I just graduated. My favorite form of course, and the one that was seemed to be preferred in discussions with friends and peers, was something like the followin

I just graduated. My favorite form of course, and the one that was seemed to be preferred in discussions with friends and peers, was something like the following: - Homework is between 10/20% of the grade. Collaboration must be allowed. Even allow copying, and allow one or two drops instead of accepting late assignments. - Weekly quizzes account for ~20% of the grade in total. At my university, we have a computer based testing facility where students can schedule quizzes at times best for them. Plus, the grading is automatic :). Quizzes should be a little more difficult than the homework, and maybe more expansive/general. - The rest is exams. Exams should test conceptual knowledge over practical problem solving or particular algorithms/definitions, in my opinion. Also, as I'm sure you're aware, try to avoid subjective or ambiguous questions. Unfortunately, I had my fair share of both. - Having students write out code on an exam is probably the only way to make sure they understand how to program what is taught. Many people will cheat on homeworks or programming assignments. If you don't have a secure testing facility, they will do anything in their power to cheat on quizzes and tests, too. I worked as a TA and saw some of their techniques first hand. With that out of the way, try to make homework online & automatically graded. PLEASE, record your lectures and allow students to watch. A auxiliary youtube channel with videos explaining the concepts is a huge plus. Please, try to recommend texts instead of requiring them UNLESS the text is actually used in the course. It has to be used substantially to warrant requiring it. However, please have a few texts listed regardless. It will help supplement what you teach. Maybe link to some good sites or references if you know of any. Our generation isn't all that different; perhaps we prefer more things online! Competitive programming assignments were very enjoyable for me, by the way. Thank you for reading my rambling post. Good luck.