Lori Carter

Interdisciplinary computing classes: worth the effort

The benefits of interdisciplinary computing classes have been widely discussed. For the computing students, they provide a context in which to apply their skills, and appear to aid in recruitment and retention. For non-computing students, they provide additional skills to enhance their own crafts. For both, interdisciplinary programs open up new career possibilities and hone soft skills. In consideration of these and other benefits, the Point Loma Nazarene University Mathematical, Information, and Computer Sciences department have teamed up with the Biology, Chemistry, and Physics departments to offer several opportunities for interdisciplinary experiences to their students. In addition to the benefits, however, these programs produce significant challenges. This paper reviews the benefits of interdisciplinarity and discusses three different models of interdisciplinary experiences used at PLNU. It reports on the challenges that arose in each, and ways these difficulties were resolved. Finally, it discusses the hurdle of recruiting for such courses.

The business of Service Learning

Service Learning is a program where students utilize skills gained in coursework to benefit members of the community. Students gain practical experience, and those being served gain valuable assistance. Service Learning programs range from volunteer hours added as a requirement to a traditional course to semester or yearlong classes dedicated to Service Learning. Each model has pros and cons and the effectiveness of a particular model can vary based on the characteristics of and resources available at the individual university. This paper presents the evolving model of a year-long course dedicated to Service Learning and housed in the Mathematical, Information and Computer Sciences department of Point Loma Nazarene University. PLNU is a relatively small liberal arts university without an administrative department overseeing Service Learning. The course is one of three options for gaining practical experience. Hence, the program must be flexible enough to provide a good experience for any number of students and combination of majors, and must be self-contained. We have chosen to run our Service Learning course using a business model where student resources can be realigned as necessary to meet project needs. In addition to project assignments, students cover administrative tasks and provide training to other students.

Success in CS: Is culture a factor?

The research presented in this paper investigated the possibility that the factors that have been shown to be correlated with success in Computer Science could be influenced by culture. Two Sudanese students have recently been through our department. While they excelled in academic areas often connected to success in Computer Science, they were unable to gain an understanding of programming at the same rate as fellow class members. Considering their backgrounds, we began to wonder if perhaps there was a cultural aspect to their apparent inability to grasp the programming concepts as efficiently as their U.S. born peers. Drawing on past research from multiple disciplines, we determined that there was some likelihood that this is the case for them and for students of other cultures in general. In this paper we report on the evidence found to support this general conclusion. In addition we show that attention to the variation in Math education, learning styles, personality traits, and comfort levels due to background, can make a significant difference in the ability of students from a variety of cultures to learn Computer Science.

Computational science programs: The background research

There are many good reasons for an academic institution to pursue the addition of an undergraduate program in computational science. However, poor planning can lead to wasted time, money and resources, and ultimately a failed program. To create a viable program, it is essential to have buy-in from the computational faculty and science faculty, as well as the administration. In addition, it is important to understand the skill-set desired by the potential employers and graduate programs, and to design a curriculum around those needs keeping in mind the expertise of the faculty involved. This paper strives to share what was learned from over a year of background research on what it takes to have a successful computational science program.

Work in progress - bridging the technology gap: An analysis of industry needs and student skills

Discussions with individuals in industry and with students uncovered a potential disconnect in technological skills. The computer skills students are acquiring might not fully match up with the current needs in the workforce. As members of Engineering and Computer Science departments, the responsibility often falls on us to provide service courses in technology. But is this the correct approach, and if so, what should be provided? The goal of this research project is to detect any gaps in computer knowledge that might exist between academia and industry. To this end various PLNU alumni in diverse and distinguished areas of employment were interviewed and surveyed in order to discover the technological skills needed by professionals in their fields. Additionally, all undergraduate students at PLNU were given the opportunity to respond to a survey to determine their fluency with key computer skills. Suggestions are made regarding how to address the possible disparity between knowledge and need.

Work in progress - introduction to computers: An interdisciplinary approach

Computing is now a necessary part of all academic disciplines, not just the one labeled Computer Science. However, most of our service courses in computing fail to adequately address these interdisciplinary needs. In the past, the typical computer literacy course has been an overview of Microsoft Office, or some similar set of tools. Most students entering the university today already have a working knowledge of these programs. Instead, they need a more in-depth understanding of the computing tools required for a specific discipline. Our current research is exploring the possibility of a new computer literacy curriculum designed to better meet the needs of the entire student population. The concept includes developing one unit modules to cover topics of interest to a particular major or group of majors. Each discipline could choose one or two modules to include in their required curriculum, or to recommend to their students. This paper presents the techniques used for, and preliminary results of a study designed to understand the computing needs of the various disciplines as a precursor to designing such modules.

Using the Blended Learning Approach in a Quantitative Literacy Course

Abstract The efforts to improve the quantitative reasoning (quantitative literacy) skills of college students in the United States have been gaining momentum in recent years. At the same time, the blended learning approach to course delivery has gained in popularity, promising better learning with flexible modalities and pace. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study that compares student learning outcomes and student attitudes over several semesters of blended versus traditional delivery in the upper-division quantitative literacy course at Point Loma Nazarene University.

Bridging the gap between the undergraduate and graduate experience in computer systems studies

This paper presents the contents of a Special Topics Class used to introduce undergraduate students to the different approach to learning and thinking found in the graduate level Computer Systems environment. During the first half of the semester, the students received instruction in reading and writing technical documents, and had experience with professor-guided self-study. During the second half of the semester, the students presented an idea for a simulator, built it, and used it to conduct simple experiments. After completing the experiments, they were encouraged to brainstorm variations to the algorithms or architectures they simulated, which would improve performance. Student evaluations revealed that for 50% of the students, their interest in graduate school increased as a result of the class.