Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Pre-College Computing Activities On Choices Of Major, Monica M. Mcgill, Adrienne Decker, Amber Settle
Oct 2016
Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Pre-College Computing Activities On Choices Of Major, Monica M. Mcgill, Adrienne Decker, Amber Settle
Amber Settle
A lack of diversity in the computing field has existed for several decades, and although female participation in computing remains low, outreach programs attempting to address the situation are now quite numerous. To begin to understand whether or not these past activities have had long-term impact, we conducted a systematic literature review. Upon discovering that longitudinal studies were lacking, we investigated whether undergraduate students believed that their participation in computing activities prior to college contributed to their decision to major in a computing field. From the 770 participants in the study, we discovered that approximately 20% of males and 24% …
Demographics Of Undergraduates Studying Games In The United States: A Comparison Of Computer Science Students And The General Population, Monica M. Mcgill, Amber Settle, Adrienne Decker
Jan 2013
Demographics Of Undergraduates Studying Games In The United States: A Comparison Of Computer Science Students And The General Population, Monica M. Mcgill, Amber Settle, Adrienne Decker
Amber Settle
Our study gathered data to serve as a benchmark of demographics of undergraduate students in game degree programs. Due to the high number of programs that are cross-disciplinary with computer science programs or that are housed in computer science departments, the data is presented in comparison to data from computing students (where available) and the US population. Participants included students studying games at four nationally recognized postsecondary institutions. The results of the study indicate that there is no significant difference between the ratio of men to women studying in computing programs or in game degree programs, with women being severely …
Course Mentoring: Toward Achieving Consistency In The Curriculum, Lucia Dettori, Amber Settle
Dec 2004
Course Mentoring: Toward Achieving Consistency In The Curriculum, Lucia Dettori, Amber Settle
Amber Settle
One the main challenges in achieving consistency in the curriculum is the delivery and coordination of multi-section introductory courses. The mix of adjunct, new, and seasoned instructors, the frequent changes in course content and learning goals, and the non-homogeneous student body are some of the factors that makes successfully teaching such courses a challenge. In this paper we describe how the course mentoring project combines personal involvement with a technological solution to build an effective knowledge-sharing virtual community. Course mentoring has proven to be an efficient way to address and overcome the challenges of teaching introductory computer science courses.
Debating E-Commerce: Engaging Students In Current Events, Amber Settle, André Berthiaume
Dec 2002
Debating E-Commerce: Engaging Students In Current Events, Amber Settle, André Berthiaume
Amber Settle
A fundamental task for information technology educators is to help students understand the basic ethical, social, and legal issues inherent in the discipline. We present a method for achieving this goal using in-class debates. Debates allow for a high-level of participation, demand that students conduct significant research, and provide an interactive environment. This encourages the development of communication skills and exposes students to alternative points of view. The debates were conducted in two courses that provide a survey of some aspect of e-commerce technology, one at the undergraduate level and the other at the Masters level.
