Fluency in Information Technology: A Second Course for non-CIS Majors Robert Aiken, Ned Kock and Munir Mandviwalla Computer and Information Sciences Department Temple University Philadelphia, PA 19122 {aiken, kock}@joda.cis.temple.edu
[email protected]
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The question we address is how to bring students to the level beyond the introductory course. At this new level students should be able to integrate IT into the problemsolving logic and operation of their specific disciplines. We propose a new course to achieve this transformation. It will demonstrate through complex and successful ease studies the power of IT integration. We propose in-depth case studies as the best approximation to apprenticeship learning.
Introduction
Information Technology (IT) is central to modem society [5]. Its use and technical development are increasing rapidly [3]. Learning to use IT effectively in individual and organizational domain-specific processes cannot be done in a single step. Such learning requires appropriate introductory concepts, experiences, and motivations, and a life-long commitment to learning. This paper describes our approach for developing a second level course that provides a strong foundation in information technology that is embedded in hands-on-use of the technology in different complex, research and information-rich environments for students who are not computer and information science majors. In this paper we outline the process and rationale which guides the development of the course, a case study development framework, and assessment procedures.
We should note here that the planning for this project has been underway for several years and was independent of the "Being Fluent with Information Technology" report that was written by a Committee. on Information Technology Literacy and published by the National Academy Press. I However, in many ways our ideas and concerns are similar. What we discuss is one specific way to address the concerns addressed in this report of how to make a larger number of college/University students fluent in technology and life long users of IT.
Courses that introduce IT generally fall into one of the following categories: "computer literacy", "programming", "great ideas of computer science", and "computer and society". Such courses seldom combine the following elements: Understanding of IT ideas and instruments, understanding of IT's role in framing and solving specific problems in various disciplines, and the ability to actually use IT to solve these problems. Students who are interested in specific themes and subject domains (such as chemistry, sociology, or anthropology) need to understand IT from the perspective of these domains.
Principal objectives of our proposal also include establishing a framework to develop portable case studies, assessing the effectiveness of the course in achieving its stated goals, and disseminating our results as widely as possible. This is certainly consistent with the above mentioned report which states, "In summary, FIT individuals, those who know a starter set of IT skills, who understand the basic concepts on which IT is founded, and who have engaged in the higher-level thinking embodied in the intellectual capabilities, should use information technology confidently, should come to work ready to learn new business systems quickly and use them effectively, should be able to apply IT to personally relevant problems, and should be able to adapt to the inevitable change as IT evolves over their lifetime."
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i "Being Fluent with Information Technology", Committee on Information Technology Literacy, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 1999.
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Current Situation
approach in which students learn through writing an essay about how an individual (the main subject of their essay) uses a computer to solve a specific problem. We differ in that several cases are analyzed in one course, each prepared by an expert in the field and involving actual hands-on use of the computer tool used by the expert. Schneider [4] uses a course in computational science as a bridge between science disciplines particularly physical and natural sciences. We differ in that we are not i'estricted to a specific group ofnon-CIS majors. Gurwitz [1] uses the Intemet as a motivating theme of a computer literacy course for nonCIS majors. Again, we differ in that we try to provide a more advanced understanding of IT concepts and application, beyond the scope of computer literacy courses. For example, we assume that our students already have some basic Interact-related skills, which they should have acquired from a basic level computer literacy course.
One can see the depth of concern and the extent and Variety of efforts addressing the problem of teaching IT to nonmajors by reviewing the projects in course and curriculum development supported by NSF. Listed below are some representative approaches to the introductory and second level IT courses for non-majors.
Portable Courseware for Technological Literacy (DUE 7419) B. Fagin - Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire This project shares some of our goals (some quotes from the proposal): ".. to reach students who would not normally consider technologically oriented courses, the course .. will require no mathematics." "The course will use a hands-on, active approach to learning." We differ in the problems being considered. We are stressing the use of a few, well developed, domain-specific problems, presented and motivated by domain experts, rather than a multiplicity of "toy" problems. The media used in our two projects are different. The Dartmouth group has worked on development of a CD°ROM. We will make our material available on the Internet.
Laboratory for Great Ideas in Computer Science (DUE 7400) J. Howland, G.Pitts - Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Though aimed at a similar student population, their proposal, partially quoted next, differs substantially from ours: "This new course concept implements a contained laboratory that uses a breadth first rather than depth first approach to cover a broad range of computer science topics at the introductory level2 We are not aiming for coverage of many topics, we are aiming for few topics, to be experienced in a rich motivating environment.
