PI Information:
Primary contact for project information: Name : Craig E Wills E mail : cew@cs.wpi.edu Fax : 5088315776 Phone : 5088315622 Address : 100 Institute Road Worcester Massachusetts 01609
Participant Individuals: Senior personnel(s) : James Groccia
Type of Institution: 4YR
Partner Organizations:
Other collaborators:
David Cordes, Dorothy Deremer, Bruce Klein, Renee McCauley and Linda Null were workshop participants and collaborated with the PI on a panel at the ACM SIGCSE conference in March 1997. The title of the panel was 'Application of Peer Learning to the Introductory Computer Science Curriculum'. Dorothy Deremer, Renee McCauley and Linda Null collaborated with the PI to write a journal article about the results of the project.
Project Goal(s):
The goal of this project is to better utilize the potential of student interaction in the student learning process within the introductory computer science curriculum. Peer (also called cooperative or collaborative) learning involves students working together as part of their own learning experience.
Updated Project Description:
The PI has been active in attending and participating in computer science education conferences during the project. Extending the duration of the initial project allowed the PI to attend additional conferences to disseminate information about the project and discuss it with other educators. During the project, the PI attended the ACM SIGCSE conference in San Jose in 1997, New Orleans in 1999, and Austin in 2000. He also attended the Small College Computing Conference in Boston in 1997 and Providence in 1999 as well as the Software Engineering---Education and Practice Conference in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1998. Related to activities on another NSF-DUE grant (#9751132), the PI also attended the World Wide Web Conference, which was indirectly related to this grant, but related directly to the Webware component of this other grant, along with how the Web is best used in computer science education.The goal of this project is to better utilize the potential of student interaction in the student learning process within the introductory computer science curriculum. Peer (also called cooperative or collaborative) learning involves students working together as part of their own learning experience. Our approach for examining and assessing this pedagogical technique for the introductory computer science curriculum has been to bring together a diversity of computer science educators for two workshops held in June 1996 and June 1997 on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). These workshops not only brought together educators using peer learning in the introductory computer science curriculum, but also others who were interested in experimenting with this mode of teaching. Participants in the first workshop discussed the general strengths and weaknesses of peer learning and experienced participants explained how they used it in their classrooms. Based on this discussion, an important part of the workshop consisted of participants working together in small group settings and developing new peer learning tasks and activities that could be used at various institutions. These tasks were catalogued using a worksheet to record the various aspects of each task, such as objectives, group size, group formation, duration and grading criteria. At the conclusion of the first workshop, participants returned to their institutions to continue or initiate the use of peer learning in their introductory computer science curriculum. The participants also took with them techniques for assessing the effectiveness of the approach. Jim Groccia, Director, Program for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Missouri, served as consultant for the project to advise participants on the assessment component. The results from the first workshop and the specific activities of some participants were presented by a panel at the 1997 ACM SIGCSE conference. The second year workshop included many of the first year workshop participants along with new participants. New participants brought with them situations within their curriculum in which they would like to use peer learning. As was done in the first workshop, these situations served as starting points for splitting into groups and developing peer learning activities appropriate for the situations. The focus of the second year workshop was the presentation and discussion of the peer learning activities used by participants during the preceding year. These presentations about the activities and their assessment led to much discussion about what was learned from each activity and how each could be improved. Work continued at each respective institution following the second year workshop. Participants were surveyed at the end of that academic year as part of the final evaluation for the project. During the Summer, 1998 and AY1998-99, the PI and three of the workshop participants wrote a journal paper describing the results of the work on the project. The project has served to bring together a diversity of educators from a variety of institutions, both experienced and previously inexperienced with the use of peer learning. Through the course of the project, the participants have learned a number of lessons to be conveyed to the larger computer science education community. These lessons are summarized in the following: Peer learning is important. It has a place in teaching the introductory computer science curriculum, but should not be used as the only technique. Start small. Peer learning can range from informal, small group exercises in class to more formal, group projects done outside of class. The best way to gain experience with peer learning is to begin with some relatively ``low-risk'' activities in class and then consider larger, out-of-class projects as appropriate. Instructors must be willing to relinquish control. The use of group exercises changes the dynamics in a classroom as students work on a problem without direct instructor involvement. This change from the traditional lecture often enlivens the classroom, but instructors and students need to grow comfortable with it. Group project grading can cause anxiety for students. Stronger students may see the group projects as a threat to their course grade. Group projects should be designed carefully to consider the needs of both weaker and stronger students. In evaluation, each student should get a grade that is based both on the group effort and the student's individual effort. Group projects require careful planning by the instructor. The planning is often more important than individual projects as the instructor must consider the role of each group member. Students need to see the benefit for group activities to work. Group tasks should be a welcome change of pace and selected tasks should clearly necessitate or benefit from group solution. The workshops provide direct opportunities for faculty training and development. In all, 12 participants attended the first workshop and 16 the second workshop with six of those participants attending both workshops.
