Introduction of Fundamental Data Structures

[johnanvik]

As Program Wars improves/advances, we can look at how to incorporate more advanced CS concepts and practices. A logical step after #518 is basic data structures. This could include:

• stack
• queue / list
• map
• hashing/hashtable
• binary tree

Implementation Ideas
Introduction of cards that create an area into which "data" cards (instructions?) are placed. The cards create different data structures (teaches concept of declaring an object?) and then are used to solve a "real" computational problem.

Can look at CPSC 2620 (or similar course) for the problems they have students solve that use the various data structures and then created similar problems that a player (or players?) can solve using cards.

Other Thoughts

• This could be a way to introduce "objects" to players.
• This is in the same vein as "visual programming" (e.g. Scratch) but with a more familiar modality of cards instead of widgets (e.g. repeat in Scratch)

[johnanvik]

Should look at Software Development Fundamentals (SDF) Knowledge Area (KA) of the ACM Curriculum in https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/education/cs2013_web_final.pdf

[johnanvik]

Was discussing how this might work with @jsanvik and Erik. They made a good point that including this in PW is likely to much - it should be a different game.

[strinsberg]

Many card games these days come with expansions to add new elements to the game. Perhaps in the future something like this could be done. Either by forking program wars and creating an expanded game, or by having the option of adding different expansions to the game at game setup time. That way the base game wouldn't change and you could add expansions for different concepts that would be designed to add to the base game and introduce/reinforce very specific concepts.