The department has been working hard to improve the quality of education for undergraduates. Check out some of our past and future improvements!
Lower-Division Curriculum Redesign
In order to improve the quality of the lower-division courses, Prof. Chandra Krintz led a curriculum redesign. The goal was to choose languages that allow us to introduce topics in the order we prefer, and to use a spiral approach, revisiting topics in subsequent classes at a deeper level to reinforce learning. In addition, we are introducing more engaging assignments that apply to multimedia or real-world problems. For more information, read Prof. Krintz's faculty spotlight on this effort.
One-on-one Faculty Advising
For the first time, incoming freshmen will have the opportunity to meet with a faculty advisor at least twice a year. Students will be matched with an advisor when they arrive, and advising will be held prior to signing up for winter quarter's courses. We hope there will be several benefits to the students and faculty. Students who are struggling will be advised on how to succeed in their courses, students doing well will be counseled on how to choose courses, and students excelling will be made aware of opportunities available to them. In addition, the faculty will get a better sense of what challenges students are facing as well as a deeper knowledge of the undergraduate curriculum.
Undergraduate Research Methods Course
Phill Conrad has developed a new research methods course to prepare students for undergraduate research, exposing them to current research going on here at UCSB, how research is conducted, and ultimately giving them more opportunities to work for faculty members here. He has taught the course twice, and this has led to several undergraduate research projects. If you are doing well in your lower-division classes, this is highly recommended to prepare you for a research internship the summer after your sophomore or junior year.
ACM tutoring
Diana Franklin secured a Google grant to hire and train tutors for ACM's weekly tutoring program. The program consists of a combination of paid and volunteer tutors, and we hope to be able to continue paying a head tutor in the future.
WiSH - Women in Software and Hardware
The WiSH club is the newest club in the computer science department, created as a result of a focus group with the females in the department. The goals is to improve the retention rate of females by providing support, sharing struggles, and providing role models for lower-division students.
Pair Programming and Labs
Conard, Franklin, and Costanzo have worked together to bring pair programming and structured labs to several lower-division courses. Pair programming has been shown in several studies to increase the understanding of both partners when done properly. Structured labs allow pairs to work together on short problems with the TA present to answer questions, whereas paired homework assignments allow the students to work out problems together.