Intro Computing Redesign

This is a hands-on education-focused project to develop, create, and test new ideas intro-computing ideas. These positions will work to improve HMC's cs5 course -- and will include working with the students in the summer versions of that course. Some of the research will work to improve those course's materials -- as well as to create new materials useful for very different approaches to intro computing, e.g., at the high-school and early-college levels. 

As for the optional essay prompt, perhaps share a few sentences on your personal interest in education and/or computing.

Name of research group, project, or lab
Intro Computing Redesign
Why join this research group or lab?

An important fraction - perhaps a fourth - of the summer's effort is working with the students who take our summer intro courses. This is similar to "grutoring" -- which is great, great experience, and great fun. In addition, the summer work adds a layer of reflection, research, and idea-iteration atop the grutoring experiences; there isn't always the time or bandwidth to include those layers during the fall/spring semesters.  

Logistics Information:
Project categories
Computer Science
Student ranks applicable
First-year
Sophomore
Junior
Student qualifications

Prior experience is not required. 

The most important characteristics are enthusiasm, enjoyment of working in a team, enjoyment of helping intro-cs students, and interest in expanding your technical computing skills by building systems and software that makes computing/cs more accessible overall. 

(If you'd rather not overlap with cs5 or cs5-type content, other projects may be a better fit.)

Time commitment
Summer - Full Time
Compensation
Paid Research
Number of openings
3
Techniques learned

Students joining our Intro Computing Redesign (ICR) team will have the opportunity to develop a number of technical copmputing skills -- some of the project's choice, some of their own. For example, webdev skills will be a sizable portion of the effort, developed in deploying or improving small, custom-purpose pages and apps. Want to learn SQL?  Join us and do so -- by creating small, sharable modules that engage with databases. Want cs5 taught entirely in R? Join us and make it so. [[ Well, perhaps not entirely! ]] 

Project start
Flexible
Contact Information:
Mentor
Zach Dodds
dodds@hmc.edu
Mentor
Name of project director or principal investigator
Zach Dodds
Email address of project director or principal investigator
dodds@g.hmc.edu
3 sp. | 1 appl.
Hours per week
Summer - Full Time
Project categories
Computer Science