Enhancing Critical Reasoning in Computer Education

Working collaboratively with industry partners, this project at Saint Johns River State College in Florida is designed to increase the practical knowledge, critical thinking skills, and work-readiness of computer science and information technology (CS/IT) graduates to meet local industry demand for highly trained technicians in the CS/IT fields in Northeast Florida by incorporating problem-based learning (PBL) and emphasizing critical thinking throughout the computer education curriculum. Incorporation of PBL in CS/IT is also designed to increase participation, retention, and success of women. The program will leverage student talent to address current community problems and expose students to the need for CS/IT in fields outside the traditional industries by incorporating community-based learning techniques in the capstone course. The project will be disseminated through the project website, ATE Central, and an annual Curriculum Showcase. Curriculum development projects will be widely available for use and adaption by other CS/IT training programs.

The project will expand the critical thinking skills of CS/IT graduates and impact more than 200 students per year taking foundational and higher level courses leading to 11 college credit certificates and 4 associate degrees in Networking, Programming, Information Technology and Internet Services. Specifically, 1) the foundational introductory classes will be revised to teach key technical and critical thinking processes through problems drawn directly from industry, 2) critical thinking and problem-solving learning outcomes will be mapped and integrated in higher level courses, and 3) the capstone course will be revised to require students to work with community and industry leaders to identify and develop novel solutions for current, real-life challenges. Local business members will participate as members of the curriculum design team, provide problems, and review the new curriculum. The entire CS/IT faculty, including adjunct faculty, will be involved in the program design and implementation to benefit from the technical expertise of all CS/IT fields and ensure that new pedagogies are implemented across the curriculum. They will participate in curriculum redesign efforts and in professional development activities to share pedagogical changes and incorporate PBL consistently and effectively. Tutors from academic support centers at the college will be included in professional development trainings to ensure they are prepared to assist students with the new problem-based curriculum. Students will develop technical skills, cultivate critical reasoning and creative abilities, and be prepared to innovate, adapt and thrive in the competitive and evolving CS/IT industry. The program will draw from successful PBL programs in engineering and computer education to integrate additional critical thinking and hands-on learning with the strong technical aspects of the current CS/IT curriculum. This will ensure that skills that students need to gain in the courses will meet the new and evolving needs of industry. New PBL pedagogies will be built-in through a step-wise process beginning with the foundational courses. The effectiveness of these changes will be evaluated and improvement made prior to incorporation into the next level of courses. Gains in critical thinking will be determined through pre- and post-test assessments. An independent evaluator will provide an annual summative and formative review of the program.