A second Course in Computing for Non-Majors (DUE 7410) J. Waxman - CUNY Queens College
We submitted our proposal to NSF in late 1998. A support Web site was developed at NSF's request to supplement the material in the initial proposal. This Web site contains a video clip (prepared for Interact streaming with software from RealNetworks) that guided NSF reviewers through the different components of the project, including a multimedia case study example of an application of spreadsheet, statistical analysis and database management software in a sub-field of sociology. Now that the project is funded and under way, the URL for the a new Web site has been developed to disseminate intermediate results of the project as well as serve as a document repository and communication hub for the project's participants. The URL for this new Web site is http://ww2.cis.temple.edu/nsflll.
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Goals and Approach
There are four major themes in this proposal for addressing students' needs:
Understanding how 1T can be used in complex, domainspecific problem solving *
Use of complete "case study" examples of complex discipline-specific problems that have IT concepts and multiple tools as essential elements of the solution. These case studies will form the experiential foundation that grounds the students' understanding and motivates their situated learning. Analysis of the solutions arrived at in the case studies as examples of the applications of the scientific method. We will carefully examine the general and the discipline-specific problem solving patterns used in the solutions. Development of skills required to know what problems lend themselves to the use of IT and to know what tools are available and for what.
Here, what is proposed is ".. a second course which focuses on the acquisition and presentation of data and information. For data acquisition, the course gives the student high level mastery of the Intemet. For the presentation of information students will master a multimedia authoring system...". Our interest is less with the tools and more on their role in problem solving as demonstrated by case studies and in student projects. We believe that IT is used not just because "it is there", and for what "it might do", but because students experience how to use it to become successful problem solvers.
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Other examples that illustrate the current interest in innovative approaches for IT teaching to non-majors can be drawn from the recent literature on computer science education. Joyce [2], for example, uses a case building
Providing a framework for understanding how IT works and a foundation for continued learning
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problem-solving at the level required by higher level discipline-specific courses. Thus such courses can focus on discipline content instead of repeatedly worrying about developing IT skills.
Development of a thorough conceptual understanding of IT that will remain valid through changes in specific IT systems. Such understanding is based on conceptual models, algorithms, and requirements. Teaching of strategies for learning new generations of relevant technology on an as-needed basis so that students can select and learn new tools as they become available. For example students should become comfortable with using tools while knowing only a few of their features, getting a partial solution to their problem, and then improving and extending it as their knowledge, and needs, grow.
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To achieve the objectives of the course we need a framework for creating challenging discipline-specific case studies that are understandable by non-majors. Creating such a framework will require a number of iterations both in planning and in actually teaching the course. However, the benefits of such a framework are considerable in that it will allow us and others to continue new developing case studies. A key issue is how to express discipline specific problems as instances of more general concerns. For example, search, optimization, hypotheses formation, validation of conclusions are universal activities, though they may be pursued differently in different disciplines. We also need to ensure that the case studies have a uniform, consistent structure so they are coherent to the students in order that they can better understand the higher level scientific concepts.
Dealing with the pragmatics of using IT •
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Addressing the problems of motivation, fear of computing, and doubts about relevance that are common to non-CIS majors. Integration of the use of IT tools for cooperative problem solving and information presentation with all phases of the course, including lectures, laboratories, projects, assignments, study, and exams.
Speci#ing a generic case study development fi'amework • • •
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Framework for Creating Case Studies
Creating an approach that allows others to replicate the course in different institutions. Providing others with a framework for creating additional portable case studies. Developing guidelines to enable effective cooperation and coordination in interdisciplinary case development.
