Faculty and the 21st century student in USA higher education

ABSTRACT

The present student body in higher educations is very diverse and of a wide range of preparedness. Faculties are challenged to reflect on their teaching and the concerns and need of their students. Student assessments reveal critical thinking skills, problem solving skills and motivation and help faculty develop better instructional designs. Introductory courses in programming are of great consternation to faculty and student alike. Ideas to revise present introductory course in programming is presented.

REFERENCES

• 1: About CUNY. The City University of New York. Retrieved 30 July, 2002 <http://www.cuny.edu/info-abtcuny.html>
• 2: About the Commission. California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. <http://www.ctc.ca.gov/aboutctc.html>
• 3: Owen Astrachan, Concrete teaching: hooks and props as instructional technology, Proceedings of the 6th annual conference on the teaching of computing and the 3rd annual conference on Integrating technology into computer science education: Changing the delivery of computer science education, p.21-24, August 18-21, 1998, Dublin City Univ., Ireland
• 4: Ball, S (ed.). Motivation in Education. Academic Press, 1977.
• 5: Biggs, John. Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham, UK: SRHE & Open University Press, 1999.
• 6: California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). Insight Assessment. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.insightassessment.com/test-cctdi.html>
• 7: California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). Insight Assessment. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.insightassessment.com/test-cctst.html>
• 8: CUNY Master Plan II: Vision for the Future. City University of New York. Retrieved 30 July, 2002 http://www.cuny.edu/events/press/mplan_IIc.html
• 9: Fallows, S and Ahmet, K. Inspiring Students: Case Studies in Motivating the Learner. Kogan Page, 1999.
• 10: First-Time Freshman by Type of High School Attended and College: Fall 2000: Table 12. City University of New York. Retrieved 30 July, 2002 http://www.cuny.edu/abtcuny/facts/data_fall2001/
• 11: Fisher, A. (presented by Ms. Jo Sanders) (October 6--7, 1999). Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development. National Science Foundation. Retrieved July 30, 2002. <http://www.nsf.gov/od/cawmset/meetings/hearing-991006/sanders/sanders/html>
• 12: Foote, E. Collaborative Learning at Community Colleges. ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges of Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed411023.html
• 13: Hull, Glynda, Mike Rose, Kay Losey Fraser, and Marisa Castellano. "Remediation as Social Construct: Perspective from an Analysis of Classroom Discourse." CCC42 (1991): 299--329.
• 14: Tony Jenkins, A participative approach to teaching programming, Proceedings of the 6th annual conference on the teaching of computing and the 3rd annual conference on Integrating technology into computer science education: Changing the delivery of computer science education, p.125-129, August 18-21, 1998, Dublin City Univ., Ireland
• 15: Jenkins, Tony. Dealing with Diversity and Motivation in Introductory Programming. Innovations in Teaching And Learning in Information and Computer Sciences Online Journal, Volume 1, Issue 1. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.ics.ltsn.ac.uk/pub/italics/issue1/tjenkins/003.html>
• 16: Jenkins, Tony. Teaching Programming - A Journey from Teacher to Motivator. The 2nd Annual Conference of the LSTN Center for Information and Computer Science, 2001
• 17: Tony Jenkins, The motivation of students of programming, Proceedings of the 6th annual conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education, p.53-56, June 2001, Canterbury, United Kingdom
• 18: Jones, E. A. and Cottrell, S. A. Does Problem-Based Learning Make a Difference: A Review of Research. Edtech.Connect. Dept. of Education at Michigan State University. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. http://edtech.connect.msu.edu/searchaera2002/viewproposaltext.asp?propID=1413
• 19: Keller, J.M. Motivational Deisign of Instruction. In C.M. Reigeluth (Ed.). Instructional Design Theories and Models: An Overview of the Current Status. Hillsdale, NJ, Earlbaum, 1983.
• 20: Nichols, W. D. and Hancock, D. R. Anxiety's Influence on German and U.S. Middle Grades Students' Classroom Achievement. Edtech.Connect.. Dept. of Education at Michigan State University. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. http://edtech.connect.msu.edu/searchaera2002/viewproposaltext.asp?propID=93
• 21: Place of Birth and Comfort with English of First-Time Freshman: Fall 2000: Table 13. City University of New York. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.cuny.edu/abtcuny/facts/data_fall2001/>
• 22: Rose, Mike. Lives on the Boundary: The struggles and Achievements of America's Underprepared. New York: Free Press, 1989.
• 23: Science Teacher Certification. University of the Sciences in Philadelphia University. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.usip.edu/graduate/science_teacher_certification.htm>
• 24: Stephen R. Schach, Classical and Object-Oriented Software Engineering, McGraw-Hill Professional, 1995
• 25: Snow, R. E. Toward Assessment of Cognitive and Conative Structures in Learning. Educational Researcher, 1989, 18(9), 8--14.
• 26: Summary of Degrees Granted by Race/Ethnicity and Gender: Fall 2000 :Table 17. City University of New York. Retrieved 30 July, 2002 http://www.cuny.edu/abtcuny/facts/data_fall2001/
• 27: Tyler, R. W. Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1949.
• 28: Undergraduate Enrollment by Age: Fall 2000 :Table 9. City University of New York. Retrieved 30 July, 2002 http://www.cuny.edu/abtcuny/facts/data_fall2001/
• 29: VanLengen, C. A. & Maddux, C. D. Does Instruction In Computer Programming Improve Problem Solving Ability. Journal of IS Education: Online. Volume 2, Number2. Retrieved 30 July, 2002 <http://gise.org/JISE/Vol1-5/DOESINST.htm
• 30: Villanueva, Victor. BootstrapsL From an American Academic of Color. Urbana: NCTE, 1993.
• 31: Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA). The Psychological Corporation. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.psychcorpcenter.com/content/wgct.htm>
• 32: Women, Minorities and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2000, Executive Summary. National Science Foundation. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf00327/pdf/pdfstart.html>
• 33: Writing Across the Curriculum: Handbook for Writing in General Education at York College/CUNY. York College - CUNY. Last Revised 20 August 2001.
• 34: Yin, H, Ayala, C. & Shavelson, R.. Students' Problem Solving Strategies In Performance Assessment: Hands On And Minds On.. Edtech. Connect.. Dept. of Education at Michigan State University. Retrieved 30 July, 2002. <http://edtech.connect.msu.edu/searchaera2002/viewproposaltext.asp?propID=3548>
• 35: Zamel, Vivian. "Strangers in Academia: The Experiences of Faculty and ESL Students across the Curriculum." College Composition and Communication 46 (1995): 249--264.