Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs Video Lectures (1986) (ocw.mit.edu)

Article summary

The article presents a series of 20 video lectures on the course 'Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs' given by Hal Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman in 1986. The lectures are available under a Creative Commons license and follow the first edition of the book. The course covers topics in computer science, theory of computation, and mathematics. The lectures are considered a valuable resource for learning the subject, especially when used in conjunction with the book.

Main themes

• Computer Science Education
• Scheme Programming Language
• SICP Course
• Lecture Videos
• Programming Principles
• Learning Resources

What commenters say

• The video lectures are a great way to learn SICP, providing pacing and intuition that makes the abstractions click.
• Using Scheme is the best way to learn SICP, as it is the language the book was written for and the concepts map well into it.
• Some commenters disagree, suggesting that other languages like JavaScript can be used to learn SICP, but this approach is not recommended by most.
• The lectures are considered more effective than just reading the book, as they provide a engaging and interactive way to learn the material.
• The quality of teaching can vary greatly, even in top universities, and some professors may not be effective at conveying the material.
• The SICP course teaches generic programming principles that can be applied to any language, making it a valuable resource for programmers.
• Some commenters have successfully used the SICP course to learn programming and build a career, while others have found it helpful in learning specific languages like Clojure.
• There is disagreement about the importance of using the original language and materials when learning SICP, with some arguing that it is not necessary to use Scheme to learn the concepts.