Jennifer Burg

A strategic plan for ubiquitous laptop computing

with their students, they must also be able to speak the language of a computernurtured generation. We would argue the best way for a university to accomplish these goals is to place a computer in the hands of every student and faculty member. This article reports on the experience of one university that has realized a campus-wide computer initiative, and the two-prong strategy that is making this initiative a success: standardization of platforms, and decentralization of implementation. Wake Forest University took its first steps toward campus-wide computer adoption when it began its triennial strategic planning process in 1994. The challenge before the planning committee was to preserve the university’s tradition of individual, personalized instruction while striking out on a bold path toward the new century. After collecting ideas from retreats, questionnaires, interviews, and a full-scale interim report, the strategic planning group emerged with “The Plan for the Class of 2000,” a document endorsed by the College Faculty, the Student Legislature, and the Board of Trustees in the spring of 1995 [5]. One of the most visible and farreaching elements of the 37-item plan—now referred

A tutorial program for propositional logic with human/computer interactive learning

This paper describes a tutorial program that serves a double role as an educational tool and a research environment. First, it introduces students to fundamental concepts of propositional logic and gives them practice with theorem proving. Secondly, the program provides an environment in which we can track student learning, explore cognitive issues of human problem solving, and investigate the possibilities of interactive human/machine learning. We have tested the tutorial program on two groups of Discrete Mathematics students and report the results of our assessment. We also discuss the contributions and future directions of our research in interactive human/machine learning.

Computers across campus

the problem or to call for redress. In the early 1980s, plans for campus-wide computer ownership began to appear among small colleges and technical universities. Schools such as Stevens, Drew, Clarkson, Drexel, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Bentley were among the first to adopt a computer requirement. But the early initiatives languished, and some died for lack of enthusiasm [6, 7]. Now in the late 1990s, the movement is gaining ground again, and it is beginning to have an air of inevitability. Admittedly, the number of schools with campus-wide computer initiatives is small, but it is growing and beginning to spread from small private colleges like Dartmouth, Wake Forest, and Hartwick [2] to larger public institutions like Geor-

Experiments with the “Oregon Trail Knapsack Problem”

Abstract This paper presents hybrid algorithms for a variation of the Bounded Knapsack Problem which we call the Oregon Trail Knapsack. Our problem entails imposing a cost as well as a weight limit, constraining the values of types of items by means of a variety of value functions, and allowing the value of one item type to be dependent on the presence or absence of another type in the knapsack. These modifications to the original problem make it more complex and require adaptations of known knapsack algorithms. To solve this problem, we combine constraint propagation techniques and domain pruning with classic branch and bound approaches that require a sorting of the items. Our experiments compare a constraint-language implementation with a simulation of the constraint-based system in a procedural language. Results indicate that the constraint-based solution is natural to the problem and efficient enough to solve large problem instances typical of the application.

Intelligent backtracking in CLP(ℜ)

CLP(ℜ) is a constraint logic programming language in which constraints can be expressed in the domain of real numbers. Computation in this specialized domain gives access to information useful in intelligent backtracking. In this paper, we present an efficient constraint satisfaction algorithm for linear constraints in the real number domain and show that our algorithm directly generates minimal sets of conflicting constraints when failures occur. We demonstrate how information gleaned during constraint satisfaction can be integrated with unification failure analysis. The resulting intelligent backtracking method works in the context of a two-sorted domain, where variables can be bound to either structured terms or real number expressions. We discuss the implementation of backtracking and show examples where the benefit of pruning the search tree outweights the overhead of failure analysis.

Engaging Non-Traditional Students in Computer Science through Socially-Inspired Learning and Sustained Mentoring

This paper describes a new program for attracting non-traditional students into computer science and retaining them through sustained peer and faculty mentoring. The program is centered on socially-inspired learning, - learning in and for a community. It consists of a STEM Incubator course, hands-on projects with real-world applications, a sandbox lab, and a mentoring system that begins in the STEM Incubator course and continues with students who choose to remain involved in projects and courses. Our program is in its second year. Data collected on enrollment and retention and results of student questionnaires show promise for the success and sustainability of the program.

Computing and music: a spectrum of sound

This special session implements the first goal of the SIGCSE Committee on Computing and Music. It provides a venue in which the committee conveners can present their work to SIGCSE attendees and in return acquire information from others who are using music to promote learning of deep computing concepts. By describing four diverse approaches, the audience will understand the breadth of the topic and will be inspired to contribute to the effort.

Computer science "big ideas" play well in digital sound and music

This paper reports the results of a four-year National Science Foundation CCLI grant that supported development and assessment of curricular material linking computer science (CS), digital audio, music, and sound design. A book and online learning aids were created and used in courses and summer workshops. The material was refined based on feedback from students and instructors. Learning was measured by pre- and post-tests. In this paper, we map the curricular material to the Big Ideas for CS Principles as well as to core CS courses. Objective and subjective assessment of the material over the course of the grant leads us to recommendations for purposeful, parallel, and convergent learning, concepts that are explained in the paper.

Fostering Computational Creativity through Computing in the Arts: A Community of Educators (Abstract Only)

Do you teach or are you interested in teaching digital media? Do you work in a digital media degree program or department? This BOF will explore different ways of merging computer science and the arts. We invite you to apply to attend our creative, collaborative Computing in the Arts community of CS educators this summer at our NSF-funded faculty workshop. Additionally, we want to learn what you teach in digital media, and how your program is structured. Is it part of Computer Science, Art, Mass Communications, New Media, or something else? High schools in many states require no computing education beyond studying office suite software. However, these same students are experienced and enthusiastic digital media users. Computing in the Arts degree programs can harness this interest and experience, facilitating both critical and creative thinking. Computing theory and practice can be applied in art and, at the same time, be informed by artistic concepts and methods. Moreover, art theory and practice can be enriched by computational methods and techniques.

A STEM Incubator to Engage Students in Hands-on, Relevant Learning: A Report from the Field

This paper describes the development of a STEM Incubator program to engage students in hand-on, relevant projects that draw student interest toward computer science and other STEM fields. The program is implemented via one-credit courses allowing students to collaborate on projects in various areas (such as digital sound and music, 3D design, robotics, digital image processing, bioinformatics, and mobile and pervasive computing) and around multiple application domains (e.g. internet of things and security, apps for college campus life, 3D printing and art, wearable sensors for disabilities, and sensors and unmanned vehicles for conservation). An apprentice/leader learning environment is created to sustain student involvement in ongoing projects. The evolution of the program is reviewed, including successes and challenges. We report on the demographics of students who have participated in the program so far, and on the success in attracting enthusiastic interest, notably among female students. The STEM Incubator program, like other similar programs described in this paper, attempts to put into practice the evidence-based teaching practices in active learning that have gained credence over the past decade. The paper is of interest to those considering a similar program or wishing to compare other programs to their own.