Teaching Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Via Games

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify how Advanced level Mathematics and Mathematics course units offered at university level do impact on the academic performance of theoretical Computer Science course units. Background: In Sri Lankan state universities, students have been enrolled only from the Physical Science stream to do a degree program in Computer Science. In addition to that, universities have been offering some course units in Mathematics to provide the required mathematical maturity to Computer Science undergraduates. Despite of this it is observed that the failure rates in fundamental theoretical Computer Science course units are much higher than other course units offered in the general degree program every year. Methodology : Academic records comprised of all 459 undergraduates from three consecutive batches admitted to the degree program in Computer Science from a university were considered for this study. Contribution: This study helps academics in identifying suitable curricula for Mathematics course units to improve students’ performance in theoretical Computer Science courses. Findings: Advanced level Mathematics does not have any significant effect on the academic performance of theoretical Computer Science course units. Even though all Mathematics course units offered were significantly correlated with academic performance of every theoretical Computer Science course unit, only the Discrete Mathematics course unit highly impacted on the academic performance of all three theoretical Computer Science course units. Further this study indicates that the academic performance of female undergraduates is better than males in all theoretical Computer Science and Mathematics course units. Future Research: Identifying other critical success factors contributing to the students’ academic performance of the theoretical Computer Science through empirical studies

A graduate program leading to the Master of Computer Science degree is described. It is a terminal degree intended to provide advanced training for computer science professionals, particularly those whose original training was in areas other than computer science. The paper starts by comparing this type of program to master's programs at other schools. The potential audience for a program of this type is described. The actual program at Wichita State University is explained and four sample student schedules are given.

Lifelong learning is an important part in the career of an engineer in computer sciences. In this paper the characteristics of life long learning in Computer Sciences are worked out. In 2007 the European Commission launched a lifelong learning programme to enables people at all stages of their lives to take part in stimulating learning experiences. A network of seven European universities started within this programme a project designing a Master program in Computer Science that appeals to non-traditional students who may wish to study on a part-time and/or intermittent basis, in an international framework. (EMaCS means European Master Program in Computer Science) This paper describes how the EMaCS project approaches to the life long learning problems in Computer Science.

Providing stimulating and real-life experiences is a key component in teaching software project management in Computer Science or Software Engineering programs. The diversity of topics that need to be addressed and restrictions that should be considered in university courses make a challenging task of it. This paper presents a serious game, called “White Crow PM” whose objective is to make students aware of the risks they might face during software development projects. The paper describes the game design steps and provides results of its validation in Computer Science programs in two Mexican universities. The collected data showed that the participants had fun playing the game and its content is relevant for software project management courses. Although the game needs to be validated in other settings with more participants, we conclude that it fulfills the goal of motivating discussion and increasing awareness of project management concerns among students.

In 1997 a new interdisciplinary Diploma program in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) was started at ETH Zurich. We report on the changes of the curriculum due to the Bologna Declaration of June 19, 1999 by the European Ministers of Education. The new Bachelor program in CSE at ETH Zurich started in October 2003 and the Master program in CSE will follow in October 2005. We will describe both programs in some detail as well as the design principles. We will also discuss the boundary conditions imposed by ETH and we will give some preliminary experiences.

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Attracting and Retaining Women in Computer Science and Engineering: Evaluating the Results Abstract Computer science and engineering communities have been exploring a variety of activities and techniques to attract and retain more students, especially women and minorities, to computer science and computer engineering degree programs1. This paper briefly describes the efforts and results of a plan for actively recruiting young women into undergraduate computer engineering and computer science programs hosted by the University of North Texas (UNT). It also describes a series of activities aimed at improving the retention rate of students already in our programs, particularly during the freshman year. Such recruitment and retention efforts are critical to the country’s efforts to increase the number of engineering professionals, and are a priority for the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department at UNT. We initially designed a three-part plan to achieve our recruitment and retention goals: • Sponsorship of portable and mobile summer computer engineering robotics camps for middle and high-school women students, coordinating with the regional Girl Scouts councils and other organizations to help with the recruitment; • Creation of an Ambassador program using young women currently enrolled in the upper division of current computer science and computer engineering programs as a form of outreach to area high schools and junior colleges; and • Expansion of our successful undergraduate mentoring program by using the Ambassador cohort mentioned above as mentors for incoming freshman and first-year transfer women entering our programs. This paper will focus primarily on the summer camp program and present an analysis of the results we have seen to date after 2 years of camp activities. Results from student surveys and parent surveys will be presented. The paper concludes with recommended changes and improvements in the program, as well as a discussion of adaptations that would create programs suitable for implementation at other institutions as well as programs aimed at a different target population. The three phases previously enumerated each build upon currently accepted educational practices. The robotics summer camp in particular used problem-based learning approaches, similar to those described in The Power of Problem-Based Learning2. This study clearly demonstrates the significant benefits of teaching students how to think by using a problem-based approach. We also developed a mobile laboratory so that the summer camp can be held at several locations, thus broadening and expanding the reach of the camps to traditionally underserved populations and geographical regions. Similarly, both the ambassador and mentoring programs derive from research showing how the recruitment and retention of women in engineering- related fields can be increased by providing opportunities to develop student-to-student relationships3, 4.

