Flipping The Classroom in CS 1101

The objective of this project was to design a variety of supplemental materials for use in introductory computer science courses. Said supplemental content was based on recorded and annotated lectures retrieved from Gregor Kiczales’s online course: Introduction to Systematic Program Design. From the fundamental concepts covered therein, our research attempts to describe how variations in the presentation of such content influence the manner in which students learn. Our primary intent was to explore different approaches and to adjust them in order to address student preference and learning style. This research will effectively serve as a reference for other studies that attempt to create better supplemental materials or examine collective student response to certain methods for learning

EXAMINING THE BENEFITS OF INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT AS EXPERIENCED BY SECONDARY MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

Mathematics teachers use a wide variety of assessment tools and methods to measure student understanding and illuminate potential learning gaps (NCTM, 2014). The most frequent and least formal types occur as observations and interactions that provide immediate feedback on the learning process (NRC, 2003, Wiliam, 2007). These Instructional Assessments emerge within the social environment of classroom activity, and serve a formative function by directly impacting the flow of discussion and motivating appropriate teaching interventions. Research has shown that formative assessment improves student performance, but is often challenging for teachers to master (OECD, 2005). The influence of annual high-stakes testing in the United States over the past decade motivates further examination of this conflict at the secondary level. This dissertation describes two case studies performed with secondary mathematics co-teachers in a large, urban, public school. Interviews and classroom observations were performed over the course of an academic semester, exposing challenges and strategies in the areas of professional self-efficacy and knowledge for teaching. Coding and thematic analysis were used to develop structured narratives for each participant. The results illustrate that Instructional Assessment empowers mathematics teachers in part by providing them with unrestricted access to student learning, and develops their ability to interact creatively in productive and meaningful ways

A Semester Long Classroom Course Mimicking a Software Company and a New Hire Experience for Computer Science Students Preparing to Enter the Software Industry

Students in a Computer Science degree programs must learn to code before they can be taught Software Engineering skills. This core skill set is how to program and consists of the constructs of various languages, how to create short programs or applications, independent assignments, and arrive at solutions that utilize the skills being covered in the language for that course (Chatley & Field, 2017). As an upperclassman, students will often be allowed to apply these skills in newer ways and have the opportunity to work on longer, more involved assignments although frequently still independent or in small groups of two to three students. Once these students graduate and enter the software industry they will find that most companies follow specific development methodologies from one of the many forms of Agile through Waterfall. All while working in large groups or teams where each developer is responsible for specific pieces of the functionality, participating in design meetings and code reviews, as well as using code versioning systems, such as git, a program management system, such as Jira, all in a very collaborative environment. This study will develop a course that will allow students to apply these skills in a more realistic setting while remaining on-campus and monitoring the students’ beliefs on their preparedness for the world outside of the computer science building