New approach to teaching an introductory computer science course (original) (raw)
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ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009
It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are challenged to find ways to engage and promote success and retention of students while maintaining standards in introductory computer science courses. This study focuses on the implementation of a collaborative, modified peer-led team learning (PLTL) instructional approach in a large sized introductory computer science course. The site is a major southeastern university in the United States where all students are required to take one of three introductory computer science classes. The course version selected for this study specifically targets computer science majors and the study spans three years of data, and involves 591 students. Students who experienced the student-centered instruction and worked in small groups facilitated by a peer leader (treatment) in years 2006-07 and 2007-08 were compared with students who experienced a traditional recitation lecture section (control) in 2005-06. The content and the course owner was the same for all three years. Quantitative data analysis show marked and statistically significant improvements in student performance, for both male and female students. These findings suggest that using undergraduate leaders to implement a peer-led team learning model can be as effective in promoting achievement and retention in computer science education as it has shown to be in math and science classes over the past several years.
Guide to Teaching Computer Science
Springer eBooks, 2014
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. vii Prologue This Guide to Teaching Computer Science can serve all computer science educators, both in high school and in academia, i.e., computer science university instructors, high school computer science teachers, and instructors of computer science teacher preparation programs. Specifically, the guide can be used as the textbook of the Methods of Teaching Computer Science (MTCS) course, offered to prospective and in-service computer science teachers. In all cases, the guide is organized in a way that enables an immediate application of its main ideas. This goal is achieved by presenting the rationale for addressing a variety of computer science education topics, as well as their detailed actual teaching process (including activities, worksheets, topics for discussions, and more). The guide encompasses the authors' teaching and research experience in computer science education gained during the past three decades. Specifically, we have taught courses on computer science and computer science education to high school computer science pupils, undergraduate computer science students, and pre-service and in-service computer science teachers. In parallel, we have conducted research on a variety of computer science education topics, such as teaching methods, learning processes, teacher preparation, and social issues of computer science education. In the second edition, we updated all the chapters with both content and references, and added 15 new activities; specifically, we highlighted current teaching approaches and trends to be integrated in the MTCS course. We would like to thank all who contributed to our understanding of the nature of computer science education and fostered the approach presented in this guide: our students in the MTCS courses, high school classes, and in-service high school teacher professional development programs, as well as colleagues, researchers and instructors who collaborated with us in a variety of research and development projects. During the past three decades, they all shared with us their knowledge, professional experience, thoughts and attitudes with respect to computer science education.
Proposal for a Project on Computer Science and Information Technology Education.docx
While almost the entire Computer and Communications industry has undergone enormous change over the last 30 years, one significant aspect of this industry has changed very little, if at all; college and university education. Teaching, Learning and Assessment are done today in almost the same way as it was done 30 years ago. Standup lectures in subjects that cover limited curriculum, with small, limited scope projects constituting the ‘practical’ aspect of many subjects. This proposal addresses all aspects of the situation: Teaching practices, Learning activities, Assessment styles and Curriculum content. E-Learning will replace stand-up lectures, emphasis will be placed on coordinated teaching teams, students will take greater responsibility for their own learning, deep learning and theory formulation based on intensive practice, and continuous assessment with an emphasis on formative assessment.
An interactive lecture approach to teaching computer science
1995
Abstract Students get more out of an interactive lecture than a passive lecture because they are given time to think. This time allows them to determine if they understand a concept, and if not to ask questions. This understanding is crucial when concepts build on one another. We describe our positive experiences in teaching sophomore-level computer science courses in an interactive lecture format with a computer in the classroom.
Assessment Technique to Encourage Cooperative Learning in a Computer Programming Course
2011
Cooperative learning has been reported to produce greater student achievement than other traditional learning methodologies. However, difficulties are usually found with plagiarism and with achieving the equal commitment of all members. In this paper, we propose a teaching methodology that aims at avoiding plagiarism, promoting cooperation and encouraging participation of group members. To this end, a number of collaborative tasks are set using a typical Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach. Instead of evaluating student performance by means of a typical report (or portfolio), students are assessed by means of a written test, composed of questions that are closely related to the collaborative task. Furthermore, student grades are made dependent on the individual grades obtained by all other members in the group. In this way, students are encouraged to help each other, and their level of commitment is increased. This technique has been applied to a group of 46 students taking the 'Programming Languages' module, a third level module of the Degree in Computing at the University of Valencia (Spain). Results have shown a significant improvement in student performance. Moreover, individual questionnaires have provided evidence that students prefer this technique to other more conventional teaching methods. also from Liverpool John Moores University, UK. He was a senior lecturer at this institution until 1999. He then left to work for private industry for a one year period, and came back to the academy in 2000. He was the programme leader for the computing and business degrees at the Mediterranean University of Science and Technology until 2006. Since then, he has lectured at the University of Valencia (Spain), delivering programming and networking modules. His research now concentrates on education and applied artificial intelligence.
A Mid-Career Review of Teaching Computer Science I
2013
ABSTRACT A mid-career review is presented, of how the teaching of Computer Science I has changed for this instructor over the last two decades. The content of the course has evolved to include algorithm development and program design. Assessment in the course has gone online and moved away from testing how clever the student is, to how much the student has learned in the course. Professional practices are now covered that help students understand and incorporate preferred practices of the discipline.
Combining cooperative learning and peer instruction in introductory computer science
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2000
CPSC 120, Principles of Computer Science I, is a first semester freshmen level course for computer science majors. Over a three semester comparison period, this course had an average WDF rate of 56% (i.e. percentage of students receiving a grade of “D” or “F”, or withdrawing from the course). In two sections of this course, two strategies, peer instruction and cooperative learning, were combined to lower the WDF rate for both sections to an average of 32.5%. The improvement was even more dramatic for the female students in the classes, who improved from a 53% WDF rate to a WDF rate of only 15%.
Evolution of an introductory computer science course: the long haul
University requirements for the material covered in introductory computer science courses have evolved over the years, and those courses must therefore evolve as well. In this paper, we discuss the 7-year evolution of such a course at the U.S. Air Force Academy. In 1995, the main thrust of the course was to develop students' programming skills to support later programming activities, even for those students not majoring in computer science. Although some general survey topics were covered, programming skill development was the main goal of the course. Since that time, the course has evolved significantly into a course that covers general computer science and Information Technology (IT) topics in greater depth and breadth, with a continuing but greatly reduced programming component. During that 7-year period, we changed programming languages for the course, significantly changed the way in which we evaluated programming ability, incorporated graphics into the course, conducted an...