ignoring the obvious the search for the perfect comps
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Ignoring the Obvious
The search for the The search for the perfect compsperfect comps
What?What?
The new comps system for The new comps system for computer sciencecomputer science
The process we went The process we went through to create itthrough to create it
Our experience so farOur experience so far
Why?Why?
The system is working great so far.The system is working great so far. The story may be instructive (either The story may be instructive (either
a model or a cautionary tale—you a model or a cautionary tale—you decide) as we start examining our decide) as we start examining our curriculum.curriculum.
We imagine that maybe, somewhere, We imagine that maybe, somewhere, there are other people not entirely there are other people not entirely satisfied with their comps systems.satisfied with their comps systems.
CS at Carleton: early CS at Carleton: early historyhistory
70’s – an increasing number 70’s – an increasing number of coursesof courses
Early 80’s – the concentrationEarly 80’s – the concentration1987 – the major1987 – the major1993 – the move from 1993 – the move from
Goodsell to the CMCGoodsell to the CMC
Old old comps: 1987-Old old comps: 1987-19941994
Working closely with a faculty Working closely with a faculty advisor, each student planned advisor, each student planned and executed a project.and executed a project.
Public presentation.Public presentation.Sometimes software, Sometimes software,
sometimes a research paper, sometimes a research paper, sometimes both. sometimes both.
Old old comps: the goodOld old comps: the good
Wide open choice of topicsWide open choice of topicsLots of faculty attentionLots of faculty attentionExperience developing a Experience developing a
research planresearch plan……
Old old comps: the badOld old comps: the bad
Tremendous trouble getting Tremendous trouble getting students to meet deadlinesstudents to meet deadlines
Lots of faculty time per Lots of faculty time per studentstudent
Number of majors rose fast Number of majors rose fast during the 90’sduring the 90’s
Old comps: 1995-2003Old comps: 1995-2003
Modeled after the successful Modeled after the successful math comps systemmath comps system
Public presentation on topic Public presentation on topic chosen by facultychosen by faculty
Exam covering the required Exam covering the required coursescourses
Old comps: the goodOld comps: the good
Oral presentation practice, with Oral presentation practice, with revisionsrevisions
Exam was good for a second Exam was good for a second pass at the core material, and pass at the core material, and especially good for the grad-especially good for the grad-school boundschool bound
Faculty time required was Faculty time required was significant, but manageablesignificant, but manageable
Old comps: the badOld comps: the bad
Presentations were generally more Presentations were generally more shallow than the math talksshallow than the math talks
Not integrative – CS is theory plus Not integrative – CS is theory plus practice, and the practice was practice, and the practice was missingmissing
As CS major grew, more and more As CS major grew, more and more burden fell on math facultyburden fell on math faculty
Minimal final celebrationMinimal final celebration
Project-based comps Project-based comps reduxredux
Students wanted to make Students wanted to make something. CS majors love making something. CS majors love making computers do interesting and computers do interesting and valuable things.valuable things.
……but…but… Accountability – tiny carrot, no stickAccountability – tiny carrot, no stick 30 majors in 2003, with 3.5 CS FTE30 majors in 2003, with 3.5 CS FTE
DoldrumsDoldrums
Talk, talk, talkTalk, talk, talkHiram’s model: add special Hiram’s model: add special
projects to junior/senior projects to junior/senior electiveselectives
Help from Chemistry and Help from Chemistry and EconEcon
The distinction bottleneckThe distinction bottleneck
Dumping the Dumping the assumptionsassumptions
TeamsTeamsAdvisors choose projectsAdvisors choose projectsShave the curriculum Shave the curriculum
elsewhere to give advisors elsewhere to give advisors teaching creditteaching credit
The obviousThe obvious
Computer science, both Computer science, both theoretical and applied, is theoretical and applied, is almost always done in teams. A almost always done in teams. A collaborative creative process collaborative creative process is good for the students, and is is good for the students, and is the natural mode of work the natural mode of work within the discipline.within the discipline.
Duh.Duh.
But there were still But there were still problems…problems…
DistinctionDistinction Student resistance to groupsStudent resistance to groups Reduced student choiceReduced student choice Losing the testLosing the test Paying for the teaching creditPaying for the teaching credit Fall/Winter residency & special Fall/Winter residency & special
casescases Too much coding, not enough Too much coding, not enough
theorytheory
Creeping towards Creeping towards solutionssolutions
Advice from other schools: Advice from other schools: peer evaluations in software peer evaluations in software engineering coursesengineering courses
Advice from our students: Advice from our students: talk/test was not popular, talk/test was not popular, choice was not so importantchoice was not so important
Comps timeline: Spring Comps timeline: Spring term, Junior yearterm, Junior year
April: topics and advisors are April: topics and advisors are announcedannounced
May: Students submit project May: Students submit project preferencepreferencerank orderrank order team preferencesteam preferences
May: Project teams selectedMay: Project teams selected Summer: Students are given readings, Summer: Students are given readings,
other prep work (minimal)other prep work (minimal)
Comps timeline: Fall Comps timeline: Fall term, Senior yearterm, Senior year
Students register for comps as a Students register for comps as a coursecourseT/Th or twice a weekT/Th or twice a weekhalf-hour meetingshalf-hour meetings
Midterm break: design document dueMidterm break: design document duedevelopment plansdevelopment planssoftware designsoftware designproject goals finalizedproject goals finalized
Comps timeline: Winter Comps timeline: Winter term, Senior yearterm, Senior year
Mid-February: individual oral Mid-February: individual oral examsexams
End of February/beginning of End of February/beginning of March: all deliverables dueMarch: all deliverables duesoftware, web site, documentationsoftware, web site, documentation
Last Saturday in term: final Last Saturday in term: final presentations and catered lunchpresentations and catered lunchopen to family and friends open to family and friends
How did it go?How did it go?
