Enhancing Critical Reasoning in Computer Education

佛罗里达州圣约翰河州立学院的这个项目与行业合作伙伴合作，旨在提高计算机科学与信息技术(CS/IT)毕业生的实用知识、批判性思维技能和工作准备，以满足当地行业对佛罗里达州东北部CS/IT领域训练有素的技术人员的需求，方法是将基于问题的学习(PBL)融入计算机教育课程，并在整个计算机教育课程中强调批判性思维。将PBL纳入CS/IT的目的也是为了增加妇女的参与度、留存率和成就率。该计划将利用学生人才来解决当前的社区问题，并通过在顶峰课程中融入基于社区的学习技术，使学生了解传统行业以外的领域对CS/IT的需求。该项目将通过项目网站、ATE中心和一年一度的课程展示进行传播。课程发展计划将广泛应用于其他资讯科技培训课程，以加强资讯科技毕业生的批判性思维能力，并每年影响超过200名修读基础及更高程度课程的学生，从而取得11个大学学分证书及4个网络、程式设计、资讯科技及互联网服务副学士学位。具体地说，1)基础入门课程将被修订，通过直接来自行业的问题教授关键的技术和批判性思维过程，2)批判性思维和解决问题的学习结果将被绘制并整合到更高级别的课程中，以及3)顶峰课程将被修订，以要求学生与社区和行业领袖合作，为当前的现实生活挑战寻找和开发新的解决方案。当地企业成员将作为课程设计团队的成员参与，提出问题，并审查新课程。整个CS/IT教员，包括兼职教员，将参与计划的设计和实施，以受益于所有CS/IT领域的技术专长，并确保在整个课程中实施新的教学方法。他们将参与课程重新设计工作和专业发展活动，以分享教学改革和持续有效地纳入PBL。学院学术支持中心的导师将被纳入专业发展培训，以确保他们准备好帮助学生学习以问题为基础的新课程。学生将发展技术技能，培养批判性推理和创造能力，并准备好在竞争激烈和不断发展的CS/IT行业中创新、适应和蓬勃发展。该计划将借鉴工程和计算机教育中成功的PBL计划，将更多的批判性思维和实践学习与当前CS/IT课程的强大技术方面相结合。这将确保学生在课程中需要获得的技能将满足行业新的和不断变化的需求。新的PBL教学法将通过一个循序渐进的过程建立起来，从基础课程开始。在纳入下一级课程之前，将对这些变化的有效性进行评估和改进。批判性思维的增长将通过测试前和测试后的评估来确定。一名独立评估员将对该计划进行年度总结性和形成性审查。

Working collaboratively with industry partners, this project at Saint Johns River State College in Florida is designed to increase the practical knowledge, critical thinking skills, and work-readiness of computer science and information technology (CS/IT) graduates to meet local industry demand for highly trained technicians in the CS/IT fields in Northeast Florida by incorporating problem-based learning (PBL) and emphasizing critical thinking throughout the computer education curriculum. Incorporation of PBL in CS/IT is also designed to increase participation, retention, and success of women. The program will leverage student talent to address current community problems and expose students to the need for CS/IT in fields outside the traditional industries by incorporating community-based learning techniques in the capstone course. The project will be disseminated through the project website, ATE Central, and an annual Curriculum Showcase. Curriculum development projects will be widely available for use and adaption by other CS/IT training programs.The project will expand the critical thinking skills of CS/IT graduates and impact more than 200 students per year taking foundational and higher level courses leading to 11 college credit certificates and 4 associate degrees in Networking, Programming, Information Technology and Internet Services. Specifically, 1) the foundational introductory classes will be revised to teach key technical and critical thinking processes through problems drawn directly from industry, 2) critical thinking and problem-solving learning outcomes will be mapped and integrated in higher level courses, and 3) the capstone course will be revised to require students to work with community and industry leaders to identify and develop novel solutions for current, real-life challenges. Local business members will participate as members of the curriculum design team, provide problems, and review the new curriculum. The entire CS/IT faculty, including adjunct faculty, will be involved in the program design and implementation to benefit from the technical expertise of all CS/IT fields and ensure that new pedagogies are implemented across the curriculum. They will participate in curriculum redesign efforts and in professional development activities to share pedagogical changes and incorporate PBL consistently and effectively. Tutors from academic support centers at the college will be included in professional development trainings to ensure they are prepared to assist students with the new problem-based curriculum. Students will develop technical skills, cultivate critical reasoning and creative abilities, and be prepared to innovate, adapt and thrive in the competitive and evolving CS/IT industry. The program will draw from successful PBL programs in engineering and computer education to integrate additional critical thinking and hands-on learning with the strong technical aspects of the current CS/IT curriculum. This will ensure that skills that students need to gain in the courses will meet the new and evolving needs of industry. New PBL pedagogies will be built-in through a step-wise process beginning with the foundational courses. The effectiveness of these changes will be evaluated and improvement made prior to incorporation into the next level of courses. Gains in critical thinking will be determined through pre- and post-test assessments. An independent evaluator will provide an annual summative and formative review of the program.