Innovations or Unique Successes to Date:
Peer learning is often used in upper-level Computer Science courses and is routinely used in other disciplines and K-12 education. Excellent references for the use of cooperative learning in college teaching are available. However, reports of its use and evaluation of its effectiveness in the introductory (freshman and sophomore) level computer science curriculum are limited. This project has had a significant impact by studying the use of different types of peer learning at different types of institutions.This project has focused on computer science, but many of the results are also applicable to introductory courses in other science and engineering disciplines. The PI has previously participated in a workshop on 'Task Design for Cooperative Learning in Math and Science Courses: Covering the Material and Learning It Better' with a faculty member from Biology and Mathematics.The project has contributed directly to the professional development of faculty participating in the project and indirectly to faculty visiting the project Web site and hearing presentations about the project. The primary contribution is the project Web site.
Activities and findings:
Research Activities: The goal of this project is to better utilize the potential of student interaction in the student learning process within the introductory computer science curriculum. Peer (also called cooperative or collaborative) learning involves students working together as part of their own learning experience. Our approach for examining and assessing this pedagogical technique for the introductory computer science curriculum has been to bring together a diversity of computer science educators for two workshops held in June 1996 and June 1997 on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). These workshops not only brought together educators using peer learning in the introductory computer science curriculum, but also others who were interested in experimenting with this mode of teaching. Participants in the first workshop discussed the general strengths and weaknesses of peer learning and experienced participants explained how they used it in their classrooms. Based on this discussion, an important part of the workshop consisted of participants working together in small group settings and developing new peer learning tasks and activities that could be used at various institutions. These tasks were catalogued using a worksheet to record the various aspects of each task, such as objectives, group size, group formation, duration and grading criteria. At the conclusion of the first workshop, participants returned to their institutions to continue or initiate the use of peer learning in their introductory computer science curriculum. The participants also took with them techniques for assessing the effectiveness of the approach. Jim Groccia, Director, Program for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Missouri, served as consultant for the project to advise participants on the assessment component. The results from the first workshop and the specific activities of some participants were presented by a panel at the 1997 ACM SIGCSE conference. The second year workshop included many of the first year workshop participants along with new participants. New participants brought with them situations within their curriculum in which they would like to use peer learning. As was done in the first workshop, these situations served as starting points for splitting into groups and developing peer learning activities appropriate for the situations. The focus of the second year workshop was the presentation and discussion of the peer learning activities used by participants during the preceding year. These presentations about the activities and their assessment led to much discussion about what was learned from each activity and how each could be improved. Work continued at each respective institution following the second year workshop. Participants were surveyed at the end of that academic year as part of the final evaluation for the project. During the Summer, 1998 and AY1998-99, the PI and three of the workshop participants wrote a journal paper describing the results of the work on the project.
