Course: IPM (2023–2028)

Semester I
 Principles of Computational Thinking

Course Rationale:
The course is designed for Undergraduate students to understand the fundamentals of
Computational Thinking principles, practices, and its relevance to the business. Computational
thinking is not only something programmers must know, but it is also a thinking tool for
understanding our technology-infused social world. Computational thinking illuminates a
fundamental difference in the ways that humans and machines process information. This
course account of computational thinking that encompasses all the flavours of CT from
beginners to professionals, to describe CT in all its richness, breadth, and depth.

Course Objectives:
The key objectives are: -
• To understand fundamentals of computational thinking.
• To appreciate the importance of computational thinking in business space.
• To explore emerging trends in computational thinking with respect to the Changing
environment.

Learning Outcomes:
• Appreciate the significance of computational thinking
• Describe the skills that are involved in computational thinking
• Understand key principles behind computational thinking.
• Apply computational thinking in business situation.

Prerequisite: NA

Pedagogy:
Sessions will be participative in nature that will include lecture, video, discussion, activities
and practical on key concepts/theories in computational thinking. Reading articles, and
exercises in respective sessions will be provided. Students are suggested to come prepared for
the class with assigned pre-readings/exercises.

Textbook: Computational Thinking: A Primer for Programmers and Data Scientists || G

Venkatesh, Madhavan Mukund.
Other reading materials and class notes will be shared later.

Reference Books:
• Computational Thinking Peter J. Denning and Matti Tedre|| The MIT Press Cambridge,
Massachusetts, London, England.
• Computational Thinking: A beginner’s guide to problem-solving and programming ||
Karl Beecher
Jou Journals:

Links to websites:
Evaluation Scheme:
Class Participation/Presentations (CP) 20%
Project/Presentation/Written Assignments 25%
Class test/Quizzes (with or without notice) 5%
Mid-Semester Exam 20%
End-Semester Exam 30%
Total 100%

Session* Topic Learning Outcomes Pedagogical Textbook

(including Tool Chapters &
subtopics) Readings
1-3 Introduction to understand the power and Lecture and Textbook
Computational value of computation. discussions, video Chapter 1
Thinking -Defining computational
thinking
-Emergence of CT over
Millenia
4-6 Computational -Quest to eliminate Lecture and Textbook
Methods intuition discussions, video Chapter 2
- beyond -Representations and
intuition, tasks Methods
decomposition -Decomposing Tasks
and steps of -Rule for Reasoning
reasoning -Mechanizing Computation
7-11 Computing The Rise of Computing Lecture and Textbook
Machines Machines discussions, video Chapter 3
- computing -The Babbage Machine;
machines, Stored-Program Computer
representation in Computational Thinking
the digital world, and Machines
Boolean algebra, -Digital representation with
computational signals and binary code
steps and -Boolean algebra and
thinking, design
computations -- Beyond the von
machine Neumann Architecture
architecture
12 Phenomena -automation Lecture and Textbook
around computing
-programming as Art and discussions, video Chapter 5 Class
machines Science Notes
- automation,
-Computing as Automation
computing in
-Computing as Pervasive
different formsInformation Process
-Universe as a
Computer
13-20 Algorithms and Abstraction, automation, Lecture, activities Class Notes
Computational and modeling and discussions,
Problems video
21-22 Software Software crises Lecture and Textbook
ecosystem -STEM and Business discussions, video Chapter 5
-software around computation
evolution in Computational thinking Big
computational and Small
ecosystem, software development drifts
design, pattern, Design principles, patterns,
and principles and hints
-Design principles for
computational machines
23-26 Projects and -exploration and Presentation and
practice application of CT discussion
27-28 Computational Encapsulation Lecture, video, Class Notes
thinking and Why encapsulation matters and discussions
abstraction Varieties of abstraction
- abstraction and
encapsulation
29-31 Designing for -What is design Lecture, video Textbook
Humans -Computational process, and discussions Chapter 6
- process, quality, design, quality and
and factors for satisfaction
computational Design way of
thinking computational
thinking
32-36 Computational -Science and Computation Lecture, video, Textbook
Science -Computational thinking in and discussions Chapter 7
- CT in science science
and business, -computational thinking in
models, and business
simulations -Computational models
-Modeling and simulations
37-40 Computational General purpose Lecture, video Textbook
Thinking for all thinking tools and Chapter 8
-Literacy to fluency discussions
-Applied
computational thinking
41-43 Future new computation models Lecture, video, Textbook
computation -Design and discussions Chapter 9
- aspects of CT -Machine learning
influencing -Human-computer
different fields interaction
44-45 Projects and -exploration and Presentation and
applications application of CT discussion
*Tentative, subject to changes.