Linda Marshall - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Linda Marshall
computer science education research conference, Apr 4, 2013
ABSTRACT This paper looks at how courses by experts that are available on the internet can be use... more ABSTRACT This paper looks at how courses by experts that are available on the internet can be used to enhance student understanding of Computer Science prior to them entering or during their first year of study at a university. A secondary school exit skill-set is proposed which is based on existing secondary school curricula and studies that have recently been conducted. A selection of online courses from the internet is proposed in order to help students succeed in Computer Science at university. These courses are selected by taking the secondary school skill-set into account as well as the pedagogical setting of the course.
computer science education research conference, Apr 7, 2011
ABSTRACT This paper presents the challenges faced when developing a curriculum for a Computer Sci... more ABSTRACT This paper presents the challenges faced when developing a curriculum for a Computer Science degree programme in the South African context that is earmarked for international recognition. Curricula need to adhere both to the policy and content requirements in order to be rated as being of a particular quality. Policy requirements are local and are laid down by the government of the particular country and institution for which the curriculum is being developed. Content requirements are developed by societies and organisations who have a vested interest in the particular discipline. Accreditation provides the quality assurance for the curriculum of a degree programme. When developing a curriculum, these differences in requirements need to be taken into account in order for the curriculum and the outcomes thereof to be both locally and internationally accepted.
When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to... more When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to be able to find and apply ap-propriate design patterns when developing their final year projects. For this reason we include a software modelling module early in the curriculum. The aim of the module is to introduce students to the concepts of model-driven analysis and design in order to develop and evaluate complex systems. In this article we propose a metric, which we call the informa-tion measure, to quantify the level of cognitive activity in a given situation at a specific moment. This measure can be applied to iden-tify the calibre of the cognitive activities of students while partic-ipating in learning activities. To illustrate this, we show how we stimulated a specific learning activity and applied our information measure to identify the cognitive levels that the students reached during this activity. We include a complete description of the lec-ture we presented to stimulate le...
Education and Information Technologies, 2020
Various computing subdisciplines, such as computer science and software engineering, each have th... more Various computing subdisciplines, such as computer science and software engineering, each have their own curricular guidelines. They can be very difficult to understand and compare for people such as prospective students, industry personnel, and even faculty members. This is compounded by a lack of information surrounding undergraduate computing curricular topics via visual methods. This paper describes two experimental activities where the objective is to explore the possibility of obtaining quantitative data sets necessary for visualization, one based on competencies and the other based on knowledge areas. Both activities were based on surveys. The results from the first activity showed that a consensus interpretation could be obtained for the knowledge, skills, and dispositions implied by the competency descriptions, although not as strongly for dispositions. The second activity resulted in a table of knowledge areas with minimum and maximum weights for six computing subdisciplin...
6th Annual International Conference on Computer Science Education: Innovation & Technology (CSEIT 2015), 2015
The problem addressed in this thesis was identified in a real life context in which an attempt wa... more The problem addressed in this thesis was identified in a real life context in which an attempt was made to reconstitute a BSc Computer Science degree programme. The curriculum was modelled on the ACM/IEEE Computing Curriculum of 2001. It was further required to comply with accreditation requirements as defined by ABET's Computing Accreditation Commission. Relying on a spreadsheet, the curriculum was iteratively and manually evaluated against the ACM/IEEE curriculum specification. A need was identified to automate or at least semi-automate this process. In this thesis a generalisation of the problem is presented. Curricula are modelled as directed graphs (digraphs) in which graph vertices represent curriculum elements such as topics, knowledge areas, knowledge units yearlevels or modules. Edges in the graph represent dependencies between these vertices such as belonging to grouping or prerequisites. The task of curriculum comparison then abstracts to a task of digraph comparison. A framework, the Graph Comparison Framework, is proposed. The framework comprises of components which are used to guide the digraph comparison process. The so-called Graph Trans-morphism algorithm component is the only component in the framework which is mandatory. The algorithm converts the information from one of the digraphs being compared into the structure of the other. This conversion enables the graphs to be compared as graph isomorphisms. All digraphs are modelled as sets of triples, making it possible to subtract one digraph from another using the set minus operator. The resultant difference sets are used by components defined in the i © © U Un ni iv ve er rs si it ty y o of f P Pr re et to or ri ia a framework to quantify and visualise the differences. By modelling curricula as digraphs and applying the framework to the digraphs, it is possible to compare curricula. This application of the framework to a real-world problem forms the applications research part of the thesis. In this part, domain knowledge of curriculum design is necessary to apply to the curriculum being developed in order to improve it.
Proceedings of Second Computer Science Education Research Conference on - CSERC '12, 2012
With the changes in the structure of the proposed volume for Computer Science of the ACM/IEEE cur... more With the changes in the structure of the proposed volume for Computer Science of the ACM/IEEE curricula series for 2013 it is difficult to conceptualise what the extent of these changes are when reading the Strawman report. This paper is an attempt to quantify these changes. It discusses the core curricula as defined in the ACM/IEEE curricula volumes for Computer Science of 2001, 2008 Review and the 2013 Strawman report and shows how a real-world curriculum can be compared to the volumes. Both a visual comparison for the curricula volumes and an algorithmic comparison are presented. The visual comparison provides a quick indication that there are differences, while the algorithmic comparison provides a mechanism to quantify the differences and as a side effect the similarities. These comparisons are restricted to the core aspects of the curricula being evaluated and further to this subsections of the core curricula will be used for illustrative purposes in order to contain the complexity of curricula specifications.
