Evaluating A Linked-Courses Learning Community For Development Majors, Amber Settle, John Lalor, Theresa Steinbach
Sep 2015
Evaluating A Linked-Courses Learning Community For Development Majors, Amber Settle, John Lalor, Theresa Steinbach
Amber Settle
Despite a rebound in enrollments, men of color and women remain underrepresented in computing. The literature indicates that student-student interaction and affinity for the computing major are important factors for retention of underrepresented groups in computing, and learning communities connect students with each other and faculty to improve collaboration, interaction, enthusiasm. Despite their long history and promise for addressing retention, computing-focused learning communities remain rare. Here we present an evaluation of a linked-courses learning community for men of color and women majoring in a development-focused area of computing. We measure student attitudes and affinity for their major via a survey …
Information Technology And Computer Science Programs: How Do We Relate?, Bonnie K. Mackellar, Gregory Hislop, Mihaela C. Sabin, Amber Settle
Sep 2015
Information Technology And Computer Science Programs: How Do We Relate?, Bonnie K. Mackellar, Gregory Hislop, Mihaela C. Sabin, Amber Settle
Amber Settle
In this panel session, the relationship between computer science programs and information technology programs at universities that house both will be explored. People outside the computing disciplines often find the distinction between these programs confusing. The panelists, who have experience with both types of program, will discuss strategies for differentiating the programs in the eyes of administrators, for advising students into the correct program, and for maintaining focus and excellence in both computer science and information technology programs.
A Computer Science Linked-Courses Learning Community, Amber Settle, John Lalor, Theresa Steinbach
Jun 2015
A Computer Science Linked-Courses Learning Community, Amber Settle, John Lalor, Theresa Steinbach
Amber Settle
Previous work has shown that factors such as student engagement and involvement can impact progress for computer science majors. One promising approach for improving student engagement is learning communities, which have a long history in academia but are relatively uncommon in computing. In this article we describe a linked-courses learning community for women and men of color majoring in development-focused computing degrees. We provide logistical information about the first offering of the learning community and assess the effectiveness of the community via a student survey. Our results show that students in the learning community are more likely to report that …
Speed Dating In History: Fostering Critical Thinking, Patricia L. Rieman
Mar 2015
Speed Dating In History: Fostering Critical Thinking, Patricia L. Rieman
Patricia L Rieman
When students role-play, their learning is personalized (Joyce & Calhoun, 2014). Add the challenge of finding compatible partners, and students are fully engaged as they infer the connections between themselves and their “dates”. Mix in the final element of limiting the opportunity to interact with potentially compatible partners, and students must quickly determine importance, synthesize, and then verbalize the details of their personas. Additionally, students must analyze their partner’s message to identify connections to their own, infer hidden identities, and describe their cognitive processes. In this session on using speed-dating to teach history, all of these actions come together to …
Online Tutorials: Design, Development, And Pedagogy, Kim Read
Feb 2015
Online Tutorials: Design, Development, And Pedagogy, Kim Read
Kim Read
No abstract provided.
Reconsidering The Impact Of Cs1 On Novice Attitudes, Amber Settle, John Lalor, Theresa Steinbach
Feb 2015
Reconsidering The Impact Of Cs1 On Novice Attitudes, Amber Settle, John Lalor, Theresa Steinbach
Amber Settle
Student success in an introductory programing course is crucial, both because it influences retention and because student attitudes and habits in a first course can have a lasting impact on student success in computer science as a field. In this paper we present results about student attitudes and habits before and after a CS1 class. Statistically significant attitude differences were found in three areas: students were less likely to report they were good at programming, more likely to agree they are challenged by programming problems they can't understand immediately, and are less likely to report that computer science allows them …
The Hungry Games: Tackling Wicked Food Problems At Black River Public Schools Through A New Experiential Project Term Course, Danielle L. Lake
Dec 2014
The Hungry Games: Tackling Wicked Food Problems At Black River Public Schools Through A New Experiential Project Term Course, Danielle L. Lake
Danielle L Lake
Join us in the fight against overly processed foods—may the odds be ever in your flavor! In the winter of 2014, a team of students from Lib 322 “Wicked Problems of Sustainability” identified the food system and its impact on children as a wicked problem, initiated a community partnership at Black River Public School, and posited the development of an interdisciplinary, experiential project term course then designed by students in Lib 342 “Food Matters.” This new Black River course, “The Hungry Games,” will be piloted this spring to engage middle school students in experiential learning in order to foster understanding …
