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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Computer Sciences

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

2012

CS1

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Improving First-Year Success And Retention Through Interest-Based Cs0 Courses, Michael Haungs, Christopher Clark, John Clements, David Janzen Feb 2012

Improving First-Year Success And Retention Through Interest-Based Cs0 Courses, Michael Haungs, Christopher Clark, John Clements, David Janzen

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Many computer science programs suffer from low student retention rates. At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, academic performance and retention rates among first year computer science students are among the lowest on campus.

In order to remedy this, we have developed a new CS0 course featuring different "tracks" that students can choose from (e.g. robotics, gaming, music, mobile apps). This allows students to learn the basics of programming, teamwork, and college-level study in a domain that is of personal interest. In addition, the course relies on classic Project-based Learning (PBL) approaches as well as a focus on both academic and …