AET Lecturer Eric Freeman’s teaching style extends far beyond the classroom. Most recently, he and co-author Elisabeth Robson published Head First Algorithms and Data Structures: A Learner's Guide to the Foundations of Computing (O’Reilly, 2026). The textbook is his eighth published book over two decades and reflects the same brain-friendly approach he brings to his work at the Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies.
Following the completion of his Ph.D. in computer science from Yale University, Freeman’s publishing career began with JavaSpaces: Principles, Patterns, and Practice (O’Reilly, 1999), several years before he took on the role of CTO of Disney Online, where he designed digital experiences across Disney’s media and entertainment businesses.
As he prepared to leave Disney, Freeman said an editor he worked with on JavaSpaces: Principles, Patterns, and Practice encouraged him to write about design patterns. The result was Head First Design Patterns (O’Reilly, 2004), the first title in a series and a recipient of the Dr. Dobb’s Jolt Award for Technical Excellence.
Since then, Freeman has authored several additional Head First titles, including books on HTML, HTML5, JavaScript and coding skills. This newest release on algorithms and data structures introduces readers to foundational concepts in computer science while upholding the series’ emphasis on making technical topics digestible for beginners.
“It’s all about brain-friendly learning,” Freeman said. “It’s taking a topic that generally as a technical book is very dry or boring and making it something that actually excites someone’s brain.”
The Head First series prioritizes the “beginner’s mind,” which Freeman described as, “taking your brain back to before you knew something.”
Freeman applies the same philosophy in his introductory coding courses at AET, using projects and real-world examples to make technical concepts feel less intimidating.
“I would say 50 percent of people come to the class and have never written a line of code in their life,” he said. Freeman sees this as a teaching challenge, often asking himself whether he can find an example with a goal that excites the student enough to learn the technical skills to execute it.
Although Head First Algorithms and Data Structures focuses on computing concepts, Freeman said the ideas it presents continue becoming more important in today’s era of artificial intelligence.
Freeman currently teaches AI Explorations with AET Chair Michael Baker to help students create polished applications using AI assistance. The challenge, Freeman said, is understanding the systems behind the technology and bringing human judgment to decisions AI helps make.
“As it goes forward, it’s not going to be up to us to write the code, just to judge it,” Freeman said.