More Than Literacy: Creating a Breadth-First Survey Course for

the Future

Julia E. Benson

Georgia Perimeter College

Today’s Talk

About GPC and its CS program Initial Course Development

• Details in conference proceedings

Update• What’s happening this fall

Georgia Perimeter College

Two year school Third-largest institution in the University

System Five locations in metropolitan Atlanta

• Computer Science offered at three locations

Approximately 16,000 students

Our Students

Large population of non-traditional students International student population is largest in

the state• 15% of total enrollment on F-1 visa• Many others are recent immigrants

Over 40% of students begin in Learning Support courses

Why A Survey Course?

Semester conversion spurred a curriculum revision• Modernize and update curriculum• Move into line with ACM curriculum

guidelines• Provide realistic view of discipline

Why? (cont.)

Student population characteristics mean many students have little prior computer experience

A new approach was needed to meet our students’ needs…..

The New CS Curriculum

ATEC 1201/1203• Applied Technology (i.e. literacy)• Required of all students• Provide fundamental technology background

• ATEC 1201 -- computing concepts

• ATEC 1202 -- basic skills (word processing and Internet use)

The New CS Curriculum (cont.)

CSCI 1401/1301/1302• Required of CS majors• Assume a basic computing background• CSCI 1401 -- survey• CSCI 1301/1302 -- Principles of CS I/II

CSCI 1401Introduction to Computer Science “Provides an overview of selected major

areas of current computing technology.” Focuses on hands-on experience Pulls together overview materials that were

previously scattered throughout curriculum

CSCI 1401 Major Topics

History/Vocabulary of Computers Data Representation and Storage Computer Hardware Computer Software Communications Technologies Social/Ethical Issues Algorithmic Design/Programming Concepts

CSCI 1401 Pilot Courses

First pass -- Fall quarter 1997• One section at Dunwoody campus

Second pass -- Spring quarter 1998• One section at Dunwoody campus• One section at Clarkston campus• Sections were not coordinated

Pilot Course Results

Student performance • Dunwoody campus:• 32% of students withdrew at/before midpoint• 81% of remaining students received a ‘C’ or

better• Compares favorably with prior non-majors’

programming course

Pilot Course Results (cont.)

Informal comments were largely favorable Very few complaints to administration Students continuing to other CS classes

were very successful Students have recommended course to

others

Update -- October 1998

Current Status Changes From Pilot Curriculum What’s Working What Isn’t Working Too Soon To Tell Future Plans

Current Status

One completed section (half-semester) at Dunwoody campus

Sections in progress:• Two at Dunwoody campus• at Clarkston campus• at Lawrenceville campus

Current Status (cont.)

Five instructors• Four full-time• One part-time

Enrollment (beginning of term)• 68 students at Dunwoody• students at Clarkston• students at Lawrenceville

Current Status (cont.)

ATEC prerequisite was waived for 1998-99• Enrollment concerns

Changes From Pilot Courses

Course enrollment largely computer science majors• Pilot courses were predominantly non-majors

Basic curriculum remains very similar• Pilot curriculum assumed no computing

background• Waiver of ATEC prerequisite continues

assumption

Changes (cont.)

In-class lab work counts towards grade• For Dunwoody sections, 10%

New assignments• Explore functions/iteration using a spreadsheet

to compare loan payment plans• Book review: social or ethical issue

Programming language is Pascal rather than QBASIC

What’s Working

Student interest is high• All sections offered were filled, even over-

filled

Projects are very popular with students• Relevant to their lives• Interesting, use practical skills

What’s Working (cont.)

Curriculum lines up well with standard credit-by-exam programs• CLEP -- very similar except that CLEP

includes business/career issues• DANTES -- almost identical

Curriculum follows ACM guidelines for CS0

What Isn’t Working

Half-semester course scheduling• Too rushed, several topics were shortchanged• Not enough time to complete all projects

• Omitted group presentation and problem set

• Only one programming assignment

• Retention:• 23 students enrolled, 5 withdrew at/before midpoint

• Only 10 passed with a ‘C’ or better

What Isn’t Working (cont.)

Current textbook/lab manual • Chosen as best-available, but• Does not fit our curriculum

• Contains much unneeded material

• Missing important information

• Students find book hard to use• Web-based auxiliary materials are not available• Lab exercises contain many errors

It’s Too Soon to Tell

Will this better prepare our CS majors for later courses?

Will this improve student performance in later courses?

At least a year before we can draw conclusions

Future Plans

Fix the textbook problem!• Find something appropriate, or• Write it ourselves• Trick is to find something with broad coverage

that goes beyond elementary issues

Future Plans (cont.)

Move into a transitional phase• Phase out material covered in ATEC• De-emphasize/refine coverage of basic

hardware/software/architecture• Expand coverage of network technologies• Expand social/ethical issue coverage• Focus on algorithmic development

Future Plans (cont.)

Continue wrestling with programming and the language issue• Pascal in this course vs. C++ in later courses• Does this help or confuse the student?• What about Java?• What about a completely different approach?

Future Plans (cont.)

Most important, make sure the course stays current!

Acknowledgements:

The GPC Computer Science faculty:• especially Ashraful Chowdhury• also Anant Honkan and Gene Shepherd

Sue Henderson, department chair The GPC OIT staff, particularly

• Trish Fields• John Cothran• Hunter Eidson

For More Information:

This presentation• http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~jbenson

/presentations/RockEagle98/

CSCI 1401 Course Site• http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~jbenson

/csci1401/csci1401.htm• Syllabus, assignments, course library, other

resources

Contact:

Julia E. BensonAssistant Professor of Computer ScienceGeorgia Perimeter Collegejbenson@gpc.peachnet.edu