-stakes checkpoints rather than one big exam, and code reviews — where you talk through your own code with a TL or the instructor — carry real weight throughout the semester, not just at the end.
By the numbers
- 8
- labs, building toward a final IoT project
- 4
- concept checkpoints throughout the semester
- 2
- project presentations — a mid-semester pitch and a final
- 15
- weeks, plus finals week presentations