Teaching Tips, Best Practices, Teaching Tips, Best Practices, and Other Initiatives to Improve and Other Initiatives to Improve CS Education CS Education Dan Garcia, Ph.D. Dan Garcia, Ph.D. Lecturer SOE Lecturer SOE , , EECS Dept, UC Berkeley EECS Dept, UC Berkeley (on Sabbatical in Melbourne until 2008) (on Sabbatical in Melbourne until 2008) www. www. cs cs. berkeley berkeley. edu/~ddgarcia/ edu/~ddgarcia/ Teaching Teaching tips tips 1. 1. … Education Survey!
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Teaching Tips, Best Practices,Teaching Tips, Best Practices,and Other Initiatives to Improveand Other Initiatives to Improve
Best Practices fromBest Practices fromsurvey of US schoolssurvey of US schools
ACM Education BoardACM Education Board
TipsTips1. 1. ……
Education
Survey!
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Teaching Tips ArchiveTeaching Tips Archive
Goal: Gather great CS teaching tips on a Goal: Gather great CS teaching tips on a wikiwiki 4 seasoned educators seeded with 10 tips each4 seasoned educators seeded with 10 tips each
4/24Teaching Tips, Best Practices, and Other Initiatives to Improve CS Educationwww.cs.berkeley.edu/~ddgarcia
Share Your CS Passion Share Your CS Passion (Lecture)(Lecture)
For each of these, feel free toFor each of these, feel free toshout shout ““Amen, Brother!Amen, Brother!””,, andandwhy it did / didnwhy it did / didn’’t work for yout work for you
I show SIGGRAPH animationsI show SIGGRAPH animationsbeforebefore every lectureevery lecture I talk about opportunities forI talk about opportunities for
students to join my graphicsstudents to join my graphicsgroupgroup (UCBUGG)(UCBUGG)
The videos are available forThe videos are available for$40/video to ACM members$40/video to ACM members
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Team-teach Team-teach (Meta)(Meta) Rather than having a singleRather than having a single
lecturer / TA cover everylecturer / TA cover everylecture / section, if two canlecture / section, if two canattend each other's sections,attend each other's sections,pair up & alternate weeks.pair up & alternate weeks. ON week they do everythingON week they do everything
(TAs would cover both (TAs would cover both secssecs)) OFF week they sit in the ONOFF week they sit in the ON’’ss
first section, as an observer,first section, as an observer,taking notes of how well thetaking notes of how well theON TA did, and debrief afterON TA did, and debrief after
TAs Buddy TA in weeks 2TAs Buddy TA in weeks 2through n-1 (not first and last)through n-1 (not first and last)
Learn tips from Learn tips from each othereach other!! Can avoidCan avoid stuff you hatestuff you hate
doing (that co-inst may enjoy)doing (that co-inst may enjoy)
WeWe instituted them ininstituted them inour lower-div classesour lower-div classes Cost: ~$40/clickerCost: ~$40/clicker
Two pricing models,Two pricing models,subscription or purchasesubscription or purchase
Midway through lecture,Midway through lecture,ask ask ““concept testconcept test”” Students vote Students vote w/clickerw/clicker 22 min peer instructionmin peer instruction
time with neighbortime with neighbor–– Must reach consensusMust reach consensus
““TeamTeam”” votes again votes again We discuss answersWe discuss answers
Real-time feedback!Real-time feedback! Can ask real-timeCan ask real-time Q!Q!
Goal: Goal: Understand Understand what top US PhD-grantingwhat top US PhD-grantingschools did in their intro CS curriculaschools did in their intro CS curricula
Survey sent out, collected, results presentedSurvey sent out, collected, results presented Today IToday I’’ll talk about the best practices we noticedll talk about the best practices we noticed
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CalTechCalTech CS11 is several CS11 is several minicoursesminicourses.. Each student only takes 1 ofEach student only takes 1 of
these a term (of their choice)these a term (of their choice) A course can be repeatedA course can be repeated
three times for creditthree times for credit CMUCMU
All courses taught in smallAll courses taught in smallsections sections –– no large lectures! no large lectures!
CornellCornell DrJava DrJava demos during lecturedemos during lecture Closed required labsClosed required labs 1/2 1/2 MatlabMatlab, 1/2, 1/2 JavaJava
Georgia TechGeorgia Tech (Compared to peers) very(Compared to peers) very
low attritionlow attrition 90% success in Media CS290% success in Media CS2
No closed labsNo closed labs HarvardHarvard
Teacher trainingTeacher training PrincetonPrinceton
ApplAppl to commerce, science, to commerce, science,engineering engineering w/real w/real datasetsdatasets
Too much to cover!Too much to cover! Huge increase in enrollmentsHuge increase in enrollments
Survey!
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What works really What works really wellwell and what is and what is brokenbroken??
PurduePurdue Lecture, labLecture, lab Hard to have creative projectsHard to have creative projects
but consistent gradingbut consistent grading RiceRice
Some want to move introSome want to move introScheme course to JavaScheme course to Java Easier later transitionEasier later transition But, wide background variety!But, wide background variety!
RutgersRutgers Online examsOnline exams Java as intro language!Java as intro language!
StanfordStanford Undergrad section leadersUndergrad section leaders Staffing in computer clusterStaffing in computer cluster
while students work onwhile students work onassignments, which are goodassignments, which are good
We (all of us) still tuning CS1 JavaWe (all of us) still tuning CS1 Java
All courses!All courses! Undergrad-led reviewsUndergrad-led reviews Assembler EOS competitionAssembler EOS competition Programming studio structureProgramming studio structure Low-level understandingLow-level understanding New student communitiesNew student communities
Survey!
