Implementing a challenge-based approach to teaching selected courses in CS and computational sciences

Abstract

Challenge Based Instruction/learning (CBI) has been championed as an effective methodology to engage students in their own learning process, allowing them to deal with real-life problems and projects that need to be solved. As The New Media Consortium eloquently puts it, "[Challenge-based learning] calls for a new way of thinking about the role of the teacher, one in which he or she had to be comfortable as the students struggled and wrestled with a meaningful challenge, letting them choose their own path to understanding." The approach is even more challenging to implement in the SMT (Science, Mathematics, and Technology) fields at minority-serving institutions requiring trained faculty. This paper describes in detail our efforts to implement CBI in the Computer Science curriculum in general, and Computer Graphics (CG) and Software Engineering (SWE) in particular. The effort is part of an NSF grant awarded to UT Pan Am and UT Brownsville (both are now part of the newly merged university of UT Rio Grande Valley). The CG and SWE courses were selected because of the initial high enrollment but the low retention rate. The paper documents the efforts that have been made in specific areas of the newly implemented courses. These include: 1. The process of identifying course major module objectives and module sub-objectives, in particular, those that are relevant to CBI implementation. 2. Identifying expected difficulties: What are the difficulties that students face when taking the course? 3. Real-world context: Why is the course an important part of the CS curriculum, and where can one find its applications? 4. Knowledge model: What is the conceptual model for the course, including prerequisites, course dependencies, and course level? What concepts and techniques should be considered to enhance understanding of the material? 5. Assessment of learning: How does one change the traditional testing and assessment methods to make sure these include formative assessment (individual and group, in class and outside the class homework) as well as summative assessment? Data analysis and conclusions from the pilot project have been made public to benefit other faculty in CS and other SMT fields nationwide.