When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to... more When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to be able to find and apply ap-propriate design patterns when developing their final year projects. For this reason we include a software modelling module early in the curriculum. The aim of the module is to introduce students to the concepts of model-driven analysis and design in order to develop and evaluate complex systems. In this article we propose a metric, which we call the informa-tion measure, to quantify the level of cognitive activity in a given situation at a specific moment. This measure can be applied to iden-tify the calibre of the cognitive activities of students while partic-ipating in learning activities. To illustrate this, we show how we stimulated a specific learning activity and applied our information measure to identify the cognitive levels that the students reached during this activity. We include a complete description of the lec-ture we presented to stimulate le...
Proceedings of Second Computer Science Education Research Conference on - CSERC '12, 2012
We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the ... more We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the module entailed a process we call rocking the boat. Our objective was to create an opportunity for our students to experience a complete software engineering project (from specification to delivery) within six weeks. During the second part students worked in self-selected teams on an industry-based SE project. Again they were required to undergo the complete SE lifecycle. We firstly describe the design of our module. We then describe how we gathered and analysed information on how the students behaved in their teams as well as about what they experienced while participating in the module. Finally, we discuss our observations. We conclude with remarks about the potential success and possible improvement of our teaching strategies and future research directions.
Proceedings of Second Computer Science Education Research Conference on - CSERC '12, 2012
We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the ... more We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the module entailed a process we call rocking the boat. Our objective was to create an opportunity for our students to experience a complete software engineering project (from specification to delivery) within six weeks. During the second part students worked in self-selected teams on an industry-based SE project. Again they were required to undergo the complete SE lifecycle. We firstly describe the design of our module. We then describe how we gathered and analysed information on how the students behaved in their teams as well as about what they experienced while participating in the module. Finally, we discuss our observations. We conclude with remarks about the potential success and possible improvement of our teaching strategies and future research directions.
Communications of the ACM, 2001
Abstract Information technologists in South Africa come from any number of backgrounds and discip... more Abstract Information technologists in South Africa come from any number of backgrounds and disciplines. Sheer market pressure may shift a career into the information technology (IT) domain. A perspective on the South African IT industry must include several points of ...
computer science education research conference, Apr 4, 2013
ABSTRACT This paper looks at how courses by experts that are available on the internet can be use... more ABSTRACT This paper looks at how courses by experts that are available on the internet can be used to enhance student understanding of Computer Science prior to them entering or during their first year of study at a university. A secondary school exit skill-set is proposed which is based on existing secondary school curricula and studies that have recently been conducted. A selection of online courses from the internet is proposed in order to help students succeed in Computer Science at university. These courses are selected by taking the secondary school skill-set into account as well as the pedagogical setting of the course.
computer science education research conference, Apr 7, 2011
ABSTRACT This paper presents the challenges faced when developing a curriculum for a Computer Sci... more ABSTRACT This paper presents the challenges faced when developing a curriculum for a Computer Science degree programme in the South African context that is earmarked for international recognition. Curricula need to adhere both to the policy and content requirements in order to be rated as being of a particular quality. Policy requirements are local and are laid down by the government of the particular country and institution for which the curriculum is being developed. Content requirements are developed by societies and organisations who have a vested interest in the particular discipline. Accreditation provides the quality assurance for the curriculum of a degree programme. When developing a curriculum, these differences in requirements need to be taken into account in order for the curriculum and the outcomes thereof to be both locally and internationally accepted.
When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to... more When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to be able to find and apply ap-propriate design patterns when developing their final year projects. For this reason we include a software modelling module early in the curriculum. The aim of the module is to introduce students to the concepts of model-driven analysis and design in order to develop and evaluate complex systems. In this article we propose a metric, which we call the informa-tion measure, to quantify the level of cognitive activity in a given situation at a specific moment. This measure can be applied to iden-tify the calibre of the cognitive activities of students while partic-ipating in learning activities. To illustrate this, we show how we stimulated a specific learning activity and applied our information measure to identify the cognitive levels that the students reached during this activity. We include a complete description of the lec-ture we presented to stimulate le...
Education and Information Technologies, 2020
Various computing subdisciplines, such as computer science and software engineering, each have th... more Various computing subdisciplines, such as computer science and software engineering, each have their own curricular guidelines. They can be very difficult to understand and compare for people such as prospective students, industry personnel, and even faculty members. This is compounded by a lack of information surrounding undergraduate computing curricular topics via visual methods. This paper describes two experimental activities where the objective is to explore the possibility of obtaining quantitative data sets necessary for visualization, one based on competencies and the other based on knowledge areas. Both activities were based on surveys. The results from the first activity showed that a consensus interpretation could be obtained for the knowledge, skills, and dispositions implied by the competency descriptions, although not as strongly for dispositions. The second activity resulted in a table of knowledge areas with minimum and maximum weights for six computing subdisciplin...
