%0 Conference Paper
%B 19th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE 2014)
%D 2014
%T The Magic of Algorithm Design and Analysis: Teaching Algorithmic Skills using Magic Card Tricks
%A João F. Ferreira
%A Alexandra Mendes
%C Uppsala, Sweden
%I ACM
%P 75-80
%X <p>We describe our experience using magic card tricks to teach algorithmic skills to first-year Computer Science undergraduates. We illustrate our approach with a detailed discussion on a card trick that is typically presented as a test to the psychic abilities of an audience. We use the trick to discuss concepts like problem decomposition, pre- and post-conditions, and invariants. We discuss pedagogical issues and analyse feedback collected from students. The feedback has been very positive and encouraging.</p>
%8 June
%> https://haslab.uminho.pt/sites/default/files/jff/files/2014-magicalgorithmdesign.pdf