Prior to lab discussion topics:

Group skills discussion

Groups are a tool.  Like any tool they can do helpful, neutral, or unhelpful things.  The goal of our group projects is to learn skills that allow us to increase the helpfulness of groups, while also learning skills that help us decrease the unhelpful elements of groups.

Increasing group helpfulness skills:

1) Collaboration is good for coding.

We're Teaching Coding All Wrong

2) Might be a good way to learn group skills (and other educational tasks):

After Years of Research, Google Discovered the Secret Weapon to Building a Great Team. It's a Lesson in Emotional Intelligence

3) How to better learn how to help share leadership in a group.

5 Questions to Uncover Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Decreasing group unhelpful elements:

Just as important is decreasing the unhelpful elements of groups.  Below are some of the most reported problems with groups:

Algorithm skills discussion

Algorithms are solutions to problems.  We all create algorithms ever day to get through life.  When you create a computer program you are creating an algorithm.  Computer Scientists learn algorithm creation skills as they learn about the field.  Here are some ways to start learning about algorithm creation.

Increasing algorithm skills:

Computational Thinking and CS Unplugged

How to Explain Algorithms to Kids

Understanding the Basic Algorithms that Power Your Digital Life

Pros and Cons of the Algorithm Age