I will talk about this in the lecture today, but I am required to post my response on Studyspace too. So here it is:

Many thanks for all the positive feedback – I am glad to hear I am doing something right.

On the critical comments:

Timetabling

I share your frustrations with timetabling; some of you have probably heard these frustrations spilling out verbally from me! Every year I specifically state on the paperwork “workshops must be AFTER lectures”; every year this is ignored. I have had discussions with timetabling in the past and to be fair, they have been supportive this year in terms of getting the Team Solo/Skywalker groupings set up. However, your feedback is useful in that previous complaints from academics have had no effect about the workshop before lecture factor. If I can feed back complaints from students too this may help – so thanks for your comments.

Carol is either too simple / too difficult and you need extra support

So on one hand, Carol is too difficult and students need more support. On the other hand, the pacing is too slow! I’d say that when I combine the two I’ve got it about right! Do remember that students come on to Programming 1 from many different backgrounds. Some students have a comprehensive background in programming either from college, school or through hobbyist activities. Other students have zero experience and are completely new to the discipline. The Carol/TLAP exercises are designed to establish a baseline, get you thinking in the right way and then let me assign you each into a group that will be best for you. So, now that the groups are established the pacing should be much more ideally suited to each of you.