It is important to identify a case study topic carefully so that the subsequent effort is fully realized. For example, case studies that are hard to generalize or are only of interest to a small segment of the population will not be useful. We have identified the following set of criteria for identifying relevant case study topics:
The Proposed Course
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We are creating a new second-level course on Information Technology (IT) for non-CIS majors. The course uses a ease study approach to lead students through the solution of substantial problems that integrate (a) domain-specific knowledge and logic, (b) general scientific problem-solving strategies, (c) IT and mathematical methods, (d) coordinated use of a number of IT tools. Students will see how professionals from a number of disciplines use IT to solve problems. Those professionals will explain the domain knowledge and logic and together with the CIS faculty will discuss the process by which IT is deployed. The goal is to help students become personally involved in IT-supported problem solving as active learners, almost as if they were members of the project teams examined in the ease studies. Students will work on lab projects to adapt the methods and software used in the case studies to solve real world problems in the discipline of their choice. Complementing the ease studies will be modules describing salient aspects of IT. These modules will establish the conceptual and technological context within which applications and continued learning will take place. Where the first IT course for non-CIS majors provides the foundations for students to use basic IT tools and concepts, the proposed IT course will help students use IT in their
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Topics should represent problems that can interest and motivate students from different disciplines. Topics should represent true professional problems encountered by non-CIS researchers who use IT as an essential component of their problem-solving strategy. It should be possible to abstract the case study so that students in the proposed course are placed in a situation where they can focus on problem solving strategies and the role of IT without being distracted by logistic and usage difficulties unrelated to their learning. This abstraction process is important because the students in the proposed course will not necessarily be majors who have the domain knowledge and the motivation to overcome all difficulties. The "problem" represented by the case study should be such that it requires the use of a major IT concept and related tool. We recognize that there are many complex scientific problems that are best solved by paper'and pencil or by simple IT tools such as a word processor. However, we need to focus on problems that require the use of relatively complex IT.
5.1 Case Study Content The goal of the case study is to make concrete abstract scientific problem-solving techniques. A key tool for showing the process o f abstraction is the use of examples. As students move through repeated examples they draw
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abstract conclusions about how scientific problems are examined. Therefore, the main tool for implementing a case study is the creation and availability o f several high quality illustrative examples. These examples are rich in context and data and yet allow students to recognize the commonalties o f the approach and the similarities in the use o f IT across disciplines. 5.2 Role o f the computer The case study should demonstrate that the use of the computer is a repeatable experience in which ideas about causes for phenomena can be tested and refined. Moreover, the notion that a computer is a tool that one regards as a natural way o f extending how one operates needs to be reinforced. It is a "tool o f choice" in a variety of domains and in a number o f different contexts (e.g. statistical analysis, visualizations, etc.)
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5.3 Template Table 1 presents a template that we have created and will continue to refine that an instructor will use to prepare a particular case study. Examples of proposed case studies are provided in Appendix A.
Item Task description
Lecture plans and notes Lab Plan, activities, and notes
Homeworks, projects, exam questions, discussion questions Data Programs and tools Additional resources and suggestions for further study Assessment Criteria
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the case studies and on specific IT modules. The course coordinator will, in a manner agreed with the other participants, act as host and commentator for the other participants. In different terms the role o f course coordinator will be rotated among co-PIs in an effort to arrive at a course format and assessment that is not totally dependent on the personality o f the course coordinator. A common template will be used for all the case studies. The case studies represent "real" problems that will further engage the interest o f students. General tools, such as databases, spreadsheets, statistical system s , communication, etc. will be discussed in the context o f case studies, or for their role in the technological infrastructure used in the course. We will demonstrate how the ideas underlying this software have broad application and are central to solving problems across disciplines. We proceed from a discussion o f the specific cases to the identification o f what they have in common and is fundamental. Students will need to commit substantial time to the course and they will need to feel that the investment is worth their while. Students will be given a clear
Description
Each case study addresses a class of problems and corresponding solutions. A task description will include problem statement and motivation, background information, model adopted for the study and its validation, boundary conditions, solution processes used as examples of general problem solving strategies, learning objectives~ examples of pitfalls and of failure. Content of lectures, with specified goals, relations to laboratory and independent activities, discussion subjects, i~roup activities. Description of the activities contemplated to prepare students for the labs and for what to do in the labs. Description of the [oals for these activities. There should be an adequate number of each type of tasks to allow self- assessment and more in-depth individual activities All the data relevant to a case study. It includes filesr data basesr imalles~animations~ and demonstrations. The software used in the case study. For each program and tool there will be adequate online documentation, a statement of why particular tools are chosen, and a surnmary of IT aspects of the case study. Bibliographies, WWW references, news groups, fully developed related projects, and suggested student projects. For each activity in the case study there will be an indication of the corresponding expected student performance level.
Table 1. Case Study Template
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understanding of the goals of the course and, to the extent possible, they will participate in the process of achieving these goals. Lab exercises and projects will take a more professional form that will enrich the students' portfolios o f demonstrable accomplishments. This focus on "shared goals" and "demonstrable accomplishments" helps establish a unifying approach for the course.
