CPATH CDP: ProjectMT -- A Real-World, Project-Based Computer Science Curriculum

传统的计算机科学课程强调以讲授为基础的课堂教学，对现实世界的问题和项目的接触有限。通常，教师制作的“玩具”项目与现实世界中出现的项目没有什么相似之处。学生们发现很难将他们正在学习的东西与快速变化的计算机世界联系起来，这往往导致他们对计算机科学感到气馁。CS毕业生经常面临专业软件开发准备不足和在真实计算环境中开始工作时学习曲线陡峭的问题。另一方面，研究表明，在以项目为基础的真实世界课程中，学生的学习动机要高得多。学生更愿意自主学习与项目相关的材料，学到的知识持续时间更长。ProjectMT的目标是通过将真实世界的项目融入整个CS课程来增强CS的教与学体验。稳定和一致的本地工业连接进一步丰富了这一过程，带来了创新的计算理念、技术和现实世界的体验。本科生将参与实际应用程序的开发，并主动学习与项目和课堂相关的材料。CS课程中拟议的创新将使每一位毕业生从第一天起就准备好在行业内具有竞争力和成功地工作。通过试点课程的开发，它将为基于项目的教学和学习的知识体系增加额外的发现，用于设计和教授基于现实世界的项目课程，鼓励学生主动学习的策略，以及课程范围转变面临的挑战。该项目汇集了MTSU计算机科学系的教员、MTSU的其他部门、当地利益相关者和地区机构的教育工作者。它建立了一个支持以项目为中心的课程开发的框架。该框架包括与当地利益相关方互动的具体组成部分，以进行项目收集、评估和报告交流；项目管理课程结构，以维护项目数据库，为课程分配项目，并跟踪项目发展；以及将当地教育工作者纳入协作课程开发和项目实施的机制。以项目为基础的课程的学生应该更有动力学习CS课程，更好地学习课程材料，为他们未来的工作提供更好的培训，并更致力于CS学科的工作。

Traditional computer science curriculums emphasize lecture-based classroom teaching, with limited exposure to real-world problems and projects. Often, instructor-crafted "toy" projects provide little resemblance to those that arise in the real-world. Students find it difficult to relate what they are studying to the fast-changing computing world, frequently resulting in them becoming discouraged with computer science. A CS graduate is often faced with poor preparation for professional software development and a steep learning curve upon beginning work in a real-world computing environment. On the other hand, it has been shown that in real-world project-based courses, student motivation for learning is much higher. Students are more willing to learn project related material on their own, and the knowledge learned lasts longer. The goal in ProjectMT is to enhance the CS teaching and learning experience with real-world projects woven into the entire CS curriculum. The process is further enriched with a stable and consistent local industrial connection that brings in innovative computing ideas, technologies, and real-world experiences. Bachelor's-level students will participate in the development of real-world applications, and engage in active learning of project and class-related materials. The proposed innovation in the CS curriculum will prepare each graduate to be ready to work competitively and successfully in the industry from day one. Through pilot course development, it will add to the body of knowledge on project-based teaching and learning additional findings for designing and teaching real-world project-based courses, strategies for encouraging student active learning, and challenges facing curriculum wide transformation. The project brings together faculties at MTSU's CS department, other departments at MTSU, local stakeholders and educators at area institutions. It establishes a framework that supports project-centric curriculum development. This framework includes specific components to interact with local stakeholders for project collection, evaluation, and report communication; a Project Management Course structure to maintain a database of projects, assign projects to courses, and track project development; and mechanisms to include local educators in collaborative course development and project implementation. Students in the project-based curriculum are expected to be more motivated to study in CS courses, learn the course material better, have better training for their future jobs, and be more committed to work in the CS discipline.