Developing Collaborative Skills Early in the CS Curriculum

Developing Collaborative Skills Early in the CS Curriculum in a Laboratory Environment Dawn Mc. Kinney and Leo F. Denton http: //www. cis. usouthal. edu/~mckinney/SIGCSE 2006. ppt Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

University of South Alabama n n n State university 13, 500 students School of Computer and Information Sciences n 300 CIS majors n Three specializations n Undergraduate and Masters Program Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Benefits of developing collaborative skills early Interest n Retention n Sense of belonging n Academic performance n Preparation for later team experiences n Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Collaborative skills developed with collaborative learning Collaborative learning describes learning experiences where students act together to perform specific tasks Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Collaborative learning promotes Active learning n Authentic learning n Experiential learning n Internalization of skills n Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Backed by 50 years of research Chickering, A. W. , & Z. F. Gamson 1987. Seven Principles for Good Practices in Undergraduate Education. The AAHE Bulletin, March 1987. n n Student interaction Mutual cooperation Active learning Feedback for reflection Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas n n n Time on task High expectations Diverse talents, interests, and learning styles School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Instructional setting of the study n n n n Graduate assistants Supplemental Instruction 12 – 22 students per class Required personal laptops Java programming language CS 102 I model of Curricula 2001 75 minutes per week supervised lab Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Collaborative skills developed in this study Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas n Communication n Cooperation n Commitment n Work Ethic n Adaptability School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

NACE Top-10 characteristics most wanted in college graduates n n n n n Communication skills Honesty/integrity Teamwork skills Interpersonal skills Motivation/initiative Strong work ethic Analytical skills Flexibility/adaptability Computer skills Organizational skills Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Course collaborative skills linked with NACE qualities Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Integrated cognitive-affective course objectives for collaborative skills Communication Communicate with students and faculty about course concepts and practices. Cooperation Cooperate with a team in an effort to solve problems and develop software. Demonstrate a commitment to quality software development with good design and testing practices. Demonstrate a strong work ethic by attending class and participating fully. Demonstrate adaptability in software development practices. Commitment Work Ethic Adaptability Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Sample peer evaluations data Communication Cooperation Work Ethic The Good The Bad “He is good at explaining things to those who are not grasping a particular concept. ” “He sometimes talks over weaker members. ” “Maybe you should discuss appropriate behavior toward women with him. ” “A good quality is her positive attitude and willingness to participate and help where needed. ” “Does not contribute to group discussions/effort noticeably or effectively. ” “I think he talks out of turn, his comments are inappropriate, and he is disrespectful toward the customer. ” “She is willing to learn and take extra steps to dig for material. I feel she is determined to do well. ” “He is normally absent and when present never wants to work on the project. ” “Sleeps during class, is absent a lot, doesn’t really help during lab, just kind of sits back and watches” Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas The Ugly School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Lessons learned in prior studies n n n Need for balanced teams Need for early instruction on team skills Need for prompt and clear feedback from evaluations http: //www. cis. usouthal. edu/~mckinney/XPAU 2004_122. pdf http: //www. cis. usouthal. edu/~mckinney/p 284 -mckinney. pdf Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

High points of prior studies n n Affective factors correlated with academic achievement Agile labs show increases in sense of belonging Agile labs show decreases in pressure Agile labs provide an opportunity to perform and internalize professional practices Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Specific initiatives in Spring 2005 n n n n Instructor chosen teams Team size 5 - 9 students Semester-long lab project Agile professional practices Team-based problem solving Feedback on team performance Cognitive-affective course objectives Early instruction and reflection on team skills Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Assessment instruments n Mid-semester peer evaluations n Final peer evaluations n An objectives/resources student survey n In-lab observations of students Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Significant increase in team skills Overall contribution scores Mean N Std Dev Mid-semester peer evaluation 3. 98 27 0. 67 Final peer evaluation 4. 26 26 0. 75 T-test t (26) = 3. 694, p = 0. 001, d = 0. 71 Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Samples of specific student improvements Weaknesses Listed in Mid-semester Evaluation Strengths Listed in Final Evaluation “His way or no way. He’s not open minded for “Committed to the team’s goals. ” other team members’ input. ” “Sometimes has a tendency to work alone. ” “Has become more involved in team work and more adaptable. ” “Likes to talk about anything and doesn’t always stay on topic. ” “Good team player, good attitude, and willing to work. ” “Too quiet, needs to communicate with the group more. ” “Very inquisitive, voices his ideas very well. ” “Doesn’t show up and has a bad attitude when she does. ” Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas “Has shown up more since the last evaluation. ” “Helped out a lot. ” School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Top-two most valuable course resources according to students n n Development of team skills Semester-long project in the lab Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Observations n n n Self-start Engaged Productive Committed Team centered Project centered Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Benefits of developing collaborative skills early n n n Sense of belonging Women and other minorities Assessment of affective objectives Preparation for upper-level courses Development of skills needed by industry Often includes active and cooperative learning Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

Resources, recap, recommendations n n Student reflection on team skills Balanced teams chosen Assessment with feedback Flexibility Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA

http: //www. cis. usouthal. edu/~mckinney/SIGCSE 2006. ppt Dawn Mc. Kinney dmckinney@usouthal. edu Leo F. Denton ldenton@usouthal. edu Collaborative Skills in CS 1 Labs SIGCSE 2006 Houston, Texas School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama USA