6th Annual International Conference on Computer Science Education: Innovation & Technology (CSEIT 2015), 2015
The problem addressed in this thesis was identified in a real life context in which an attempt wa... more The problem addressed in this thesis was identified in a real life context in which an attempt was made to reconstitute a BSc Computer Science degree programme. The curriculum was modelled on the ACM/IEEE Computing Curriculum of 2001. It was further required to comply with accreditation requirements as defined by ABET's Computing Accreditation Commission. Relying on a spreadsheet, the curriculum was iteratively and manually evaluated against the ACM/IEEE curriculum specification. A need was identified to automate or at least semi-automate this process. In this thesis a generalisation of the problem is presented. Curricula are modelled as directed graphs (digraphs) in which graph vertices represent curriculum elements such as topics, knowledge areas, knowledge units yearlevels or modules. Edges in the graph represent dependencies between these vertices such as belonging to grouping or prerequisites. The task of curriculum comparison then abstracts to a task of digraph comparison. A framework, the Graph Comparison Framework, is proposed. The framework comprises of components which are used to guide the digraph comparison process. The so-called Graph Trans-morphism algorithm component is the only component in the framework which is mandatory. The algorithm converts the information from one of the digraphs being compared into the structure of the other. This conversion enables the graphs to be compared as graph isomorphisms. All digraphs are modelled as sets of triples, making it possible to subtract one digraph from another using the set minus operator. The resultant difference sets are used by components defined in the i © © U Un ni iv ve er rs si it ty y o of f P Pr re et to or ri ia a framework to quantify and visualise the differences. By modelling curricula as digraphs and applying the framework to the digraphs, it is possible to compare curricula. This application of the framework to a real-world problem forms the applications research part of the thesis. In this part, domain knowledge of curriculum design is necessary to apply to the curriculum being developed in order to improve it.
Proceedings of Second Computer Science Education Research Conference on - CSERC '12, 2012
With the changes in the structure of the proposed volume for Computer Science of the ACM/IEEE cur... more With the changes in the structure of the proposed volume for Computer Science of the ACM/IEEE curricula series for 2013 it is difficult to conceptualise what the extent of these changes are when reading the Strawman report. This paper is an attempt to quantify these changes. It discusses the core curricula as defined in the ACM/IEEE curricula volumes for Computer Science of 2001, 2008 Review and the 2013 Strawman report and shows how a real-world curriculum can be compared to the volumes. Both a visual comparison for the curricula volumes and an algorithmic comparison are presented. The visual comparison provides a quick indication that there are differences, while the algorithmic comparison provides a mechanism to quantify the differences and as a side effect the similarities. These comparisons are restricted to the core aspects of the curricula being evaluated and further to this subsections of the core curricula will be used for illustrative purposes in order to contain the complexity of curricula specifications.
When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to... more When teaching software engineering, knowledge about design pat-terns is assumed. Students need to be able to find and apply ap-propriate design patterns when developing their final year projects. For this reason we include a software modelling module early in the curriculum. The aim of the module is to introduce students to the concepts of model-driven analysis and design in order to develop and evaluate complex systems. In this article we propose a metric, which we call the informa-tion measure, to quantify the level of cognitive activity in a given situation at a specific moment. This measure can be applied to iden-tify the calibre of the cognitive activities of students while partic-ipating in learning activities. To illustrate this, we show how we stimulated a specific learning activity and applied our information measure to identify the cognitive levels that the students reached during this activity. We include a complete description of the lec-ture we presented to stimulate le...
Proceedings of Second Computer Science Education Research Conference on - CSERC '12, 2012
We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the ... more We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the module entailed a process we call rocking the boat. Our objective was to create an opportunity for our students to experience a complete software engineering project (from specification to delivery) within six weeks. During the second part students worked in self-selected teams on an industry-based SE project. Again they were required to undergo the complete SE lifecycle. We firstly describe the design of our module. We then describe how we gathered and analysed information on how the students behaved in their teams as well as about what they experienced while participating in the module. Finally, we discuss our observations. We conclude with remarks about the potential success and possible improvement of our teaching strategies and future research directions.
Proceedings of Second Computer Science Education Research Conference on - CSERC '12, 2012
We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the ... more We describe how we presented a year-long Software Engineering (SE) module. The first part of the module entailed a process we call rocking the boat. Our objective was to create an opportunity for our students to experience a complete software engineering project (from specification to delivery) within six weeks. During the second part students worked in self-selected teams on an industry-based SE project. Again they were required to undergo the complete SE lifecycle. We firstly describe the design of our module. We then describe how we gathered and analysed information on how the students behaved in their teams as well as about what they experienced while participating in the module. Finally, we discuss our observations. We conclude with remarks about the potential success and possible improvement of our teaching strategies and future research directions.
Communications of the ACM, 2001
Abstract Information technologists in South Africa come from any number of backgrounds and discip... more Abstract Information technologists in South Africa come from any number of backgrounds and disciplines. Sheer market pressure may shift a career into the information technology (IT) domain. A perspective on the South African IT industry must include several points of ...