Workshop on Application of Peer Learning to the Introductory Computer Science Curriculum

The principal investigator for the project is Craig Wills, a faculty member in the Computer Science Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

The following describes the workshop and the overall project. An application form for the workshop is also available. Requests for additional information can be sent to peercs@cs.wpi.edu. This Web page can be found at http://cs.wpi.edu/~peercs.

Application of Peer Learning to the Introductory Computer Science Curriculum

An Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Workshop

Supported by the National Science Foundation

June 13-15, 1996

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA

Professor Craig Wills and the Computer Science Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) announces an Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Workshop on the application of peer learning to the introductory (freshman/sophomore) Computer Science curriculum. Peer (or cooperative) learning has students working together as part of their own learning experience. Peer learning can take many forms. The workshop is an outgrowth of our experience with one approach to peer learning in the CS2 course in our introductory curriculum. Our experience, and our collaboration with colleagues on workshops, has shown this to be an important topic and of interest to others involved in the pedagogy of our discipline.

BACKGROUND

A traditional classroom environment utilizing lectures and assignments done individually by students is an efficient medium for the transmission of factual knowledge, but is poorly suited to developing higher-level cognitive skills and increasing student motivation. This environment makes it easy for students to become isolated in courses and does not take advantage of peers working together.

The thrust of this project is to attack problems faced by institutions of providing a high quality introductory computer science curriculum while developing strategies to better utilize the potential of student interaction in the student learning process. The approach we will use is to bring together a diversity of computer science educators for a two-year project on the application of peer learning to the introductory computer science curriculum. The project will be initiated by an NSF-supported workshop in June, 1996 with a follow-up workshop in the Summer, 1997. It will not only involve the application of peer learning techniques at the home institution of the participants, but also evaluation of the impact these techniques have on the students and faculty involved.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Regarding the use of peer learning, the workshop is intended to bring together two types of computer science educators:

Those faculty who are already employing the use of peer learning techniques in their introductory Computer Science courses and are interested in sharing their work and learning about other work. These faculty will have an opportunity to share their experience with other participants. We are looking for the group of experienced participants to collectively share a variety of techniques.
Those faculty who are interested in employing peer learning techniques in their introductory Computer Science courses. These faculty will be asked to apply techniques presented at the workshop to an introductory Computer Science course they teach at their home institution.

WORKSHOP GOALS

The specific goals of the workshop and follow-up work are:

provide a forum for educators interested in peer learning to have a hands-on environment for using and developing cooperative activities.
disseminate the use of peer learning techniques to other faculty and schools who are currently using more traditional classroom approaches,
build on the experience of faculty who are using peer learning, but may be doing so in isolation, and
assess the effectiveness of using peer learning techniques across different educational environments.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

The workshop will be held at WPI and begin on Thursday, June 13. It will end on Saturday, June 15. A follow-up workshop will be held during the Summer of 1997. The workshop this June will be devoted primarily to discussing the use of peer learning techniques in the introductory curriculum and how their impact can be evaluated. Participants will be asked, as part of their participation, to commit to applying and evaluating peer learning techniques in some form to their own introductory courses during the 1996-97 academic year. The 1997 meeting will report on and evaluate the overall results across all institutions.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the National Science Foundation will provide attendees with all necessary workshop materials, and with food and lodging (private dormitory rooms with linens) while at WPI. Attendees and their home institutions are responsible for travel and incidental expenses. Worcester is the second largest city in New England with about 150,000 people. It is located about 40 miles west of Boston. Air travel can be done into the Worcester airport or into Boston (ground transportation taking about an hour is then available to Worcester).

APPLICATION

Space in the workshop is limited to approximately 30 people. We will give preference to people who can apply and evaluate the use of peer learning techniques in the introductory Computer Science curriculum at their home institutions, and who are committed to returning for the 1997 follow-up workshop. To apply, fill in and send us the information requested in the application form. To introduce ourselves and provide a model for filling in the information, you can see our answers to the questions on the application form.

DEADLINE

Applications will be accepted as space permits. Applicants will be notified of acceptance as they are received.


Craig E. Wills	
Computer Science Department
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Road
Worcester, MA 01609, USA.
Email:  cew@cs.wpi.edu
Phone: (508) 831-5622
FAX:    (508) 831-5776