Socially Relevant Computing in

Undergraduate Education

Monisha PulimoodThe College of New Jersey

Presented at PostgreSQL Conference, U.S., East 2010, March 27, 2010

MissionMission

formal and informal interaction

valued contributions intellectual inquiry

engaging educational environment

critical thinking

creative expression

academic freedom

service learning

respectful community

living-learning environment

changing needs of society

multicultural

ethical, leaders highly technological

Figure 1. Computer science enrollments by gender. Curves indicate percentages of incoming college freshmen listing computer science as a probable major.Source: Gilbert, Juan E. “Making a case for BPC” Computer. IEEE, March 2006

Database SystemsDatabase Systems

GoalsGoalsDatabase Systems: database modeling; queries;

normalization; transactions; concurrency control; fundamental design issues and trade-offs

Software Modeling and Analysis: requirements process; documentation.

Tools: DBMSs; development environments; versioning systems; presentation tools; project management tools.

Group Dynamics and Communication Skills: dealing with uncertainty or ambiguity; reading, understanding, and summarizing source code, documentation;

CollaborationCollaborationJournalism with Donna Shaw and Emille Lounsberry

Data collection and analysis Investigative report

Excel

Database

Analysis

OutcomesOutcomesFor students

Better understanding of real world needs

Engagement

Accomplishment

For collaborators

Piloting a new model for investigative journalism

Investigative series

Computational ThinkingComputational Thinkingvia Interactive via Interactive

JournalismJournalismin Middle Schoolin Middle School

with Ursula Wolz, Kim Pearson, Meredith Stone, Mary Switzer

http://www.tcnj.edu/~ijimsFunded by NSF CNS 0739173

How K-8 “Sets Up” For HS How K-8 “Sets Up” For HS CoursesCourses

Biology starts in preschool when the first butterfly emerges from a chrysalis – what’s the analogy for Computational Thinking

Curriculum is already too full – if you add CT, what do you take out?

Grade-level experience is too compartmentalized – how do we avoid becoming a “special” in a tightly scripted, sound bite day?

Teachers say their curriculum is too “chunked”, how do we avoid creating another chunk?

Big ThemesBig Themes

STORYTELLING!!!!!

Constructors not simply consumers of information

Language Arts curricula are the most “squishy” – this flexibility invites innovation

Journalism is the perfect place for civic engagement – the social context!

Language Arts least likely to be squeezed out

Computational Thinking and Computational Thinking and JournalismJournalism

The Process: (Inquiry, create, build, invent, polish, publish) Iterate on: define problem, research it, draft solution,

test (copy edit and fact check), rollout (publish) Isomorphism between journalism and software

design

Need for CT Skills in Language arts: Information access, aggregation, synthesisConcerns for reliability, privacy, accuracyAlgorithm design (including logical consistency)Knowledge representation (granularity)Abstraction from cases

The Summer Program at The Summer Program at The College of New JerseyThe College of New Jersey

Fisher Middle School Technology conservative, diverse population, urban rim school

One week with just teachers

One week with teachers and students Recruited kids who were not necessarily math/science ‘types’

Immersion into the process of publishing an online journal – students and teachers assigned “beats” (e.g. politics, environment, sports, arts)

Minimize didactic instruction, emphasize collaboration

The After School Program at The After School Program at Fisher Middle SchoolFisher Middle School

Meets each week for an hour

Students propose and volunteer for beats.

Weekly tasks managed through “deliverables sheets”

Instruction completely informal

Put out two issues per year

http://highered.commandprompt.com/news

Technology Technology

Word processing

Spreadsheets

Video recording and editing

Procedural Animation via Scratch

CAFÉ –Collaboration And Facilitation Environment

CAFECAFE

Multimedia ReportingMultimedia Reporting

Magazine ManagementMagazine Management

The Editorial ProcessThe Editorial Process

Their Work on The WebTheir Work on The Web

The Kids Made it Their OwnThe Kids Made it Their Own

Our ResultsOur Results

The kids and teachers “get” that CT, programming and computer science are accessible. THEY WANT MORE

They articulate that programming and journalism are alike.

They articulate that you don’t have to be a “math type” to program.

They are using CT skills in areas outside our project.

Summer Results Summer Results Rapid change in attitudeRapid change in attitude

Working with computers means I:

July 08

N=13

July 09N=27

Work all by myself

1 7

Work with others

6 16

Can be creative

10 19

Average score5 = Strongly

Agree to 1 = Strongly

Disagree

July 08N=16

July 09N=27

During the past week, I learned that Computer Science and Journalism are a lot alike

3.6 4.0

I believe I can create a computer program (July 2009)Agree/Strongly Agree No Opinion Disagree/ Strongly

DisagreeFirst Day 19 5 4

(N=29) 66% 17% 14%

Last Day 23 3 0

(N=26) 88% 12% 0%

After School Results After School Results Sustained Change in AttitudeSustained Change in Attitude

Kids: 2/3 keep coming despite

technical setbacks and competition from sports, music,

On surveys they still respond interactive Journalism can be a lot of fun (4.41), working with computers means I can be creative (4.47)

Teachers: Increased sessions from twice

per month to weekly, took over the program in October 2009

Lobbied for 7th as well as 8th graders for sustainability

Committed to running the program without us next year

Our Next StepsOur Next Steps

Disseminate our approach – problem of scale up of an immersive approach.

Support for teachers to share experiences and materials How can collaborating teachers support increased exposure to CT

concepts, e.g. partnering Language Arts and Math

Address the question: but ARE they doing CT/programming/SE? How sophisticated are their Scratch scripts? How would more explicit instruction in Scratch/CT/CS techniques

improve their animations.

Sustain the program at Fisher without research funding – teachers want more professional development

Lessons Learned, Best Lessons Learned, Best PracticesPractices

Language arts teachers with minimal exposure to computational thinking can see its synergy with language arts and run with it.

They can ignite enthusiasm and confidence in their students to become computational thinkers – and programmers

We need to adapt curriculum and pedagogy to the culture of the school - don’t try to impose our preconceptions

Partner with teachers, respect their skills, let them take ownership

http://www/tcnj.edu/~ijimshttp://www/tcnj.edu/~ijims

QuestionsQuestions

More InformationMore Information

Contact me:Contact me:pulimood@tcnj.edupulimood@tcnj.edu