Discussion on Improvements to
Undergraduate CS Education

Session slides: pdf

Broadening Appeal: something must be done.

• No Girls, Blacks, or Hispanics Take AP Computer Science Exam in Some States (2014):
• Female PhD students at MIT have their Reddit AMA trolled (2014): overt marginalization
• Etsy's Trying to Fix Tech's Women Problem. Why Aren't You? (2014): on building a new techie archetype

Broadening Appeal: emphasizing social impact and creativity

• Maria Klawe Won't Let Computer Science Remain a Boys' Club (2015): focus on creative problem solving (pay wall)
• Some Universities Crack Code in Drawing Women to Computer Science (2015): review of approaches that have led to improved female participation
• Pearls Hack: hackathon, workshops for women and girls
• #YesWeCode: hackathons, community for low-opportunity youth

Active Learning

• Everything I needed to know about teaching I learned in kindergarten: using games, toys, stories, and play. I really subscribe to this approach, involving cards, dice, coins, etc.
• Techniques for active learning in CS courses:

Peer Tutoring

• Peer tutoring and social dynamics in higher education (2007): peer-tutoring works, for both parties.
• Effectiveness of Peer Tutoring: Computer Science Students' Perspective (2012):
• Perspectives on peer tutoring for CS1:
• Learning Assistant Alliance: also serves as a recruiting tool for future STEM teachers

Curricula

• CS Principles, new AP course: aimed at broadening participation (see press release too)
• Beauty and Joy of Computing: An AP CS: Principles course using Snap!
• Application-oriented CS1 curricula: as developed at Harvey Mudd

Inspiration and Dorkiness

• Quotations for Learning and Programming: really great nuggets, from Babbage to Brooks!
• Quotes - Computer Science: many additional inspirational thoughts
• Best "Programmer" Comics: useful for some variety, even relevance
• Douglas Adams Quotes: great for far-out stuff


• Dr. Titus Winters thoughts on learning CS: focus on active learning, practice, use a simple language