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

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rese

nta

tion

sF

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nta

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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?`