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ATEC 1201/1203: An Innovative Survey Course in Computer Science

Explore the development and implementation of ATEC 1201/1203 at Georgia Perimeter College, providing students with a foundational understanding of computer science. Review course details, student demographics, curriculum insights, pilot course results, and future plans.

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ATEC 1201/1203: An Innovative Survey Course in Computer Science

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  1. More Than Literacy: Creating a Breadth-First Survey Course for the Future Julia E. Benson Georgia Perimeter College

  2. Today’s Talk • About GPC and its CS program • Initial Course Development • Details in conference proceedings • Update • What’s happening this fall

  3. Georgia Perimeter College • Two year school • Third-largest institution in the University System • Five locations in metropolitan Atlanta • Computer Science offered at three locations • Approximately 16,000 students

  4. Our Students • Large population of non-traditional students • International student population is largest in the state • 15% of total enrollment on F-1 visa • Many others are recent immigrants • Over 40% of students begin in Learning Support courses

  5. Why A Survey Course? • Semester conversion spurred a curriculum revision • Modernize and update curriculum • Move into line with ACM curriculum guidelines • Provide realistic view of discipline

  6. Why? (cont.) • Student population characteristics mean many students have little prior computer experience • A new approach was needed to meet our students’ needs…..

  7. The New CS Curriculum • ATEC 1201/1203 • Applied Technology (i.e. literacy) • Required of all students • Provide fundamental technology background • ATEC 1201 -- computing concepts • ATEC 1202 -- basic skills (word processing and Internet use)

  8. The New CS Curriculum (cont.) • CSCI 1401/1301/1302 • Required of CS majors • Assume a basic computing background • CSCI 1401 -- survey • CSCI 1301/1302 -- Principles of CS I/II

  9. CSCI 1401Introduction to Computer Science • “Provides an overview of selected major areas of current computing technology.” • Focuses on hands-on experience • Pulls together overview materials that were previously scattered throughout curriculum

  10. CSCI 1401 Major Topics • History/Vocabulary of Computers • Data Representation and Storage • Computer Hardware • Computer Software • Communications Technologies • Social/Ethical Issues • Algorithmic Design/Programming Concepts

  11. CSCI 1401 Pilot Courses • First pass -- Fall quarter 1997 • One section at Dunwoody campus • Second pass -- Spring quarter 1998 • One section at Dunwoody campus • One section at Clarkston campus • Sections were not coordinated

  12. Pilot Course Results • Student performance • Dunwoody campus: • 32% of students withdrew at/before midpoint • 81% of remaining students received a ‘C’ or better • Compares favorably with prior non-majors’ programming course

  13. Pilot Course Results (cont.) • Informal comments were largely favorable • Very few complaints to administration • Students continuing to other CS classes were very successful • Students have recommended course to others

  14. Update -- October 1998 • Current Status • Changes From Pilot Curriculum • What’s Working • What Isn’t Working • Too Soon To Tell • Future Plans

  15. Current Status • One completed section (half-semester) at Dunwoody campus • Sections in progress: • Two at Dunwoody campus • at Clarkston campus • at Lawrenceville campus

  16. Current Status (cont.) • Five instructors • Four full-time • One part-time • Enrollment (beginning of term) • 68 students at Dunwoody • students at Clarkston • students at Lawrenceville

  17. Current Status (cont.) • ATEC prerequisite was waived for 1998-99 • Enrollment concerns

  18. Changes From Pilot Courses • Course enrollment largely computer science majors • Pilot courses were predominantly non-majors • Basic curriculum remains very similar • Pilot curriculum assumed no computing background • Waiver of ATEC prerequisite continues assumption

  19. Changes (cont.) • In-class lab work counts towards grade • For Dunwoody sections, 10% • New assignments • Explore functions/iteration using a spreadsheet to compare loan payment plans • Book review: social or ethical issue • Programming language is Pascal rather than QBASIC

  20. What’s Working • Student interest is high • All sections offered were filled, even over-filled • Projects are very popular with students • Relevant to their lives • Interesting, use practical skills

  21. What’s Working (cont.) • Curriculum lines up well with standard credit-by-exam programs • CLEP -- very similar except that CLEP includes business/career issues • DANTES -- almost identical • Curriculum follows ACM guidelines for CS0

  22. What Isn’t Working • Half-semester course scheduling • Too rushed, several topics were shortchanged • Not enough time to complete all projects • Omitted group presentation and problem set • Only one programming assignment • Retention: • 23 students enrolled, 5 withdrew at/before midpoint • Only 10 passed with a ‘C’ or better

  23. What Isn’t Working (cont.) • Current textbook/lab manual • Chosen as best-available, but • Does not fit our curriculum • Contains much unneeded material • Missing important information • Students find book hard to use • Web-based auxiliary materials are not available • Lab exercises contain many errors

  24. It’s Too Soon to Tell • Will this better prepare our CS majors for later courses? • Will this improve student performance in later courses? • At least a year before we can draw conclusions

  25. Future Plans • Fix the textbook problem! • Find something appropriate, or • Write it ourselves • Trick is to find something with broad coverage that goes beyond elementary issues

  26. Future Plans (cont.) • Move into a transitional phase • Phase out material covered in ATEC • De-emphasize/refine coverage of basic hardware/software/architecture • Expand coverage of network technologies • Expand social/ethical issue coverage • Focus on algorithmic development

  27. Future Plans (cont.) • Continue wrestling with programming and the language issue • Pascal in this course vs. C++ in later courses • Does this help or confuse the student? • What about Java? • What about a completely different approach?

  28. Future Plans (cont.) • Most important, make sure the course stays current!

  29. Acknowledgements: • The GPC Computer Science faculty: • especially Ashraful Chowdhury • also Anant Honkan and Gene Shepherd • Sue Henderson, department chair • The GPC OIT staff, particularly • Trish Fields • John Cothran • Hunter Eidson

  30. For More Information: • This presentation • http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~jbenson/presentations/RockEagle98/ • CSCI 1401 Course Site • http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~jbenson/csci1401/csci1401.htm • Syllabus, assignments, course library, other resources

  31. Contact: • Julia E. BensonAssistant Professor of Computer ScienceGeorgia Perimeter Collegejbenson@gpc.peachnet.edu

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