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What works really What works really wellwell and what is and what is brokenbroken??
U PennU Penn Compelling programmingCompelling programming
assignmentsassignments USCUSC
Intro experience disparityIntro experience disparity UT AustinUT Austin
Students move well through CS2Students move well through CS2 Java doesnJava doesn’’t allow them to learnt allow them to learn
memory management!memory management! One course is One course is ““geeked geeked outout”” which which
could turn off non-programmerscould turn off non-programmers UWUW
Procedures-firstProcedures-first intro to OOPintro to OOP U WisconsinU Wisconsin
Information overloadInformation overload Reduce sources of infoReduce sources of info Active and collaborative learning!Active and collaborative learning!
““Information overload has beenInformation overload has beenmentioned repeatedly to me bymentioned repeatedly to me bystudents as a principle problem instudents as a principle problem inmany of their courses.many of their courses.
It is not uncommon for courses today toIt is not uncommon for courses today tohave a textbook or two, course notes,have a textbook or two, course notes,as well as lecture slides whichas well as lecture slides whichoverwhelm students with presentationsoverwhelm students with presentationsof the same or similar material.of the same or similar material.
Add to that course email, webAdd to that course email, webpages/links, pages/links, blogsblogs, etc. and students, etc. and studentsget trapped spending too much timeget trapped spending too much timereading and reviewing and insufficientreading and reviewing and insufficienttime actively applying their newlytime actively applying their newlygained knowledge.gained knowledge.
What has worked well for us is toWhat has worked well for us is toreduce the sources of information andreduce the sources of information andto direct studentsto direct students’’ efforts to more active efforts to more activeand collaborative learning both in andand collaborative learning both in andout of classout of class..””
Survey!
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What are the innovative techniques being deployed?What are the innovative techniques being deployed?
Had been unchanged forHad been unchanged fornearly 30 yearsnearly 30 years
6.001 (Scheme) out, 6.001 (Scheme) out, Python in!Python in! 6.01 and 6.02 to6.01 and 6.02 to be newbe new
mandatory intro coursesmandatory intro courses Offer introOffer intro to deptto dept Cut broadly across EECSCut broadly across EECS Strong hands-on componentStrong hands-on component Build robots, apply conceptsBuild robots, apply concepts
like radio,like radio, Fourier transform,Fourier transform,networks, large systemsnetworks, large systems
Then choose 3 or 4 subjectsThen choose 3 or 4 subjectsfromfrom foundation coursesfoundation courses E.g., Circuits, Signals, SystemsE.g., Circuits, Signals, Systems
1-unit course for programmers in1-unit course for programmers inMatlabMatlab, Pascal, C, Scheme,, Pascal, C, Scheme, Unix,Unix,C++, Java, PythonC++, Java, Python
Intro to programming in SchemeIntro to programming in Scheme Awesome undergrad tutors!Awesome undergrad tutors!
inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~selfpacewww.ucwise.org
Survey!
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Conclusion, pt IIConclusion, pt II
There is so much moreThere is so much moreanalysis I didnanalysis I didn’’t present!t present! ItIt’’s all online; I encourages all online; I encourage
you to see our resultsyou to see our results
There is some greatThere is some greatinnovation in the US!innovation in the US! MIT, MIT, GaTechGaTech, UC Berkeley,, UC Berkeley,
Caltech, UIUC, Caltech, UIUC, ……
It would be great toIt would be great to learnlearnabout the innovationabout the innovationgoinggoing on hereon here to taketo takeback with me!back with me!
Survey!
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ACM Education ActivitiesACM Education Activities
The ACM EducationThe ACM EducationBoard has threeBoard has threeactive task forcesactive task forces Pipeline Crisis, ImagePipeline Crisis, Image
This This waswas ““enrollmentenrollment””
Technology and ToolsTechnology and Tools CurriculumCurriculum
As a member of theAs a member of theBoard, I want to learnBoard, I want to learnwhat your problemswhat your problemsare and are and how ACMhow ACMcould helpcould help!!
Education
acm.org/education
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One Take on EnrollmentOne Take on Enrollment•• Our numbers roughly half that of the 2000 peakOur numbers roughly half that of the 2000 peak
Education
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Response : Image SiteResponse : Image Site
Numbers across US halfNumbers across US halfthat ofthat of 20002000 Some coming backSome coming back
Need for computingNeed for computingprofessionals growingprofessionals growing
Computing image poorComputing image poor Nerds, no life, just codingNerds, no life, just coding
Computing Degrees &Computing Degrees &CareersCareers site launched site launched Supplemental brochureSupplemental brochure
sent to allsent to all US high schoolsUS high schools
computingcareers.acm.org
Education
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Technology and Tools SiteTechnology and Tools Site
((newbies newbies and vets) donand vets) don’’ttknow of all availableknow of all availableclassroom technology andclassroom technology andtools (too hard to keep up)tools (too hard to keep up)
SolutionSolution (still in beta)(still in beta) Build site for themBuild site for them
Just links Just links w/commentsw/comments What is missing?What is missing?
SupportSupport Web 2.0Web 2.0 Ratings, tags, how itRatings, tags, how it
worked forworked for you, etc.you, etc.
Final Location: techtools.acm.orgCurrently: www.cs.berkeley.edu/~ddgarcia/techtools
Education
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