Spring 2023


Lecture: TR 12:30-1:50am
Instructor: Prof. Franklin, teaching webpage, research webpage
Office Hours Schedule No schedule office hours. Please email me if you would like to talk to me outside of class to make an appointment.

Goals

Welcome! In this instance of CS 33231, we delve into research methods and outcomes that inform how to teach computer science at all grade levels. The specific goals of the course are:
  • Learn general education theory - how students learn, pedagogical approaches, research-based techniques
  • Learn computer science-specific theory
  • Learn computer science educational research methods
  • Learn how to give a good conference talk

Getting Help

Because this course is so small, we will communicate via email. Every subject line should begin with "33231" so that everyone knows it is related to this course.

Class Participation

As a very small class, it is expected that you will attend class every session. Recordings will not be made of the class session except in extentuating circumstances. Class attendance and participation are a large portion of the grade (50/%).

Resources

Textbooks: If you are interested in computer science education research beyond this course, I highly recommend this book:
The Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education Research

Grading / Assignments

This is a seminar course, so the following will be used for grading:

Each student’s final grade will be computed according to the following formula:

  • Class attendance and participation 50%
  • Daily Reading Questions 30% (I also drop the lowest grade)
  • Presentation of research papers 20% (I also drop the lowest grade)

Late Policy

Paper questions must be answered prior to class because they are the source of class discussion, so with the exception of assignments that were due before you entered the class, no assignments can be turned in late.

Regrade requests

Regrade requests for reading questions must be submitted within 5 working days (one week) of when you received the grade / feedback.

Academic Honesty

In this course, as in all your courses, you must adhere to college-wide honesty guidelines as set forth at http://college.uchicago.edu/ policies-regulations/academic-integrity-student-conduct. The college's rules have the final say in all cases.

Other than having someone else make your presentation or answer the Gradescope questions about a paper, there is little to be dishonest about. You are allowed to get the slides for a paper from the authors directly, their website, or any other website. I anticipate that you would want to make slight changes to them, but that is not strictly necessary. You must merely cite them.

Withdraws, Pass/Fail Requests

All requests for Pass/Fail must be received before the final exam. Note that if you take this course P/F, in normal years, you may not use it to satisfy requirements for a computer science major or minor. To pass, you must earn a C- or better in the class. Withdraw requests are now handled by your college advisor, not the instructor nor the major advisor.