| Title | Team Based Learning and Studio Methods in Computer Science |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | Science |
| Status | Completed |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Initiation | 04/01/2006 |
| Completion | 03/31/2007 |
| Project Summary | Computer Science is prototyping a radically new teaching format for our department, with hands-on, team-based learning (TBL) and studio techniques in intensive, TA-led sections of approximately 25 students (-5 people/team). This experiment is being carried out within the expanding Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) curriculum-offered by a newly-hired world-class HCI group, and drawing -150 students/year from CS (one of the largest departments in Science) and other departments such as Psychology, ECE, Mechanical Engineering, and others. Human-Computer Interaction is concerned with designing, implementing, and evaluating interactive technology, by involving end users throughout its development. It is a young, highly interdisciplinary field that is evolving a rich set of methods that draw from many other fields: e.g., controlled experiments from psychology and prototyping from industrial design. Most of these methods are best learned in hands-on, team-based exercises culminating in a practical team project that puts students through the full design cycle with the appropriate roles and timing for its various methods. TBL and studio methods are a particularly good fit for HCI learning. The department has supported our project with preliminary curriculum development and modest infrastructure (a lab space in ICCS-CS2: room X360), but due to severe budget restrictions it cannot do more. In order to meet our teaching objectives we require (a) additional curriculum development, and (b) the completion of the HCI Learning Studio in X360: appropriate equipping of this space is integral to our version of the TBL approach. The goal of this project is thus to prototype the TBL and studio methods so they can be extended to other areas of CS; and to provide students with deeper HCI skills which will both prepare them for jobs and promote graduate work in HCI. To this end, we request funds to support curriculum development and Learning Studio completion. |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 2006/2007 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Joanna McGrenere |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 41,217 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Joanna McGrenere, Computer Science, Faculty of Science |