Conclusions
A fundamental problem with a course that involves a number o f instructors, especially from different disciplines, is how to achieve conceptual integration and to convey to students a clear understanding of what they are expected to learn and what they are expected to do in order to succeed. Here are some of the steps we will take to cope with this issue:
Obviously, other unanticipated problems will also arise as we begin to teach the course. One potential area in which problems may arise is in the development o f the domainspecific case studies, where the views o f the domain experts about what is an interesting (or even acceptable) topic may not match that o f students outside the experts'
A single faculty member, the course coordinator, will take responsibility for the course and have other CIS and non-CIS faculty participate as guest lecturers on
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specific disciplines. For example, a student majoring in anthropology may see a case study on computer applications in molecular biology research as too "dry" to be meaningful. Another potentially problematic area is that of evaluation, as certain variables can add uncertainty to findings based on assessments of the long-term impact of the course on students. For example, a longitudinal analysis may reveal that the expected long-term impact of our course on non-CIS majors' interest in computer-related topics cannot be clearly traced back to the course, because (it may be the case that) only students who already had an interest in computer-related topics took the course. Therefore, some experimental controls will have to be used to our study yet these should not interfere with pedagogical goals. Because of the complexity involved in designing a proper evaluation plan, a senior ETS consultant who specializes in evaluation techniques has been added to the project team as a consultant. We will be reporting on these and other results via our Web site on http://ww2.cis.temple.edu/nsflll.
fashion; that is, did they make decisions, which tended to maximize their returns for effort expended. The archeological and paleoecological data used in this case study comes from 15 years of research in Panama. It includes maps of the 20,000 sq km study area, showing elevations, hydrologic features, and soils; rainfall and temperature data for various locations; a database of archeological site information, with location, age, size, and function. The principal software tools are IDRISI and ArcView. (2) Occupational and age cohort consequences of the industrial transformation, 1980-1990 This case study examines and evaluates possible explanations for the shifts in occupational distribution that have occurred in the United States between 1980 and 1990. There are two general explanations: (1) since industries differ in their occupational distributions, patterns of industrial growth and decline will produce changing occupational distributions; and (2) changes in the organization of work within an industry because of technology and new organizational forms create occupational shifts. The question is how to assess the relative importance of the two explanations. Data used in this case study are the one percent Public Use Sample of the 1980 and 1990 Censuses. The principal software tool used is Excel.
Acknowledgment This project is sponsored in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation; DUE 9951418.
References
(3) Exploring Structures of Organic Molecules by Computational Methods This case study examines methods for correlating measured physical properties of simple organic molecules with their structures. Students will use the laws of physics and appropriate computational methods to predict the structures and properties of simple molecules (the answers being "checked" by reference to suitable data bases, e.g., NIST, Beilstein, etc.). The calculations are performed with the aid of commercially available software (e.g., Alchemy, HyperChem, Spartan, Gaussian94). The calculations explore paths permitted by the physical constraints to produce a minimum energy arrangement of the nuclei within the molecule and thus generate a global minimum structure. Comparison of the energies of structures so produced allows predictions of (at least relative) physical properties which can then be compared to those found in data bases of chemical and physical properties.
[1] Gurwitz, C., "The Intemet as a Motivating Theme in a Math/Computer Core Course for Nonmajors", Proceedings of SIGCSE 98, Atlanta, GA, pp. 68-72, 1998. [2] Joyce, D., "The Computer as a Problem Solving Tool: A Unifying View for a Non-Majors Course", Proceedings of SIGCSE 98, Atlanta, GA, pp. 63-67, 1998. [3] Khosrwopour, M., (Ed.), Effective Utilization and
Management of Emerging Information Technologies, Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, PA, 1998. [4] Schneider, G.M., "Computational Science as an Interdisciplinary Bridge", Proceedings of SIGCSE 99, New Orleans, pp. 141-145, 1999. [5] Toffler, A. and Toffler, H., Creating a New Civilization : The Politics of the Third Wave, Turner Publications, New York, NY, 1995.
Appendix A: Case Study Exemplars (1) Modeling human behavior over time and space: deforestation in Tropical America This case study examines the expansion of tropical forest farmers and the accompanying deforestation in Central Panama during the time period from 9000 to 2000 years ago through the use of simulations carried out in a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) environment. The question addressed is whether the human groups inhabiting Central Panama were behaving in an evolutionarily sound
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