Collaborative Research: Supporting Project-Based Learning in Undergraduate Software Engineering Courses

该项目旨在通过在本科计算机科学课程中增加使用循证教学实践来服务于国家利益。其中一种做法是基于项目的学习，这使学生有机会学习，因为他们对真实的现实世界的问题工作。基于项目的学习和其他主动学习实践已被证明可以提高学生的积极性和参与度，提高考试成绩，降低失败率。在课堂上实施基于项目的学习的一个主要障碍是，教师必须为学生提供他们需要的支持，使他们成为成功的学习者，因为他们完成项目任务。 如果没有这种支持，学生可能会陷入执行不必要的任务，而不是学习有针对性的概念和技能。该项目旨在增加软件工程课程中基于项目的学习的使用。 要做到这一点，该项目将设计，开发和评估一个参考软件工程课程与12个现成的使用项目和相关的主动学习活动的存储库。 这些资源将使教师能够轻松地分配项目任务，让学生在家里完成。 预计这些资源将提高教员在其课程中有效利用项目学习的能力。 此外，基于项目的学习可以帮助学生通过提供类似软件工程师工作的学习经验来为行业职业做准备。该项目的总体目标是通过鼓励和促进真实的计算机科学学习经验来增加学生的学习。将通过咨询委员会审查、本科生beta测试和内部课堂试验收集数据，用于对开发的基于项目的学习资源进行形成性评估。在多个志愿者站点的实地测试将评估在学院或大学环境中实施基于项目的学习资源的可行性。最后，将进行试点研究，以评估开发的材料，以提高学生的学习成果的承诺。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该项目是在学生学习的轨道，通过该IUSE计划支持创建，探索和实施有前途的做法和工具。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing the use of evidence-based teaching practices in undergraduate computer science curricula. One such practice is project-based learning, which gives students opportunities to learn as they work on authentic real-world problems. Project-based learning, and other active learning practices, have been shown to increase student motivation and engagement, raise exam performance, and reduce failure rates. A major barrier to implementing project-based learning in the classroom is that instructors must provide students with the support they need to be successful learners as they complete project tasks. Without that support, students can get bogged down performing unessential tasks instead of learning the targeted concepts and skills. This project aims to increase the use of project-based learning in software engineering courses. To do so, the project will design, develop, and evaluate a reference software engineering course with a repository of twelve ready-to-use projects and associated active learning activities. These resources will enable instructors to easily assign project tasks for students to complete at home. It is anticipated that these resources will increase the capacity of instructors to effectively use project-based learning in their courses. In addition, project-based learning can help students prepare for industry careers by providing learning experiences that are like the work that software engineers do.The overarching goal of this project is to increase student learning by encouraging and facilitating authentic computer science learning experiences. Data for formative evaluation of the developed project-based learning resources will be gathered through advisory board reviews, undergraduate beta testing, and in-house classroom trials. Field tests at multiple volunteer sites will assess the feasibility of implementing the project-based learning resources in college or university settings. Finally, a pilot study will be performed to assess the promise of the developed materials to improve student learning outcomes. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. This project is in the Engaged Student Learning track, through which the IUSE program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.