Introductory Pseudocode Activity

Rob Sleezer, Minnesota State University-Mankato,
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Initial Publication Date: October 6, 2026
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Summary

Learners discover basic programming skills through the practice of developing a pseudocode to compute the square root before implementing that algorithm in MATLAB. This activity is collaborative in nature with students working first independently and then together. At the end of the activity, students will have an intuitive understanding of core programming concepts including variables, conditionals, and loops (although these concepts may need more formalization later). Additionally, they will be able to use the extensive MATLAB documentation produced by Mathworks to navigate through a self-help process.

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Learning Goals

The goals of this activity are to position students to write and execute basic MATLAB scripts. At the conclusion of the activity a student will be able to generate pseudocode, use variables, conditionals, and loops. Additionally, students will be expected to practice collaborative code development.

Context for Use

This activity has worked well for me in class sizes of about 25 and typically takes between two and three 50 minute periods. No prior experience with MATLAB or other programming is required for any individual student in the space. However, this activity does rely on some minimal awareness of programming concepts (e.g.: knowing that loops are a thing but not knowing how to do them). No other skills beyond basic math are needed for participating in this activity. This is situated as the first activity in an introduction to MATLAB programming course.

Description and Teaching Materials

This activity is documented on the Engineering Unleashed website. Engineering Unleashed is a repository of community created content facilitated by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN). KEEN works to support the development of an entrepreneurial mindset in future engineers through the three C's of Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value coupled with an engineering skillset on a foundation of character.

https://engineeringunleashed.com/card/1318 



Teaching Notes and Tips

The most challenging part of this activity is determining when and how to step in with support so that students have sufficient autonomy to be driving the code generation without letting them go off the rails. Additionally, when a student has significant programming experience I sometimes need to let them know I can see their ability and would appreciate their support in helping the others learn the material.

Assessment

The assessment of this activity is based on participation and completion. If a student completes a reasonable attempt at generating pseudocode and participates meaningfully in the code generation process, they get full credit.

References and Resources