Nand2Tetris...A Basics Computer Science Class

[EdEarl]

Shimon Schoken, a professor, says about grading, "I'm sick of it." "Grading takes away all the fun from failing." "We collect your

B+s and A-s and aggregate them into a number like 3.4, which is stamped on your forehead and sums up who you are. Well, in my opinion we went too far with this nonsense, and grading has become degrading."

 

The Nand2Tetris open project teaches those who complete it the basics of computer science. One learns how to build a computer from nand gates. Using the computer one built, to develop an assembler. Using the assembler, how to make an operating system. Using the assembler and operating system, how to make a simple java-like compiler. And, using the compiler and other tools, how to code a a game like Tetris.

 

My computer science education began with a BS in Electrical Engineering, because the university I attended did not have an undergraduate computer science curriculum (yes, I am a old). While at the university, I learned Fortran in an engineering class, and started hanging out in the computer lab, where lived an IBM1620 and a remote job entry station {RJE) for the university supercomputer (my cellphone today is more powerful). I used the RJE for classwork, and played (not classwork) on the 1620. I learned its assembler language.

 

The 1620 is a bizarre machine compared to those of today. It did not have hardware to do arithmetic, it had addition and subtraction tables in memory, did arithmetic in the decimal (instead of the binary) number system, had digits of memory instead of bytes, and could add numbers of any length as long as they could fit into its 20,000 digit memory space. Many computer science graduates of today may only vaguely understand how bizarre this machine was, because they have not learned about computers as Nand2Tetris teaches. For those who enjoy learning, this semester long class will be a treat.

 

Edited May 18, 2013 by EdEarl