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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