Gender disparity in STEM fields, particularly in computer science (CS), remains a global challenge due to the underrepresentation of women. Factors such as educational background and pre-university choices could influence this disparity. Gender bias and stereotypes, starting in childhood, could significantly deter female enrollment in CS programs. This study explores the educational experiences and reasons behind gender disparities in the Bachelor’s degree program in Computer Science at the University of Padova, aiming to promote gender equality in academia and the Information and Communication Technology industry. Data were collected from 167 students, revealing gender differences in secondary education and motivations for pursuing CS. Gender disparities were noted in perceived difficulties in facing different courses, from programming to numerical calculus, and in perceptions of bias, with females more likely to perceive women as disadvantaged, and the stereotype of “CS is for men” being more prevalent among older generations. Both genders expressed moderate optimism about increasing female representation in CS and suggested solutions such as school interventions, practical initiatives, curriculum integration, scholarships, and female quotas.

A very serious problem at PUEB is the graduation rate for graduate studies. The failure rate for undergraduate studies is as high as 60% in some years for some degree programs. For the purpose of this paper, we analyze data on the study results between 2015 and 2020 for FIS master's degree programs. Our aim is to compare the "Completion rate" between different groups of degree programs - one of them is computer science degree programs and the other is quantitatively oriented programs (“Econometrics and Statistics”). We will use data for the analysis from the university information system. We will analyze those using MS Excel tools. The paper provides answers to the two research questions. The results obtained so far indicate that the main common feature, regardless of “Informatics” or “Quantitative Methods”, is the method of funding. Graduation rate is higher for almost eight per cent points in Quantitative oriented study programs then in Informatics studies. If the student pays for his/her own tuition, the study period is shorter for both groups of study programs students than if he/she uses public funds to finance it.

Introduction The computing sciences are complex fields that combine both theoretical and practical components. Students successfully completing an undergraduate computer science program should have instruction in both the mathematical and theoretical foundations of computing as well as the more practical aspects of how to effectively use computers to solve problems. Software engineering, as its name implies, is more directed toward the practical aspects of how to successfully develop complex systems that meet user requirements and are reliable, usable, and maintainable. Computing Curricula 2005 recognizes the need for more extensive education to produce professional engineers than what can be reasonably provided in a typical computer science program (ACM, 2005). As such, they propose engineering be treated as a totally separate discipline within computer science education. However, while there has been some debate about the exact role engineering should have in a computer science program (Curran, 2003), the ACM Curricula has maintained the importance of engineering to all computer science students and has kept it as a core element in computer science education (ACM, 2008). For purposes of this paper, we will focus on the teaching of engineering within the computer science discipline. Unlike other topics in the computer science major, the techniques and principles taught in engineering are often first developed and refined in industry before arriving in the classroom. As commercial development techniques and tools evolve, so pedagogical methodologies change. Computer science educators have taken different approaches to teaching engineering over the years, both as a result of changing methodologies as well as individual beliefs about what teaching methods work best in a particular academic environment. This paper is a case study in applying current productivity tools (specifically Redmine) in a engineering course at our institution. The objectives of the study are to investigate how to integrate the tools into the existing structure and evaluate their impact. We describe our experience in recently changing our approach to teaching engineering to be more aligned with current tools and how to effectively use them in an academic environment. The paper begins with an overview of engineering teaching methods, then describes our traditional approach and motivation for changing, how the new approach was integrated into the course, our experience with the change, and, finally, our plans for the future Software Engineering Education Background Software Engineering is defined as the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation and maintenance of software (Petkovic, Thompson, & Todtenhoefer, 2006, p. 294). The need to teach engineering in colleges has been identified for decades. Stiller & LeBlanc (2002) point out as far back as the early 1990's, ACM Computing Curricula suggested that the at least one engineering course should be required in accredited computer science programs. They point out that the number of large projects in industry demand this and suggest that the proof of the success of these accredited computer science programs should be seen in the reduction of failure in the design and operation of large computer programs. Software engineering programs can be thought of as a replacement for the old apprenticeship programs which taught the trades to workman (Stroulia, Bauer, Craig, Reid, & Wilson, 2011). The issue, however, is how to bring this effect into the classroom. Many educators feel that current practices of teaching engineering are not adequately preparing students for the real world of development. Nurkkala & Brandle (2011) summarize the problems with current teaching approaches: * No product--students are creating projects, not commercial grade products * Short duration--single semester, or two-semester, courses impose an artificial time constraint * High turnover--new students each semester means the talent pool remains shallow and student skills are not developing based on previous experience * Low complexity--by necessity given time constraints and skill sets * No maintenance--as a result of short duration, students do not experience a key aspect of development, the maintenance phase * No customer--most engineering projects do not interface with a real customer To address these shortcomings, different approaches to teaching engineering have emerged and been proposed in the literature. …