Research Findings: The project has served to bring together a diversity of educators from a variety of institutions, both experienced and previously inexperienced with the use of peer learning. Through the course of the project, the participants have learned a number of lessons to be conveyed to the larger computer science education community. These lessons are summarized in the following: Peer learning is important. It has a place in teaching the introductory computer science curriculum, but should not be used as the only technique. Start small. Peer learning can range from informal, small group exercises in class to more formal, group projects done outside of class. The best way to gain experience with peer learning is to begin with some relatively ``low-risk'' activities in class and then consider larger, out-of-class projects as appropriate. Instructors must be willing to relinquish control. The use of group exercises changes the dynamics in a classroom as students work on a problem without direct instructor involvement. This change from the traditional lecture often enlivens the classroom, but instructors and students need to grow comfortable with it. Group project grading can cause anxiety for students. Stronger students may see the group projects as a threat to their course grade. Group projects should be designed carefully to consider the needs of both weaker and stronger students. In evaluation, each student should get a grade that is based both on the group effort and the student's individual effort. Group projects require careful planning by the instructor. The planning is often more important than individual projects as the instructor must consider the role of each group member. Students need to see the benefit for group activities to work. Group tasks should be a welcome change of pace and selected tasks should clearly necessitate or benefit from group solution.
Research Training: The workshops provide direct opportunities for faculty training and development. In all, 12 participants attended the first workshop and 16 the second workshop with six of those participants attending both workshops.
Education and Outreach: The PI has been active in attending and participating in computer science education conferences during the project. Extending the duration of the initial project allowed the PI to attend additional conferences to disseminate information about the project and discuss it with other educators. During the project, the PI attended the ACM SIGCSE conference in San Jose in 1997, New Orleans in 1999, and Austin in 2000. He also attended the Small College Computing Conference in Boston in 1997 and Providence in 1999 as well as the Software Engineering---Education and Practice Conference in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1998. Related to activities on another NSF-DUE grant (#9751132), the PI also attended the World Wide Web Conference, which was indirectly related to this grant, but related directly to the Webware component of this other grant, along with how the Web is best used in computer science education.
Discipline(s) Affected by Project:
Computer Science
Subject(s) Affected by Project:
Computer Science Education
Title(s) of Course(s) Affected by Project:
Introductory Computer Science Courses
Summary Description of Pedagogical Approaches:
The use of peer learning techniques in the introductory Computer Science curriculum.
Journal Publications:
Types of products (e.g. textbooks, lab manuals, articles, CD-ROMs, etc.):
Course projects and exercises involving the use of peer learning.
Other Specific Products:
A number of peer learning activities were developed by workshop participants. These activities can be found at the Web site http://www.cs.wpi.edu/~peercs/activity.html
This Web site has been publicized in all publications and presentations for the project.
Internet Dissemination:
http://www.cs.wpi.edu/~peercs/
This is the central site for the project, which includes all information about the project, materials from the project and the results of the project.
Contributions:
Contributions within Discipline:
Peer learning is often used in upper-level Computer Science courses and is routinely used in other disciplines and K-12 education. Excellent references for the use of cooperative learning in college teaching are available. However, reports of its use and evaluation of its effectiveness in the introductory (freshman and sophomore) level computer science curriculum are limited. This project has had a significant impact by studying the use of different types of peer learning at different types of institutions.
This project has focused on computer science, but many of the results are also applicable to introductory courses in other science and engineering disciplines. The PI has previously participated in a workshop on 'Task Design for Cooperative Learning in Math and Science Courses: Covering the Material and Learning It Better' with a faculty member from Biology and Mathematics.
The project has contributed directly to the professional development of faculty participating in the project and indirectly to faculty visiting the project Web site and hearing presentations about the project.
The primary contribution is the project Web site.
Workshop participants report that the use of peer learning in the classroom has the indirect impact of introducing students whom would have otherwise never met. This situation can create positive relationships between students of different cultures that may have otherwise not occurred.
Contact Information for Project: Colloborating Awards Project Activities and Findings: Other Features of Project Project Products, Publications, Materials: Other Types of Products
Internet Dissemination: FTP Server Address Internet Dissemination: Gopher Server Address
Additional Information: Description of Equipment or Instrumentation Additional Information: Additional Sources of Funding
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