CS 70 Spring 2026 Assignment Changes Survey

This survey is not a part of your regular course evaluations; you should complete and submit it entirely on this page.

Motivation

CS 70 is always evolving, and this is especially true now that the department is embarking on a project to revisit and reimagine its intro curriculum. We piloted some small changes to some assignments this semester in order to test the waters for longer-term changes, and we would really value your feedback on what worked and what didn't. This is your chance to infuluence the future of CS 70!

Background

The two assignments that were changed were:

Homework 01: Previously just an intro to C++ coding, we expanded this assignment to become a broader look at the C++ development environment and how all the individual parts work. The biggest change was that, instead of being on the course server, this assignment had you set up your own local development environment and compile and run code on it. In doing so, you also gained some experience with the command line, software package management, and Git.
Homework 08: Previously, this homework only had you implement a hash table (much like how Homework 6-7 only had you implement a BST). We added a new "context wrapper" around it: motivating the use of hash tables by explaining how they're used in machine learning, and then having you fill in a few gaps in a piece of machine learning code to have it use your hash table. This is part of a broader initiative to add real-world context around all the assignments (similar to what was already previously done with Homeworks 4 and 5), and if it worked, it could lead to similar changes to Homework 6-7 down the line.

Now we'll ask you to share your thoughts on each of these updated assignments.

Homework 01: The C++ Development Environment

How much did you learn from doing this assignment?

5 - I learned a lot; everything the assignment covered was new to me.
4 - I learned quite a bit; most things the assigment covered were new to me.
3 - I learned a decent amount; there was a mix of things I knew and things I didn't know.
2 - I learned only a little; most things the assignment covered were things I already knew.
1 - I learned nothing; the assignment only covered things I already knew.

Thinking of the skills that the assignment covered (regardless of whether you already knew them or not), how useful were those skills throughout the rest of the semester's homeworks?

5 - I was constantly using the skills I learned from this homework in future homeworks.
4 - I was frequently using the skills I learned from this homework in future homeworks.
3 - I was occassionally using the skills I learned from this homework in future homeworks.
2 - I only rarely used the skills I learned from this homework in future homeworks.
1 - I never used the skills from this homework again.

How difficult did you find this assignment?

How much fun did you have with this assignment?

Do you want this version of the assignment to remain in future iterations of CS 70?

Definitely, it's a must have
It's a good to have, but we could lose it if needed
No opinion
We can keep it if we absolutely must, but I'd prefer we lose it
Kill it with fire!

In general, do you want future iterations of CS 70 to have more assignments like this one? (Thematically: working on the command line, interacting with the operating system at a lower level than usual, learning more about how C++ actually works)

Any other comments about this assignment?

Homework 08: Hash Tables and Machine Learning

How much did you learn from doing this assignment?

5 - I learned a lot; everything the assignment covered was new to me.
4 - I learned quite a bit; most things the assigment covered were new to me.
3 - I learned a decent amount; there was a mix of things I knew and things I didn't know.
2 - I learned only a little; most things the assignment covered were things I already knew.
1 - I learned nothing; the assignment only covered things I already knew.

How difficult did you find this assignment?

How much fun did you have with this assignment?

What did you think of the addition of machine learning topics as extra "context" for this assignment?

5 - I loved it! It was really cool to learn a bit about machine learning in such an early course, even if it was high level.
4 - It was pretty interesting. I don't necessarily care that much about machine learning but it was still cool to learn about.
3 - I could do without it, but I didn't hate it either.
2 - It was nothing more than extra busy-work, but the assignment still mostly worked.
1 - It actively distracted from the assignment.

Do you want this version of the assignment to remain in future iterations of CS 70?

Definitely, it's a must have
It's a good to have, but we could lose it if needed
No opinion
We can keep it if we absolutely must, but I'd prefer we lose it
Kill it with fire!

In general, do you want future iterations of CS 70 to have more assignments like this one? (Not about machine learning specifically, but the general idea of adding real-world context and doing "something interesting" with each data structure you implement, which may require learning some background info about that "something")

Any other comments about this assignment?

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CS 70

Warning: Missing Prerequisites

CS 70 Spring 2026 Assignment Changes Survey

Motivation

Background

Homework 01: The C++ Development Environment

Homework 08: Hash Tables and Machine Learning

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