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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
Melanie J. MartinComputer Science Department
A Holistic Approach to Improving Undergraduate Performance in Gateway
Computer Science Courses
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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
The Context
� Recruit and retain students in CS� Underrepresented minorities
� Native American� Hispanic, African American, Women, Others
� Pathways from High School to Graduate School
� Holistic, team-based approach� Gateway courses
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The Gateway Courses
� CS 171, Algorithmic Computation:� First Course in CS Major� Students have diverse backgrounds and
preparation levels� Required for some other majors (e.g.Math)� Some students have taken it up to 5 times
� Students who fail tend to change their major
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The Gateway Courses� Math/CS 278, Discrete Mathematics for CS:
� New course in Spring 2003� Developed jointly by Mathematics and Computer Science
Departments� Combines Math 279 (Intro to Finite Mathematics) and Math 330
(Discrete Mathematics)� Better alignment with ACM, IEEE-CS Computing Curricula
2001� Provide mathematical foundation to study theoretical computer
science, while maintaining mathematical rigor� Taught alternately by Math and CS
� Historically, many students who did well in CS 171 had difficulty passing Math 279 (Intro. to Finite Mathematics)
� Students who fail tend to change their major
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Pathways: Spring 2003
� Focus Groups (Two for each course)� Listen to students
� Support they want� Issues with the course
� Provide supplemental material� Challenge� Reinforcement of course material
� Identify potential �fast-track� students� Web page with worksheets
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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
CS 171, Spring 2003
41(14♀)5 (2 ♀)5(2 ♀)31(10♀)Total
6 (2 ♀)006 (2 ♀)W
4 (1 ♀)02(1 ♀)2 F
2011D
6 (1 ♀)006 (1 ♀)C
10 (4 ♀)2 (1 ♀)17(3 ♀)B
13 (6 ♀)3 (1 ♀)1(1 ♀)9(4 ♀)A
>21-20Grade
TotalFocus Groups attended
41 (14♀)5(2 ♀)5(2 ♀)31(10 ♀) Total
1001Foreign
22 (7 ♀)1021(7 ♀ )White
4 (2 ♀)2(1 ♀)2(1 ♀)0Native-Am.
13 (5 ♀) 1(1 ♀)3(1♀)9(3 ♀)Hispanic
1100African-Am.
>21-20Ethnicity
TotalFocus Groups attended
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Math 278, Spring 2003
30(5 ♀)6(2 ♀)420(3 ♀)Total
5 (1 ♀)005 (1 ♀)W
10 (1 ♀)127 (1 ♀)F
4013D
6 (2 ♀)3(1 ♀)12 (1 ♀)C
3003B
2 (1 ♀)2(1 ♀)00A+
>21-20Grade
TotalFocus Groups attended
30 (5 ♀)6(2 ♀)420(3 ♀)Total
0000Foreign
16 (4 ♀)5(2 ♀)110(2 ♀)White
4 (1 ♀)013 (1 ♀)Native-Am.
8 107Hispanic
2020African-Am.
>21-20Ethnicity
TotalFocus Groups attended
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Pathways: Fall 2003
� �Support, Challenge and Opportunity�� Focus Groups� Peer Mentoring� Web-based support� Team approach
� Holistic� Coordination� Communication
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The Pathways Team
Student
Professor
TA
FocusGroup
WebProgrammers
PeerMentor
CLA
SSS
PathwaysCoordinator
Grant PIs
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What we did differently in the Fall Focus Groups:
� Started Focus Groups first week of class
� Instructor regularly encouraged attendance
� Increased communication
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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
What we did differently in the Fall Focus Groups:
� CS 171� Extra Credit Points
� 3 per week� Equal to one lab
� Focused on thinking through the lab assignments
� Math 278� Extra Credit
Problems� Assigned in Focus
Group� Collected in Focus
Group
� Focused on �homework-like�problems
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Pathways: Fall 2003
� Support Available to Students� Individual
� 8 hours of office hours (Prof, TA, Mentor)
� Small Groups� 2 hours (or more) Focus Groups
� Web� Practice Area� Support Materials (Worksheets, Terminology Review)� News and Information
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Fall 2003 Web Page
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CS 171, Fall 2003
42(11 ♀)8 (1 ♀)5 (1 ♀)29(9 ♀)Total
2 (2 ♀)002 (2 ♀)W
9 (4 ♀)109 (4 ♀)F
1 1 00D
2002C
7 (1 ♀)115 (1 ♀)B
18 (4 ♀)5 (1 ♀)4 (1 ♀)9 (2 ♀)A
>21-20GradeTotalFocus Groups attended
42(11♀)8 (1 ♀)5(1 ♀)29(9 ♀)Total
0000Foreign
20(5 ♀)31(1 ♀)16(4 ♀)White
4 (3 ♀)2 (1 ♀)02(2 ♀)Native-Am.
18(3 ♀)3411(3 ♀)Hispanic
0000African-Am.
>21-20EthnicityTotalFocus Groups attended
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Math 278, Fall 2003
24(5 ♀)15 (4 ♀)54 (1 ♀)Total
1001W
3 (1 ♀)012 (1 ♀)F
1 (1 ♀)1 (1 ♀)00D
4211C
7 (2 ♀)5 (2 ♀)20B
8 (1 ♀)7 (1 ♀)10A
>21-20Grade
TotalFocus Groups attended
24 (5 ♀)15(4 ♀)54(1 ♀)Total
3(1 ♀)2(1 ♀)10Foreign
5212White
3 (2 ♀)2(1 ♀)01(1 ♀)Native-Am.
11(1 ♀)7(1 ♀)21Hispanic
2(1 ♀)1(1 ♀)10African-Am.
>21-20Ethnicity
TotalFocus Groups attended
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Conclusions:Percent of Students Receiving C or Better
(grading standards maintained)
� CS 171� Spring 2003: 71%� Fall 2003: 64%
� Three students who regularly attended focus groups did raise their grades
� Unusually bi-polar class
� Math 278� Math 279, Spring
2000-Fall 2001: 52%� Math 278, Spring
2003: 37%� Math 278, Fall 2003:
79%
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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
Conclusions
� Results for Fall 2003 are promising for holistic team-based approach
� Some courses are better suited for this approach� Math 278 was very successful� CS 171 approach needs to be reconsidered
� Students who attend focus groups and seek help tend to do better, so we need to get them there
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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
Conclusions
� Some Key Factors:� Timely consistent communication� Keeping students paced
� Weekly assignments� Quick grading turnaround� News, assignments and solutions on web
� Incentives to attend focus groups
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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
ConclusionsSome Key Factors:
� Support a diversity of learning styles� Individual� Small group� Traditional
Classroom� Web-based
� Recognize and address interconnected spheres where students function, including:� Academic � Cultural� Financial� Family� Work� Peers
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Sun Conference March 6, 2004
Acknowledgements� National Science
Foundation Minority Institution Infrastructure Grant (No EIA-0220590)
� 2003 Pathways Team Members
� Dr. Roger T. Hartley and Dr. Enrico Pontelli
� Dr. John Harding and Dr. Desh Ranjan, Hue McCoy and Dr. Esther Steiner
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Questions/Discussion
� Thank you for listening!!!