Workshops
Friday 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM (room: Convention Center: As Assigned)
| Workshop #13: Ruby on Rails | room: A105 | |
| Barry Burd, Drew University | ||
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Ruby is an interpreted, reflective, purely object-oriented programming language. Unlike Java, the Ruby language has open classes, messages rather than method calls, closures, and "duck" typing. So Ruby broadens a student's understanding of the object-oriented paradigm. In addition, Ruby has an add-on named Rails. With Rails you can create a simple Web application (a Web interface to a database) in minutes. You can enhance the application with other add-ons—add-ons for searching, for authentication, and even for credit-card processing. Some real-world practitioners claim a five- to ten-fold productivity increase when they switch from Java to Ruby on Rails.
Laptop Required |
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| Workshop #14: Using and Assessing Games and Robotics to Teach Introductory Computing Concepts | room: A106 | |
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Jessica
Bayliss,
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rajendra Raj, Rochester Institute of Technology Jamie Cromack, Microsoft |
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This workshop explores the role of video games and robotics in attracting students to computing majors and in teaching introductory computing concepts. The session uses dynamic examples from games and robotics that are used to teach important computing concepts to high school students and college freshmen. The strengths and weaknesses of these approaches for different age groups will be discussed, as well as effective and targeted assessment techniques that can be used to show that students are meeting traditional learning outcomes. Participants should wear comfortable clothing, as they will be taking part in various exercises. Workshop materials will be available online.
Laptop Recommended |
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| Workshop #15: Teaching with the AP GridWorld Case Study | room: A107-108 | |
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Frances P.
Trees,
Drew University
Laurie White, Mercer University Donald Allen, Troy High School Ann Shen, Bishop Strachan School |
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Case studies expose students to large programs, enabling them to understand the importance of design and good programming style while encouraging teamwork and active learning. The AP Computer Science curriculum has used case studies since 1995 and performance on case study exam questions shows a significantly smaller score difference between males and females than non-case study questions. Beginning this year, the AP CS curriculum includes the GridWorld Case Study. This workshop will introduce the participants to the GridWorld environment allowing them to explore GridWorld through a series of guided activities which demonstrate inheritance and class interaction.
Laptop Required |
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| Workshop #16: Using Web 2.0 Technologies in your Computer Science Classes | room: B110 | |
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Manuel A.
Perez-Quinones,
Virginia Tech
Manas Tungare, Virginia Tech Edward A. Fox, Virginia Tech |
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This workshop shows how to use social networking sites in the classroom. We discuss how to use Facebook.com, del.icio.us, SlideShare.net, CiteULike.org, YouTube.com, and Yahoo Pipes. We also show how to use APIs and feeds to build mashups. Upon completion, participants will know how to: use SlideShare to support discussion on a per-slide basis; have students share resources (peer to peer) in del.icio.us; share and discover references via CiteULike; keep a blog for the course; publish homeworks and assignments in an online calendar; and share syllabi with our NSDL syllabus collection. We will also demonstrate our mashup-based approach to CS1.
Laptop Required |
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| Workshop #17: Combining Discrete Mathematics and Python Programming | room: B111 | |
| Maria Litvin, Phillips Academy, Andover | ||
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Both mathematics and programming teach "precision thinking" — a particular way of solving problems. This workshop presents an approach to introductory computer science and discrete math courses based on blending mathematics and programming. The workshop also teaches some introductory programming in Python. We will discuss how mathematical topics such as number systems, summation, Boolean algebra and digital circuits, counting, recursion, probabilities, graph theory, and other topics relate to computing, and learn how to write simple Python programs that are based on and illustrate these concepts. No prior experience with Python is required.
Laptop Required |
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| Workshop #18: Rubrics - Start to Finish | room: B112 | |
| James Vallino, Rochester Institute of Technology | ||
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Rubrics help instructors and students focus attention on important aspects of an assignment. In this workshop, you will learn how to create rubrics tailored to your specific assignments. You will learn the elements that make a rubric, methods to design rubrics with and without student involvement, and how to apply them within your courses. In the first part of the workshop, the instructor will guide the collaborative creation of a rubric from start to finish. In the second part of the workshop, you will create a rubric based on information you bring for one of your own assignments.
Laptop Optional |
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| Workshop #19: Computer Science Unplugged | room: B113-114 | |
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Lynn
Lambert,
Christopher Newport University
Tim Bell, University of Canterbury Tom Cortina, Carnegie Mellon University Peter Henderson, Butler University Michael Fellows, The University of Newcastle |
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This workshop introduces participants to Computer Science Unplugged (www.csunplugged.org), a set of kinesthetic, fun activities that cover many core areas of computer science without the use of technology. Recommended in ACM’s A Model Curriculum for K-12 Computer Science, activities in the book include error detection and correction, searching, networks and routing, modularization, and how binary numbers represent characters, FAXes, and images. The workshop will be “learning by doing”, with participants seeing and practicing activities both from the book, and new ones not in the book. Participants will also receive the book and other material.
