<p>I am currently teaching in a community college that includes teaching introductory programming course in <code>C++</code>. I also have a colleague who is currently teaching networking course with a laboratory hands-on part (I also teach this one before). Both of these courses are good for four (4) credits. Now, my question is <strong>how many preps</strong> are these courses considered in your school, is it good for one preparation (or one prep) or two preps? In my programming class by the way most of my students if not all have no prior programming experience in high school, so the teaching is more challenging than normal. Also, the networking course the lab could include actual cabling, accessing a router physically (via cable) and configuring routers virtually. I am saying this because from our college the only courses that are considered two preps are chemistry and physics classes.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-02T14:33:34.043Z
The answers would have to be somewhat institution-specific.  Where I am, one unique course is one prep.  If you teach multiple sections of the same course, then that is still one prep.
Ben I.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-02T14:35:34.413Z
I feel like this question might be too specific to your school and curriculum for others to be able to provide much useful guidance.  Have you tried talking to your colleagues and department head?
Ben I.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-02T16:11:22.613Z
Does your contract say that you have some number of "preps" each term? If so, what is the number? Probably not 1 or 2 like Dartmouth and probably less than 7, but I'd expect it to be high for a community college.
Buffy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-03T10:17:18.637Z
You are teaching `C++`, and how to program at the same time. Cognitive load theory say that teaching two complex things together is not effective. Learning to program is hard. Learning C++ is very hard (if experienced programmer, harder if not).
ctrl-alt-delor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-03T10:18:44.920Z
What is a "prep" is in a USA thing? Is it an abbreviation?
ctrl-alt-delor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-04T10:49:07.107Z
@Buffy If we go more than 4 preps we have an overload that would be paid separately than your regular salary.
Edper
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-04T10:51:50.770Z
@ctrl-alt-delor Preps is just a contraction for preparations. I think I mentioned it on my question. As for cognitive overload, you might be right there. In fact we are currently proposing to have a pre-programming class before taking C++. We don't go OOP on our C++ intro class of course. We do go up to array as the last topic.
Edper
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-04T11:03:20.420Z
@BenI.Thank you for your response. Yeah, I understand that this could be institution specific. But I just want to know how it is done in different institutions so that I might have a reference that I could use. As for talking to the department head, the answer yes I did so. But the decision honestly is not on him/her but on higher ups that has less knowhow that I want him/her to be.
Edper
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-04T19:49:25.437Z
Have a look at `golang` a modern `C` like language. Or `lisp` a good teaching language, and much simpler than `C`, and easier to learn and use.
ctrl-alt-delor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-04T19:52:25.593Z
OK. So what is a preparation.
ctrl-alt-delor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-04T05:11:37.020Z
@ctrl-alt-delor Sorry for this late reply. A preparation or preps is like this. Let's say I am teaching chemistry class. On lecture time I focused on the theoretical part of chemistry (so that's one preparation). However, in my laboratory I prepare different instruments & chemicals that students play around with for their activities. And that's another prep separate from the lecture. So, that would mean two preps/preparations. On the other hand i am teaching history with no lab that's one prep. The tricky part is programming wherein you can have both lecture and lab. Is it 2 preps or 1 prep?
Edper
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-07T10:25:51.850Z
@edper So these preps are they for the teacher? I am still guessing here. Are they paid preparation time allocated to the teacher?
ctrl-alt-delor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-09T22:44:09.187Z
@ctrl-alt-delor Yes, these are for teachers and yes they are paid. In our case the payment scheme and computations is based on either credits or preps.
Edper
<programming><networks><curriculum>
Number of preps for networking and programming courses
# Number of preps for networking and programming courses

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-02)

I am currently teaching in a community college that includes teaching introductory programming course in `C++`. I also have a colleague who is currently teaching networking course with a laboratory hands-on part (I also teach this one before). Both of these courses are good for four (4) credits. Now, my question is **how many preps** are these courses considered in your school, is it good for one preparation (or one prep) or two preps? In my programming class by the way most of my students if not all have no prior programming experience in high school, so the teaching is more challenging than normal. Also, the networking course the lab could include actual cabling, accessing a router physically (via cable) and configuring routers virtually. I am saying this because from our college the only courses that are considered two preps are chemistry and physics classes.

**Tags:** programming, networks, curriculum

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The answers would have to be somewhat institution-specific.  Where I am, one unique course is one prep.  If you teach multiple sections of the same course, then that is still one prep.  
> **username_1**: I feel like this question might be too specific to your school and curriculum for others to be able to provide much useful guidance.  Have you tried talking to your colleagues and department head?  
> **username_2**: Does your contract say that you have some number of "preps" each term? If so, what is the number? Probably not 1 or 2 like Dartmouth and probably less than 7, but I'd expect it to be high for a community college.  
> **username_3**: You are teaching `C++`, and how to program at the same time. Cognitive load theory say that teaching two complex things together is not effective. Learning to program is hard. Learning C++ is very hard (if experienced programmer, harder if not).  
> **username_3**: What is a "prep" is in a USA thing? Is it an abbreviation?  
> **username_0**: @username_2 If we go more than 4 preps we have an overload that would be paid separately than your regular salary.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Preps is just a contraction for preparations. I think I mentioned it on my question. As for cognitive overload, you might be right there. In fact we are currently proposing to have a pre-programming class before taking C++. We don't go OOP on our C++ intro class of course. We do go up to array as the last topic.  
> **username_0**: @BenI.Thank you for your response. Yeah, I understand that this could be institution specific. But I just want to know how it is done in different institutions so that I might have a reference that I could use. As for talking to the department head, the answer yes I did so. But the decision honestly is not on him/her but on higher ups that has less knowhow that I want him/her to be.  
> **username_3**: Have a look at `golang` a modern `C` like language. Or `lisp` a good teaching language, and much simpler than `C`, and easier to learn and use.  
> **username_3**: OK. So what is a preparation.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Sorry for this late reply. A preparation or preps is like this. Let's say I am teaching chemistry class. On lecture time I focused on the theoretical part of chemistry (so that's one preparation). However, in my laboratory I prepare different instruments & chemicals that students play around with for their activities. And that's another prep separate from the lecture. So, that would mean two preps/preparations. On the other hand i am teaching history with no lab that's one prep. The tricky part is programming wherein you can have both lecture and lab. Is it 2 preps or 1 prep?  
> **username_3**: @edper So these preps are they for the teacher? I am still guessing here. Are they paid preparation time allocated to the teacher?  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Yes, these are for teachers and yes they are paid. In our case the payment scheme and computations is based on either credits or preps.  

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## 0 answers

