Take a look at the new version of this page: [ beta version ]. Tell us what you think.

ABSTRACT

This paper describes how a graphical user interface (GUI) programming course offered by the Dept. of Computer Science (CS) was paired with a general teaching methods course offered by the Dept. of Music in an attempt to revitalize undergraduate CS education and to enrich the experiences of both sets of students. The paper provides details on the joint project done in these classes and the evaluation that assessed its effect on the curriculum, students, and professors.

REFERENCES

• 1: Campus Technology (2007). Microsoft: Time to 'Panic' in Search for CompSci Workers. campustechnology.com/news_article.asp?id=19886&typeid=150 accessed January 5, 2007.
• 2: Carter, J. (2001). Arresting the Decline: conversations with female CS undergraduates. Computing Laboratory, Univ. of Kent at Canterbury. www.cs.kent.ac.uk/pubs/2001/1218 accessed January 21, 2007.
• 3: Cassidy, A. (2007). What then renders these forces visible is a strange smile (or, First Study for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion). www.aaroncassidy.com/music/smile.htm accessed August 25, 2008.
• 4: Foster, A.A. (2005). Student Interest in Computer Science Plummets. Chron. of Higher Ed. 51(38):A31.
• 5: Joe Geigel , Marla Schweppe, Virtual theatre: a collaborative curriculum for artists and technologists, ACM SIGGRAPH 2005 Educators program, July 31-August 04, 2005, Los Angeles, California [doi>10.1145/1187358.1187378]
• 6: Paul Gestwicki , Fu-Shing Sun , Benjamin Dean, Teaching game design and game programming through interdisciplinary courses, Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, v.24 n.1, October 2008
• 7: Greher, G., & Heines, J. (2008). Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Connection Computer Science and Music Students to the Benefit of Both. Assoc. for Technology in Music Instruction. Atlanta, GA.
• 8: Heines, J., & Schedlbauer, M. (2007). Teaching Object-Oriented Concepts Through GUI Programming. Eleventh Workshop on Pedagogies and Tools for the Teaching and Learning of Object Oriented Concepts, held at the 21st European Conf. on Object-Oriented Programming. Berlin, Germany.
• 9: Heines, J., Jeffers, J., & Kuhn, S. (2008). Performamatics: Experiences With Connecting a Computer Science Course to a Design Arts Course. Int'l. Jrnl. of Learning 15(2):9--16.
• 10: Hyun Ju Kim , Diana Coluntino , Fred G. Martin , Linda Silka , Holly A. Yanco, Artbotics: community-based collaborative art and technology education, ACM SIGGRAPH 2007 educators program, August 05-09, 2007, San Diego, California [doi>10.1145/1282040.1282047]
• 11: Maria Klawe , Ben Shneiderman, Crisis and opportunity in computer science, Communications of the ACM, v.48 n.11, November 2005 [doi>10.1145/1096000.1096024]
• 12: John McDonald , Rosalee Wolfe, Using computer graphics to foster interdisciplinary collaboration in capstone courses, Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, v.24 n.1, October 2008
• 13: Round, A. (2006). The Decline in Student Applications to Computer Science and IT Degree Courses in UK Universities. Computing Research Assoc. Conf. Proc. Snowbird, UT: ACM.
• 14: Seifert, K. L., & Mandzuk, D. (2006). Student Cohorts in Teacher Education: Support Groups or Intellectual Communities? Teachers College Record 108(7):1296--1320.
• 15: Yanco, H. A., Kim, H. J., Martin, F., & Silka, L. (2007). Artbotics: Combining Art and Robotics to Broaden Participation in Computing. Proc. of the AAAI Spring Symposium on Robots & Robot Venues. Stanford Univ., CA.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Curriculum

General Terms:
Design, Management

Keywords:
computer science education, interdisciplinary programs, performamatics