Empirical investigation throughout the CS curriculum

Abstract

Empirical skills are playing an increasingly important role in the computing profession and our society. But while traditional computer science curricula are effective in teaching software design skills, little attention has been paid to developing empirical investigative skills such as forming testable hypotheses, designing experiments, critiquing their validity, collecting data, explaining results, and drawing conclusions. In this paper, we describe an initiative at Dickinson College that integrates the development of empirical skills throughout the computer science curriculum. At the introductory level, students perform experiments, analyze the results, and discuss their conclusions. In subsequent courses, they develop their skills at designing, conducting and critiquing experiments through incrementally more open-ended assignments. By their senior year, they are capable of forming hypotheses, designing and conducting experiments, and presenting conclusions based on the results.

The Teaching--Research--Industry--Learning Nexus in Information and Communications Technology

“…It is therefore essential that ways to effectively improve this are explored. Reed, Miller and Braught [2000] describe a very comprehensive research-based effort to introduce a research culture throughout an undergraduate computer science curriculum. Their initiative included integrating skills such as forming testable hypotheses, designing experiments and critiquing their validity, collecting data, explaining results and drawing conclusions, throughout the curriculum.…”

“…In order to be truly successful initiatives should reach across the curriculum.  Build up from inquiry/problem-based approaches and teaching of research-related skills in earlier courses [Reed, Miller and Braught 2000;Strazdins 2007]. Research-based approaches can then be incorporated in the more advanced courses.…”

“…White and Irons 2007;White and Irons 2009] and informal [e.g. Davis and White 2005;Reed et al 2000] ways in the information and communications technology (ICT) literature. The importance of industry linkages in ICT education has also been widely discussed [e.g.…”

Rethinking CS0 with JavaScript

“…In recognition of the fact that empirical skills are playing an increasingly important role in computing and in society [15], many of the lab assignments emphasize programming as a tool for experimentation. Students are introduced to a problem or simulation model and are asked to form hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, and analyze their results.…”

Introducing Information Systems Students to Research with a Structured Group Project

“…Reed, Miller, and Braught (2000) described a comprehensive effort to introduce a research culture throughout an entire undergraduate computer science curriculum. Cunningham (1995) discussed the difficulty of providing an authentic research experience to undergraduate students and described a successful third-year project (in a databases course) in which information technology students designed, conducted, and wrote up bibliometric experiments.…”