Improving first-year success and retention through interest-based CS0 courses

Authors:
Michael Haungs;Christopher Clark;John Clements;David Janzen
Affiliations:
California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA;California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA;California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA;California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Venue:
Proceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education
Year:
2012

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Abstract

Many computer science programs suffer from low student retention rates. At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, academic performance and retention rates among first-year computer science students are among the lowest on campus. In order to remedy this, we have developed a new CS0 course featuring different "tracks" that students can choose from (e.g. robotics, gaming, music, mobile apps). This allows students to learn the basics of programming, teamwork, and college-level study in a domain that is of personal interest. In addition, the course relies on classic Project-based Learning (PBL) approaches as well as a focus on both academic and non-academic factors shown to increase student retention. Initial assessment demonstrates positive results in the form of increased academic performance in post CS0 courses and student retention.