EAGER: Transforming Attitudes via Best Practices CS1

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EAGER: Transforming Attitudes via Best Practices CS1Beth Simon, Computer Science and EngineeringUC San DiegoFor several years, the computing community has been concerned about dropping enrollments in computing majors and courses while the national need for well trained students in computing is increasing. To understand this crisis, many factors have been examined including the image of computing and the pedagogy and materials used in introductory classes. Over time, many instructors have experimented with classes that teach fundamental computing constructs and skills through more attractive applications and environments. There is some anecdotal evidence that this approach is effective and some studies that have been carried out with non-majors. This project presents a unique and timely opportunity to test this approach; in the past, finding viable and significantly large comparison groups to support the hypothesis has been a challenge.Intellectual merit: This EAGER project takes advantage of two existing comparison groups in introductory classes that are being taught the same two semesters at the University of California San Diego, one traditional and one using media computing. Students are surveyed to support the hypothesis that teaching computing through a more attractive domain such as media computing will result in better attitudes toward computing among both majors and students who take computing courses to complement their majors. The existence of two viable and significantly large comparison groups is fortunate and provides results of interest to the computer science education research community. This first round of data, expected to support the hypothesis that motivating context will improve attitudes toward engagement in computing classes and immediate intent of students to continue in computing classes and major, enables future projects that examine effects on more enduring retention.Broader impacts: This lays out a comparative study showing key data that will assist other computing departments in making decisions about curricular change to improve recruitment and retention. Specifically, the attitudes of students taking CS1 with media computation is analyzed and compared to students who are taking a traditional CS1 class absent the hypothesized motivating context. These results are informative to departments that seek an increased number of students applying to their departments, greater numbers of students succeeding in their programs, and overall a student body that is more engaged and positively inclined towards the value of computing in their career and in society.