La Bella Figura: Making a Good Impression When Teaching an Introduction to Programming to Non-engineers

This paper presents real and practical solutions to teaching an introductory course in programming to non-engineering students. It addresses the challenges and the potentials of making a good first impression in such a course, including the desire to fit everything into one quarter, the opportunity to encourage students to explore programming further, and the reality that students are looking for a useful tool for use in their respective fields. Specific suggestions and ideas for course content presentation, textbook selection, and course projects are presented that address these challenges.