Outcomes Assessment for Computer Science
Introduction
This document describes the policies and procedures regarding outcomes
assessment for the undergraduate program in computer science. The primary
purposes are to ascertain the effectiveness of the undergraduate program
and to improve the instructional process to enhance student learning.
To that end, this document specifies the desired educational objectives,
identifies the procedures that will be used to assess the actual outcomes
of the program, and describes the manner in which the results of the assessment
will be used to improve learning and instruction.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Within the context of the goals of a liberal education in
the arts and sciences, as defined by the College, the educational objectives
of the undergraduate program in computer science are stated as follows:
- Majors will acquire an education in computer science that will prepare
them for life-long learning and continued professional development.
- Majors will learn the fundamental concepts and theories of the discipline
of computer science.
- Through laboratory experiences, majors will apply theories to the
synthesis and analysis of computing systems.
- Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue advanced studies
in computer science and/or assume professional computer science positions
in business, industry, and government.
The following outcomes were formulated in Spring 2001 in response to
an accreditation recommendation after a review of our program in Fall
2000. These intended outcomes quantify our educational objectives in a
manner that makes them amenable to measurement and assessment.
A. Obtain an understanding of the basics of our discipline
Each graduated student should know
- Fundamental principles of computing,
- Basic foundations of mathematics, statistics, and physical sciences
- Design and implementation of programs.
B. Develop proficiency in the practice of computing
The graduated student should be able to
- Formulate and solve problems in computing,
- Understand design and performance requirements of software systems,
- Apply sound principles to the synthesis and analysis of computer
systems.
C. Prepare for continued professional development
Our students should
- Engage in lifelong learning and expect to embrace change,
- Communicate effectively and think critically and creatively, both
independently and with others,
- Be aware of social and ethical issues of computers in society.
Assessment of Intended Learning Outcomes
Several methods are used to assess the outcomes of learning and instruction
to determine if departmental objectives are being achieved.
- Accreditation Reviews of the Undergraduate Program: The Bachelor
of Science program is nationally accredited by the Computer Science
Accreditation Board (CSAB), which has now recently merged into the Computing
Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and
Technology. The process of accreditation requires periodic external
reviews of the undergraduate program by computer science educators and
professionals, each review consisting of a detailed examination of the
depth and breadth of the curriculum and an examination of the department/college/university
infrastructure to insure effective delivery of the curriculum. The content
and quality of subject matter in each course required of majors is ascertained
through an examination of course descriptions, textbooks, and sample
homework and examinations. From personal vitae, university data, classroom
and laboratory visits, and interviews with students, faculty, advisors,
and administrators, the quality of the supporting infrastructure is
examined – including required supporting coursework in other disciplines,
faculty resources, and laboratory space and equipment. The quality of
the program is contrasted with nationally established standards for
accreditation.
- Senior Questionnaire and Survey: For the purpose of assessing student
outcomes prior to graduation, all graduating seniors are invited to
complete and exit questionnaire and an outcomes assessment survey. This
provides students with the opportunity to assess, from their personal
learning experiences, the effectiveness of the program in achieving
the objectives and their own expectations. Survey
PDF
- Employment Data: From information derived from senior questionnaires,
enhanced by information from academic advisors and the placement office,
annual statistics are compiled on the number of graduating majors who
have been successful in finding professional employment or have elected
to continue their education with graduate studies.
- Student Forums: We host student forums once a semester to get valuable
student input. Students are encouraged in an open, friendly manner to
comment on course strengths and weaknesses and areas of concern in the
curriculum. Faculty attend the forums and students have direct interactions
with faculty. While the format is anecdotal rather than systematic,
we find out where problems exist in a manner that we simply cannot do
otherwise.
- Alumni Survey: Beginning in Fall 2001, an annual survey was sent
to computer science alumni. This survey allows graduates, in the context
of their professional experiences, to reflect on their undergraduate
learning experiences and to assess the effectiveness of the undergraduate
program in achieving its stated objectives. Survey forms are also given
to alumni when during their campus recruitment visits. Survey
PDF
Use of Outcomes Assessment Data
Assessment data gathered from all accreditation reviews, student and alumni
questionnaires, student forums, and employment information are given to
the department's Undergraduate Committee and distributed to the
faculty for subsequent modification of the curriculum. Summary results
are shared with students and with higher administration.
Major Changes in the Curriculum (1996 – 2005)
- Language change in frontier programming courses to two semesters
of C++ instead of first semester in Scheme and second in C++ (1996).
- Adoption of a Premajor program so that incoming students would be
able to decide by the end of their first year whether or not they should
continue in the discipline (1998).
- Interaction with industry (1998-99): Faculty participated in a workshop
with industry professionals. The continued need for fundamentals combined
with practical programming experience and the need for software engineering
issues were discussed. The immediate impact was to shape two courses
– 309 and 430 to address the concerns raised by industry.
- To keep up with changes in the discipline, new courses on object-oriented
analysis and design (362), and database management systems with introduction
to XML (363) were introduced in 2001. Advanced 400-level electives are
continually updated to cover new concepts such as Web Services, and
to improve students' abilities in problem solving. An optional
course in Linux (252) was introduced in 2003.
- With the objective of improving the programming experiences of students,
the undergraduate committee proposed and implemented a transition to
Java in the frontier programming courses, 227 and 228 (2005). A third
course in C/C++ (229) is also required.
- Ongoing upgrades to equipment and laboratories are made on the basis
of five-year equipment plans approved by the LAS College. We are currently
in the last semester of the current 5-year plan and are submitting proposals
for the next cycle of upgrades.
- The undergraduate labs have been upgraded with much faster workstations.
A Terminal Server cluster gives users remote WinXP access 24/7. Additionally,
our open hours have increased from 110 to 148 per week. Disk space and
printing quota have been increased several folds. Future plans include
faster, dual core machines and increased quotas. Number of labs will
increase from 3 to 5.
- The LAS College has recognized and supported our need to maintain
a student/TA ratio of 30:1.
- The institution is keenly aware of the critical space needs of the
Department of Computer Science and is doing everything within its power
to improve it. Since the arrival of Dr. Chang in July 2002, several
news areas of Atanasoff Hall were converted into Computer Science space.
In roughly a year's time, the department will acquire an additional
9,000 square feet.
- A joint software engineering curriculum has been developed with the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. This will address
the concern of improving the proficiency of our students in developing
software systems.
Visit the Department's Website »
|
