Proposal for CCSCNE Panel Expanding Student Enthusiasm for, and

							                             Proposal for CCSCNE Panel
        Expanding Student Enthusiasm for, and Understanding of, Introductory CS

Bridget Baird, Professor of Mathematics/Computer Science, Connecticut College
moderator and contact person
bbbai@conncoll.edu
Box 5412
Connecticut College
New London, CT 06320

Panelists:
Martin Allen, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Computer Science, CTW Consortium
Christine Chung, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Connecticut College
Norman Danner, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Wesleyan University
Madalene Spezialetti, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Trinity College

Professors in computer science are challenged by the wish to make CS1 courses more appealing
to a broader audience, both to induce more students to enter computer science and also to open
up students to the possibilities of the field. This challenge is especially acute when it comes to
underrepresented groups. The panelists come from three liberal arts colleges that have formed a
consortium in computer science to examine topics of mutual interest. Among other activities, the
three departments have shared a number of postdoctoral fellows, expanding the range of
approaches brought to their research and teaching. Further, they have collaborated on a number
of initiatives to clarify what a liberal arts degree in computer science should look like, and to
deepen and diversify their curricula, particularly at the introductory CS1 level. While the
panelists all come from liberal arts environments, they have different approaches to the CS1
course. During the course of this panel they will discuss their views and experiences on the
following list of topics:
    • What languages and lab structure hinder or help students to understand the concepts of
         CS?
    • What techniques hinder/help women and other underrepresented groups to both
         understand and enjoy the CS1 course?
    • It is often the case that there is a wide range of prior experience among students in CS1.
         How do we challenge and engage these students who have more technical experience
         without discouraging other students?
    • What are the markers of success in a CS1 course: taking another course, enjoying the
         course, future involvement in some capacity with CS, using the knowledge in another
         course, not being “turned off”? 
    • What is the role of current technology (if any) in a CS1 course (for example, smart-
         phones, web apps, mashups, social networking)?
Each of the panelists will comment on each of these topics; audience interaction on these topics
will also be sought during the course of the panel.

The panelists bring a rich array of experiences to the panel. Martin Allen is a postdoctoral fellow,
teaching at all three colleges in the CTW consortium as part of the Mellon grant program, which
intends to bring new doctorates from research-school backgrounds into the liberal arts college
environment. Given his recent experience at a relatively wide range of different and distinct
institutions, he will discuss the varying issues that arise, and approaches one can take, when
teaching CS to students with a diverse range of experience, interest, and preparation. Christine
Chung recently received her doctorate but brings a wide range of expertise and experience. She
has taught introductory CS at both the college and high school levels and she earned a master’s
degree in secondary mathematics education. Norman Danner has taught introductory CS at
UCLA and Wesleyan, from 200-student lectures to 15-student classes, from no objects to
objects-only, and from programming-intensive to more writing than programming. Madalene
Spezialetti’s research focuses on the development and use of video and animation in Computer
Science education. She received a SIGCSE Special Projects Grant to support her work in the
production of video scenarios, which are short films designed to develop computational thinking
skills by presenting computing-based problems in the context of extemporaneous, real-life
situations.