CS0: Introducing Computing with Raspberry Pis

This paper presents our experience implementing a newly designed introduction to computing course for first year undergraduate students. The redesigned course focuses on the use of Raspberry Pi microcomputers as a common computing platform in order to encourage student experimentation and fun in a relatively low-cost environment. The course we describe represents a departure at our university from a traditional first-semester introduction to computing which emphasized foundational technical and mathematical skills but less exploration of the field of computing in a more wholistic manner. Our new course focuses on exposure to computing through experimentation. Additionally, it emphasizes community building among the students as well as affording them the opportunity to bring their creativity to bear in a final project showcase. As a result, the course is proving to be attractive not just to traditional computing majors but to a wider swath of the university community. This paper describes the topics selected in the redesign of the course, a summary of the labs involved, a discussion of assignments, and a description of the final project process. We discuss feedback received from students and the overall perception of the course among students and faculty. We also reflect on our experiences from redesigning the course and provide advice for those wishing to adopt a similar introductory course.