Ken Goldman CCSCNE April 2008 Building Bridges to the Unknown Supporting Interdisciplinary Study in Computer Science Ken Goldman CCSCNE April 2008 1 Computer Science and Engineering

2 Computer Science and Engineering Computational X Computational Art Computational Biology Computational Chemistry Computational Design Computational Economics Computational Fluid Mechanics Computational Geology Computational History Computational Intelligence Computational Journalism Computational Knowledge Computational Linguistics Computational Music Computational Neoclassicism Computational Organisms Computational Physics Computational Quantum Mechanics Computational Research Computational Social Networks Computational Theater Computational Understanding Computational Virtual Reality Computational Weather Forecasting Computational X… Computational Yoyos Computational Zoology 2 Computer Science and Engineering

“Soft” Skills Matter CSE Summer Retreat 2006 – Educational Priorities Prepare students for leadership roles. Emphasize creative innovation and design. Maintain consistency in core courses. Increase discussions, design critiques, and design clinics. Add tutorial sections, particularly for theory courses. Co-teach classes. Standardize mechanisms for grading team projects. Develop a cross-cutting curriculum with milestones for student proficiencies so instructors can assume certain skills. Provide help-desk technical support for standard tools. Improve mentoring from instructors to TAs. 3 Computer Science and Engineering

Traditional CSE Experience Topic-driven Sequential presentation of technical content Prerequisite chains support CS and CoE majors Typical course: Traditional lecture + homework/projects Capstone course with a large team project Interaction mainly outside the classroom Office hours Some students join research groups 4 Computer Science and Engineering

The Case for Active Learning 5 Computer Science and Engineering

Education Research and Practice Active Learning – “learning by doing” Problem-Based Learning Inquiry-Based Learning Motivation and Discovery are Key Design Studios: Individual and Team Projects Emphasis on Process Critique and Refinement Keith Sawyer, Education Peter MacKeith, Architecture 6 Computer Science and Engineering

7 Computer Science and Engineering CPATH Project Vision Active learning as a foundation for life-long learning Strong conceptual foundation supporting practical design experience Customization of curricula for individual student needs Documented proficiency in foundations areas Portfolio-based evidence of design skills Consistent meaningful interaction among students and faculty Development of teamwork and leadership skills A culture of critique, with frequent student presentations Students perceive the faculty as part of a community of experts Significant multidisciplinary collaboration 7 Computer Science and Engineering

Implementation Plan active learning in foundations and studio courses Foundations Courses Divided into modules with specified prerequisite modules. Meet 3 hours/week Students prepare for class by reading, watching videotaped lectures, etc. Class time is devoted to problem-based learning, with guidance from the instructor. Traditional lectures occur, but are not the routine mode of operation. Standard homework and exams Studio Courses Based on a design theme Meet 6 hours/week Mix of structured/unstructured time Students work on projects in (possibly interdisciplinary) teams Teams span freshman to senior Team members have roles Design reviews and critiques Real-world problems are used where possible Draw in module content as needed A high-stakes culminating event 8 Computer Science and Engineering

Implementation Plan Modularize Foundations Courses Break existing courses into modules (1 or 2 weeks of content) Expose dependencies between modules Within courses Across courses Support self-directed study of technical content Lecture notes and slides Indexed video Exercises Provide tools for curriculum planning, navigation and tracking Access to module content Customized curricula for interdisciplinary participation Certification of mastery for individual concept areas Student portfolios (curriculum planning, certification, etc.) 9 Computer Science and Engineering

Implementation Plan support top-down studios Modules from foundations courses provide background for studio courses on a just-in-time basis to develop life long learning skills. 10 Computer Science and Engineering

11 Computer Science and Engineering Studio Courses Existing studios: Computer Science II Software Development Studio User Interface Design Studio Rapid Prototyping Planned studios: Educational Computing Environments (with Sawyer) Design of Virtual Spaces (with MacKeith) 11 Computer Science and Engineering

Course Management System 12 Computer Science and Engineering

Software Studio Space Notes Partitions divide room into quadrants Each module of 4 has individual screens, plus one large one. Large groups are formed within quadrants. White boards in each quad for sketching, brainstorming. Large central display placed organized diagonally driven from instructors PC Requires 44’x44’ square

Software Studio Space (Elevation)

15 Computer Science and Engineering Summary Computational X Soft Skills Matter Active Learning Doing is Everything Vision for Active Learning Synergistic Foundations and Studio Courses Accessible Curricula Customizable and Just-in-time Technology Support and Studio Spaces 15 Computer Science and Engineering

Ken Goldman CCSCNE April 2008 Building Bridges to the Unknown Supporting Interdisciplinary Study in Computer Science Ken Goldman CCSCNE April 2008 16 Computer Science and Engineering

Course Management System ▽ Comp Sci & Eng ▷ OOA/OOD ▽ Design Patterns ▫ Creational Patterns ▫ Structural Patterns ▫ Behavioral Patterns ▷ Distributed Design ▷ Remote Method Invocation ▷ Client/Server Architecture Help Summary Content Team General Content / Resources: Session Content / Resources: Related Topics Module 101: Design Patterns About Content View Dynamic Help Provides for uploading of module and session content by dragging files or folders into the provided categories. - Manage module/session content - Add/Remove sessions Course Modules Syllabus Advising Courses Modules CSE 132 [Fall 08] <CSE 131> Computer Science I ▹ Show <CSE 132> Computer Science II ▿ Hide <MOD 100> OOA / OOD <MOD 101> Design Patterns <MOD 103> Remote Methods <MOD 102> Distributed Design <MOD 104> Client / Server Architecture Required Alternate 17 Computer Science and Engineering

Interdisciplinary Course Models Customer Model Course has CSE students. Problem is drawn from outside. “Customers” are not enrolled in the course. Specialized Collaborator Model Interdisciplinary teams work on projects. Students work in different capacities. May be co-taught under different course numbers. Equal Partner Model All students work on the development, so non-majors need to have some CSE background. 18 Computer Science and Engineering

What do Non-Majors Gain? Systematic ways of thinking about process. Describing processes precisely and abstractly. Reasoning about the correctness of processes. Analyzing the efficiency of processes. Systematic ways of thinking about data and relationships. Types: hierarchies, containment, composition… Structures: arrays, trees, directed graphs, mappings… Patterns: delegation, data flow, publish/subscribe… An accessible understanding of how software is built. The key to innovation in almost every field. 19 Computer Science and Engineering