A Cognitive Based Approach To The Implementation Of The Introductory Computer Science Programming Sequence

A cognitive-based approach is being used to develop comprehensive m aterials for the first courses in Computer Science based on Implementation D of Computing Curricula 1991. The distinguishing f eatures are: (1) materials based on a strategic sequencing and the associated Bloom level of mastery of key topics, (2) topical coverage carefully based on a spiral approach to information presen tation, (3) integral use of structured labs as a necessary component of the course, (4) an emphasis on frequent feedback to fac ilitate le rning and to evaluate the effectiveness of instructi on, (5) an early use of teams, (6) a student surveying tool used to track all students to provide outcome assessment, and (7) review and evaluation by multiple institutions for iterative material refinement and national disseminati on. A preliminary on-site evaluation, by a team of five consultants with expertise in the fields of computing, computing education and educational psychology, was c onducted at the beginning of the proj ect to critique project planning and initial materials. Materials c urrently developed will be class tested and evalu ted by other faculty during the remainder of this year. These upd ate materials will be refined and further dissemin ated. The evaluation of materials w ill continue with the original five onsite consultants, three off-site consultants and several review/adoption institutions. An Undergradu ate F c lty Enhancement workshop has been funded and is being planned for June of 1996. This w ill allow 20 participants to be exposed to the methodology and m aterials developed in this project. INTRODUCTION The ACM, IEEE and DPMA have over the years presented c urricula guidelines . These guidelines have been used by institutions to assure a quality education for computer and information science students. Compliance with these guidelines is often used by accrediting boards in evaluating the quality of a program. Although the published curricula s tate suggested topical coverage and time allotments, the implementation is subject to a wide range of inte rpr tations. The general nature of these suggestions allows each instructor the freedom to make different assumptions regarding student capab ilities upon entering the course. Similarly, the targeted course behavioral obj ectives may differ substantially from one instructor to another. As a consequence of these differences between instructors, students will not be equally prepared by the same course or sequence. This problem is further aggrav ted by the use of part-time faculty or graduate students teaching the c ourse. These instructors are often totally unfa mili r with the curriculum guidelines and are given vague or limited instructions on c ourse obj ectives.