← Ayaan M. Kazerouni

CSC 313 Teaching Computing

Contents

• Syllabus
  • Course learning objectives
  • Assessments and grading
  • Course communication
  • Attendance policy
  • Accessibility
  • Classroom climate
• Course schedule
• Acknowledgement

Syllabus

Welcome!

• Instructor: Dr. Ayaan M. Kazerouni ayaank@calpoly.edu
• Office hours: See my homepage
• Tentative course schedule

Course description

An introduction to pedagogical methods and practical techniques for computing education: selecting appropriate content, designing assignments and activities, evaluating student learning, and evaluating teaching efficacy. Hands-on guided curricular design activities and real-world practice.

Course learning objectives

• Explain common challenges to learning and teaching computing to broad audiences
• Discuss computational concepts and correct common misunderstandings
• Assess a proposed CS curriculum and teaching methodology on whether it is appropriate for a target audience
• Identify, evaluate, and effectively use evolving tools for computing education
• Identify, evaluate, and disseminate results from a research study
• Identify, evaluate, and disseminate changing pedagogical norms
• Design an effective assignment for teaching fundamental computational concepts

Assessments and grading

• Programming assignments — self-reflection (15%)
• Readings and quizzes (15%)
• In-class discussions (20%)
• Attendance (5%)
• Teaching/tutoring (20%)
  • Tutoring shadowing and reflection
  • Tutoring centre tutoring hours and reflection
• Culminating experience (25%)
  • An outreach event to teach a computing topic to an interested audience

Details

Programming: To think about teaching computing, we will begin with reflections on our own coding process. This course includes programming assignments that involve process documentation and reflections. This process will include code review and shared assessment of one’s process and code.

Reading: I will assign course readings to help you engage with the material. Please complete these readings before class. Expect in-lecture reading quizzes in addition to turning in complete reading responses each week.

In-class discussions: We’ll have frequent small-group discussions during lecture and lab sessions. These will often be accompanied by Canvas submissions.

Attendance: See the attendance policy later in this Syllabus.

Teaching/tutoring: We will practice teaching computing via both shadowing experienced CS tutors and tutoring in the online tutoring for 101, 202 and 203 students. If time permits and we aren’t totally spent by week 10, you’ll also hold brief sessions for the intro classes.

Culminating experience: In consultation with the instructor, students will design and teach a computing workshop to interested students. I will provide a number of possible opportunities to which groups will be assigned based on student interests. If you (or your club, etc.) have an organised teaching activity you’d like to set up, that can also count. Please talk to me ASAP if this is the case.

Course communication

• Slack channel
• Invite link (expires _____)

Please bookmark this Slack workspace, and also make sure to do at least one of the following:

• Download the Slack app to your phone or desktop, or
• Sign in to Slack and enable email notifications so that announcements come to your email (if you don’t like push notifications, you can set it to email you when there is activity that needs your attention, like announcements).

All communication for this course will take place in the Slack channel linked above. Questions that are of general interest to the class should be sent to the #general channel. If you’re not comfortable asking questions publicly, you can DM me, and I might post the question and answer to the public channel if I think it would be helpful.

The Slack workspace also provides a convenient way for you to interact with your teammates.

Attendance policy

I will take roll in most class sessions. 5% of your course grade is based on attendance — this will be given as a binary score, i.e., either 0% or 5%. You must attend at least 85% of class sessions to get credit for attendance.

Additionally, there will be in-class discussions that cannot be completed outside of class.

Here is why I have instituted this attendance policy:

• What we discuss in lectures will be directly put into practice in your workshop and tutoring sessions. If you miss lectures, your teaching will be poorer as a result, and real students who come to learn from you will be negatively impacted.
• The course involves significant teamwork. Most lab sessions will be devoted to this teamwork. If you miss lab sessions, you would be letting your teammates down.

All this adds up to: I strongly recommend that you come to class!

In case of emergencies, don’t worry about attendance, and talk to me when you are able to do so.

Accessibility

I know that everyone is unique, and I may have unintentionally overlooked something that limits access to some materials or activities. Please let me know if you cannot access any content. If you need additional accommodations to complete the required course work, please contact me as soon as possible! You should also contact the Disability Resource Center.

SensusAccess is a self-service, alternate media solution made available by Kennedy Library to automatically convert files into a range of alternative media including audiobooks (MP3 and DAISY), e-books (EPUB, EPUB3, and Mobi) and digital Braille. The service can also be used to convert inaccessible files such as image-only PDF files, JPG pictures, and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations into more accessible and less tricky formats. This service is available at no charge.

Classroom climate

All members of this class are expected to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment. I expect us to strive to build a community in which:

• We are not code snobs. We do not assume knowledge or imply there are things that somebody should know.
• After our own work is complete, we support one another’s learning by sharing our expertise generously if invited to do so.
• We consistently make the effort to actively recognise and validate multiple types of contributions to a positive classroom environment.
• We strive to contribute meaningfully to group work.

Course schedule

This is the schedule used in Winter 2025. This schedule shows the “big assignments” and doesn’t include the quizzes or discussion activities.

Acknowledgement

Early versions of this course were based on Zoë Wood’s initial offering of the course.