Faculty and students unanimously Faculty and students unanimously approvedapproved ““I’m extremely glad that I got to be a part of I’m extremely glad that I got to be a part of
this experiment and [I’m] very proud of the this experiment and [I’m] very proud of the results.”results.”
““Our project was exciting, challenging, led to Our project was exciting, challenging, led to a real feeling of accomplishment, and provided a real feeling of accomplishment, and provided a great way to use a lot of the information that a great way to use a lot of the information that we accumulated in our other classes.”we accumulated in our other classes.”
““I could hardly be happier with my comps I could hardly be happier with my comps experience... I got to make something that I’m experience... I got to make something that I’m really proud of.”really proud of.”
Emergent LeadersEmergent Leaders In each group, emerged...In each group, emerged...
student personnel leaderstudent personnel leaderkept project moving, set prioritieskept project moving, set priorities
student technical leaderstudent technical leaderbroad and deep understanding, broad and deep understanding, integrator, troubleshooterintegrator, troubleshooter
(sometimes these were the same (sometimes these were the same student)student)
Student SpecializationsStudent Specializations
Theory-minded students Theory-minded students pursued directions of interestpursued directions of interest E.g. search engine: linear E.g. search engine: linear
algebraic page categorizationalgebraic page categorization Others discovered new Others discovered new
strengths and interestsstrengths and interests E.g. motion planning: user E.g. motion planning: user
interfaceinterface
Unexpected “real world” Unexpected “real world” learninglearning
Campus web server went downCampus web server went down Was the search engine group Was the search engine group
responsible?responsible? Meeting arranged with students and Meeting arranged with students and
ITS webmaster to discuss “throttling ITS webmaster to discuss “throttling back” strategiesback” strategies
Students learned how to manage Students learned how to manage relationships in a large relationships in a large organizationorganization
Importance of Course Importance of Course ReleasesReleases
Allowed advisor to spend time Allowed advisor to spend time with students when problems with students when problems arosearose Twice-weekly meetingsTwice-weekly meetings TroubleshootingTroubleshooting
Slacker RecoverySlacker Recovery
During fall term, one student did During fall term, one student did not contribute wellnot contribute well Observed by advisor and peersObserved by advisor and peers Meeting with advisor to discuss Meeting with advisor to discuss
specific strategiesspecific strategies Student recovered, submitted Student recovered, submitted
passing workpassing work ““Threat” of individual interview Threat” of individual interview
crucialcrucial
Group Dynamics IssuesGroup Dynamics Issues
In one group, technical leader kept In one group, technical leader kept finishing everyone else’s workfinishing everyone else’s work
Personnel leader approached advisorPersonnel leader approached advisor How to throttle back technical leader?How to throttle back technical leader?
Solution: She should point out that Solution: She should point out that each student would have “hour of each student would have “hour of reckoning”reckoning”
Worked!Worked!
More on InterviewsMore on Interviews
Second (uninvolved) faculty Second (uninvolved) faculty member enormously productivemember enormously productive Sanity check in rating studentsSanity check in rating students Helped colleagues see how much Helped colleagues see how much
learnedlearned Second faculty member could ask Second faculty member could ask
simplistic questionssimplistic questions
Final PresentationsFinal Presentations
Fin
al P
rese
nta
tion
sF
inal P
rese
nta
tion
s
Motion planning demoMotion planning demo
Challenges: “Distinction” Challenges: “Distinction” difficultdifficult
Observations / peer evals / Observations / peer evals / interviews helpedinterviews helped
Nonethess: students cannot be Nonethess: students cannot be linearly rankedlinearly ranked stellar software work vs. stellar software work vs.
outstanding theoretical analysisoutstanding theoretical analysis ““finger in every pot” vs. focused finger in every pot” vs. focused
excellenceexcellence
Challenge: Theory / Challenge: Theory / Practice MixPractice Mix
Project topics included theory and Project topics included theory and practicepractice Most (not all) students focused on Most (not all) students focused on
softwaresoftware ““It was excellent. I learned a ton about It was excellent. I learned a ton about
working with others on a major project, on working with others on a major project, on reading and assimilating others’ code, and on reading and assimilating others’ code, and on designing, implementing, and testing a designing, implementing, and testing a massive program in general.”massive program in general.”
We need to direct more focus on theoryWe need to direct more focus on theory Have students present ideas to each otherHave students present ideas to each other
Challenge: ExceptionsChallenge: Exceptions
Student who cannot be on campusStudent who cannot be on campus DiscouragedDiscouraged, but when necessary: , but when necessary:
individual projects? Old system?individual projects? Old system? Student who failsStudent who fails
Opportunity during spring term to set Opportunity during spring term to set right?right?
Individual project if attempting after Individual project if attempting after leaving campus?leaving campus?
Student who cannot / will not Student who cannot / will not perform in a groupperform in a group
Wrapup / discussionWrapup / discussion
We and students are thrilledWe and students are thrilled Course release is crucialCourse release is crucial Many ideas here came to us from Many ideas here came to us from
other programs on campus (thank other programs on campus (thank you!)you!)
Suggestions on how to handle Suggestions on how to handle challenges?challenges?
Thoughts on whether any of these Thoughts on whether any of these ideas apply across the curriculum?`ideas apply across the curriculum?`