Multimedia and Culture is a new master's program in computer science that takes four years of full-time study. About half of the curriculum consists of computer science classes, and the other half is made up of highly multidisciplinary content including humanities (psychology, anthropology, and ethnography), human-computer interaction (theory, task analysis, and practical design projects), artistic design and crafts, and modern culture (relation between literature and visual arts, and music).

No abstract available.

A formal model for assessing the learning outcomes of academic programs.

The art and science of computing with digital computers is still in its formative stages. As a result, much of the terminology, technology, techniques, and training is yet to be standardized to any substantial degree. Likewise, computer science and information science programs in institutions of higher education lack standardization.While it is not the purpose of this paper to comment on the standards or curricula of computer or information science programs, the paper does provide some statistics which allow the reader to determine some of the characteristics of a "typical" computer science program. Specifically, statistics are given on current enrollment, faculty, teaching loads, tenure policies, faculty recruitment, and computing equipment available in such programs. The statistics are based on a recent nationwide survey.

This white paper argues that formal methods need to be better rooted in higher education curricula for computer science and software engineering programmes of study. To this end, it advocates improved teaching of formal methods; systematic highlighting of formal methods within existing, ‘classical’ computer science courses; and the inclusion of a compulsory formal methods course in computer science and software engineering curricula. These recommendations are based on the observations that formal methods are an essential and cost-effective means to increase software quality; however computer science and software engineering programmes typically fail to provide adequate training in formal methods; and thus there is a lack of computer science graduates who are qualified to apply formal methods in industry. This white paper is the result of a collective effort by authors and participants of the 1st International Workshop on Formal Methods – Fun for Everybody which was held in Bergen, Norway, 2–3 December 2019. As such, it represents insights based on learning and teaching computer science and software engineering (with or without formal methods) at various universities across Europe.

This Research to Practice Full Paper discusses an approach to motivating graduate computer science and electrical engineering students in the study of quantum computing. The U.S. Congress and other governmental and industrial organizations have recognized that teaching Quantum Computing in university-level Computer Science and Electrical Engineering programs is strategically important for workforce development along with technology development. Success in this endeavor requires generating genuine interest in the topic and motivating potential students. Quantum Computing requires an understanding of relatively difficult related subjects including physics, math and computer science. Many computer science and electrical engineering students shy away from quantum computing because of its complexity. This paper discusses our success with generating interest in quantum computing among graduate students and motivating them through exploring, in related courses, some aspects of quantum computing that have the potential to generate discontinuities. The approach is also examined in terms of the Scientific Learning Cycle as discussed by Wankat & Oreovicz. Opportunities and challenges of adding Quantum Computing to Computer Science and Electrical Engineering programs were studied through a student small group project in a cybersecurity course. The work built on extensive research into the effectiveness of small group projects and the role of “play” in learning. Our small group project on quantum computing was introduced three years ago into a cybersecurity course which is required for all students in our university's Masters in Computer Science and Masters in Electrical Engineering programs. The basic goals of the project are to teach students some basics of quantum computing by allowing them to “play with it” and to alert students to the fact that quantum computing is a rapidly developing new field that they need to follow during at least the next decade. The small group project helped students to explore the potential of quantum computing to substantially undermine current Public Key Cryptography and, at the same time provide a new approach to encryption that is even more secure than Public Key Cryptography. A qualitative analysis of discussions and assigned tasks suggests that this strategy succeeded in generating significant interest in quantum computing among students. They became motivated and immersed in a difficult subject despite the requirement for investment of significant time and effort to understand a complex combination of physics, math and computer science.