Track 1, GK-12: Computer Science Resources for Memphis Area High Schools

University Of Memphis, Memphis TN

Investigators

Abstract

Title of Project: Computer Science Resources for Memphis Area High Schools Institution: The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN PI/Co-PI: Linda Sherrell (PI), Lee McCauley, and Sajjan Shiva Number of Fellows per year: Six graduate Fellows the first year, nine graduate Fellows and one undergraduate Fellow for the second and third years School District Partners: Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools Target Audience of the project: Grades 9-12 Setting: Urban, Suburban NSF supported disciplines involved: Computer Science Narrative Summary: This project, which is a partnership between the school districts in the Memphis metropolitan area and the University of Memphis, enhances the curriculum of high school programming courses. Fellows majoring in computer science assist participating teachers by presenting modules that emphasize important skills such as problem-solving, object-oriented design, teamwork, and software development processes. Intellectual Merit: Prior to each academic year, teachers and Fellows attend two summer workshops to receive instruction and to preview the modules for the coming year. Innovative aspects include the use of AgentSheets, a conceptual modeling tool, to teach introductory programming concepts and the use of both the game Mind Rover and Lego Robots to introduce object-oriented programming. Fellows receive additional instruction throughout the year from the PIs and create some of their own lesson plans and examples. The high school students are motivated to learn concepts common to all object-oriented programming languages through activities that are both challenging and fun. Furthermore, students demonstrate their understanding of concepts by participating in a month-long Programming Challenge in which they work in teams to plan, design, implement, test, and document a software project. Students may participate in multiple categories and they receive valuable feedback when they present their work to judges from both academia and local software firms. Broader Impact: The broader impacts of this project are reflected in the benefits to each participant. Fellows are improving their communication skills and are able to teach introductory computer science and software engineering concepts using innovative techniques, thereby better preparing the Fellows for future corporate or academic positions. Participating teachers, most of whom do not have formal training in computer science, are building on their current knowledge base by attending workshops and interacting with Fellows who are computer science majors. High school students associated with the project have a better understanding of the field of computer science, which will help them to make informed decisions about their future careers. The benefits to schools have been twofold: professional development activities for participating teachers and a higher quality program for students enrolled in computer courses. The higher education partners are also benefiting from the project because the project facilitates collaboration between the computer science faculty and secondary teachers. Furthermore, the Fellowships are helping the University of Memphis to offer more assistance to outstanding students interested in computer science.