CS 106 - CS Ed Research

Fall 2018

Link to homework assignment google doc

Link to Writing Guideines doc

Link to Poster Guidelines doc

• Prof. Colleen Lewis
• 1280 Olin (Olin is is on the West end of Mudd near Foothill and Dartmouth and my office is next to the Northeast door)
• lewis@cs.hmc.edu

Course Basics

• Tuesday and Thursday - 9:35-10:50am
• SHAN Room 2450

Course Website

• tinyurl.com/cs106mudd

Course Goals:

• Learn more about education research in computer science and beyond
• Gain experience conducting a qualitative research study
• Contribute to our understanding of how students learn a particular concept
• (Hopefully) Share your findings at a possibly multiple computer science education conferences

Important Dates

• October 19, 2018 - Submit poster proposal to SIGCSE Conference (link)
• October 31, 2018 - Submit paper to CCSC Conference (link)
• March 1 & 2, 2019 - SIGCSE Conference - in Minneapolis, Minnesota (link)
• March 13, 2019 - Submit poster proposal to CCSC Conference - if your paper wasn't accepted (link)
• March 22-23, 2019 - CCSC Conference - at Stanford University (link)

Course Components

Group Project (139 points)

The primary product of the class is a formal, conference-style research paper. The weekly homework assignments will build toward sections of a final paper. The final paper will involve revising these sections in accordance with the feedback on individual homework assignments and peer review. During the class you will submit a draft of your paper for publication at a CS education conference (link). A secondary product of the class is a conference-poster, which we hope you will present at the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (a CS education conference), which will be held at Stanford University on March 22-23, 2919. We hope that everyone who doesn't have a paper accepted will apply to present a poster at this conference. The poster presentation is currently scheduled for Saturday March 23rd from 11:30-2:00.

Individual Assignment and Active Attendance (98 points)

There are 37 points that are earned within individually completed assignments. There are 61 points that can be earned during class. This includes in-class presentations, active participation in class, and coming to class prepared and on time. Given the format of the class, it is really important to arrive on time and to reflect that there are points awarded for arriving on time to class. I really value the time we have together in class and starting on time, which means I'm uncharacteristically strict about this. However, if you have a commitment that will prevent you from being on time - I totally understand that sometimes things are out of your control and we'll make it work!

Grading Scale

There will be a fixed grading scale. There are 237 points possible on the regular homework assignments.

Homework Submission Guidelines:

• Your name and the assignment name should appear on the top left of your assignment
• You should submit your assignment to Gradescope
• Submit the assignment before the deadline shown on the website
• Any headings described within the assignment should be easily identifiable within your assignment.

Google Sites/Google Drive:

In this class, you will need to use the course's Google Site and Google Docs to:

• Access homework assignments (linked from Calendar)
• Find the reading assignment (linked from Reading)
• Read the syllabus (linked from Syllabus)

Gradescope:

In this class, you will need to use Gradescope to:

• Submit homework assignments
• Check your grades

Sakai:

In this class, you will need to use Sakai to:

• Access readings in the "Resources" folder
• Access poster samples in the "Resources" folder

I LOVE Feedback!

I've tried to design:

• the class to be fun, educational, and produce impact beyond our classroom,
• the grading scheme and grading rubrics to make the learning goals and methods of assessment transparent and reasonable (not to catch or trick anyone),
• the class infrastructure to be convenient (or at least not too annoying), and
• the classroom community to be supportive and inclusive.

I assume that only through your feedback can we iterate on the design to achieve these goals! Identifying a problem (even if you don't have an idea for a solution) is super helpful and a welcome contribution in person or in email. You could also explain your idea to another student or a faculty member and have them share the feedback with me!

Honor Code

You should conduct yourself in accordance with the Harvey Mudd Honor Code and with the Computer Science Department's academic honesty policy.

Accommodations

My goal is to make my course accessible to all of you! To request academic accommodations you’ll contact the relevant disabilities resources person from your institution. Please send me any questions! I’m happy to help!

• CMC: Kari Rood <kari.rood@ClaremontMcKenna.edu>
• CGU: Quamina Carter <Quamina.Carter@cgu.edu>
• HMC: Brandon Ice <bice@hmc.edu>
• KGI: Andrea Mozqueda <Andrea_Mozqueda@kgi.edu>
• Pitzer: Gabriella Tempestoso <Gabriella_Tempestoso@pitzer.edu>
• Pomona: Jan Collins Eaglin <jan.collins-eaglin@pomona.edu>
• Scripps: Bianca Vinci <bvinci@scrippscollege.edu>

Classroom Climate

The goals of this course can only be accomplished in a setting of mutual respect. As your instructor, I am committed to creating a classroom environment that welcomes all students, regardless of their identities (e.g. race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs). We all have unconscious biases, and I will try to continually examine my judgments, words and actions to keep my biases in check and treat everyone fairly. I hope that you will do the same. If you feel comfortable, please let me know if there is anything I can do to make sure everyone is encouraged to succeed in this class.

The Mudd Writing Center:

The Writing Center provides a welcoming space for writers to get feedback on their composition projects, whether written, spoken or visual pieces. Writing Center Consultants are prepared to assist students in any discipline with any stage of the writing process, from developing an idea to polishing a final draft. Even the most accomplished writers benefit from seeking feedback at the writing center. The center is open Sunday through Thursday evenings from 7-11 and Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 3-5. It is located in Shanahan 1470, just up the walkway from the cafe. You may schedule an appointment through their website,www.hmc.edu/writingcenter, or you may simply drop in during normal hours.