Laptop Optional |
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| Workshop #20: Learning to Program With Alice | room: B116 | |
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Stephen
Cooper,
National Science Foundation
Wanda Dann, Ithaca College |
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This introductory workshop, designed for instructors with minimal to no prior experience with Alice, offers hands-on experience programming with Alice. Alice is a powerful program visualization tool enabling students to “see” objects and work with object-oriented programming. Participants will learn how to use Alice to build virtual worlds and how to use this approach in introductory-level computing courses (introductory programming for majors, programming for non-majors, computer literacy, pre-AP CS, etc.) at the college or high-school level. Participants will receive a CD containing the latest version of the software and sample virtual worlds developed as part of NSF-0126833/NSF-0339734.
Laptop Required |
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| Workshop #21: Teaching Fundamental Database Concepts Including Database Security Using Animation Software | room: B117-118 | |
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Mario
Guimaraes,
Kennesaw State University
Murray Meg, Kennesaw State University |
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This workshop will demonstrate how Animated Database Courseware (ADbC) might be incorporated into a database course. Prototypes of the courseware have been developed and are freely available at the website: http://coffee.kennesaw.edu. The ADbC has been designed to be fairly intuitive to use. It is designed to supplement currently available database course materials but is not tailored to any specific product or textbook. Participants will receive a manuscript that describes different ways to incorporate the software into a classroom environment. Modules to be covered in the workshop include database design, SQL, transactions and security.
Laptop Recommended |
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| Workshop #22 (CANCELED): Using Scrum, an Empirical Control Process, to Manage Student Projects | room: A109 | |
| Dean Sanders, Northwest Missouri State University | ||
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Scrum is a management and control process that focuses on building software. It is frequently wrapped around Agile methods, particularly XP. Scrum enforces individual responsibility, forces team members to set and achieve short term goals, gives the team a sense of ownership, and helps them be more productive. For three years, the author has used Scrum to manage student projects. This workshop includes a practical description of Scrum, and a minimal subset suitable for smaller projects. Participants will work on a small project to experience Scrum from the team’s perspective. We will end with a discussion about managing student projects.
Laptop Optional |
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| Workshop #23: Using Tablet PCs for Active Learning in the CS Classroom | room: Room C121-122 | |
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William
Birmingham,
Grove City College
Richard Anderson, The University of Washington, Seattle Vincent DiStasi, Grove City College |
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Active learning is effective for increasing student engagement during lectures and improving student performance. The Tablet PC is an ideal platform to support active learning as the stylus allows flexible expression that is essential to many CS topics. Sophisticated, easy-to-use, software facilitates active learning by exploiting the strengths of the Tablet PC. This workshop covers proven active learning pedagogy that is applicable across the CS curriculum and participants will be engaged in exercises during the workshop ranging from programming to algorithms. The presenters encourage participants to submit, via email, exercise ideas they feel will benefit the workshop.
Laptop or Tablet PC Optional (Tablet PCs will be available for participant use during the workshop) |
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| Workshop #24: Using Magic to Teach Computer Science | room: Room C123 | |
| Tom Way, Villanova University | ||
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Grabbing and holding the attention of computer science students, or any students, is of fundamental importance to getting the message across. In this workshop, you will learn hands-on how to use easily performed magic tricks to demonstrate fundamental, important or difficult computer science concepts in a way that connects with students, breaks through apprehension about difficult topics and generates enthusiasm for the subject. We briefly will explore the case for employing magic (sparingly) as a pedagogical device, focusing mostly on learning a number of ready-to-use magical effects using common items and understanding how to learn more. All materials will be provided.
Laptop Optional |
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| Workshop #25: Teaching and Testing the Middle Novice Programmer | room: Room B115 | |
| Raymond Lister, University of Technology, Sydney | ||
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There are students who have a natural gift for programming, and students with no gift all.
Between these extremes are students who manifest a concrete grasp of basic programming
language constructs (by for example hand executing code) but who cannot reason about code
at a higher goal/plan level, and therefore struggle to write code of their own.
The CS1/CS2 teacher needs teaching techniques to help the middle students to learn to
reason abstractly about code, and the teacher needs examination methods to establish that
students can reason abstractly about code. This workshop will demonstrate methods for
achieving these two goals.
Laptop Optional |
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| Workshop #26: Strategic Planning for Recruiting Undergraduate Women: An NCWIT Extension Services Workshop | room: Room C124 | |
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Lecia
Barker,
University of Colorado
Joanne McGrath Cohoon, University of Virginia |
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While overall enrollment in undergraduate computing continues low, female enrollment is declining faster than males’. The proportion of CS BS degrees awarded to women is at an all-time low (14% according to the 2005-6 Taulbee Survey). In this workshop, participants will develop a comprehensive strategy for increasing the pipeline of high-achieving females into their undergraduate programs using a “low-hanging fruit” approach, identifying the largest majors with the highest SAT mathematics scores. Components include identifying and developing target audiences and influencers, leveraging internal and external assets, contact strategies, use of persuasive messages and images, and an ongoing evaluation and tracking plan.
Laptop Optional |
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