PREOP(Providing Robotic Experiences

Through Object-Based Programming)

By James Davis, Briana Wellman, Michael Raines, Monica Anderson

The University of Alabama

Overview of PREOP– Developed to increase student retention rates in first-

year CS programs– Combines the Alice interface with robotics

Motivation• Correlation between confidence and

perseverance• A study at Virginia Tech [4] – Students that rated their knowledge of computers

as being better than their classmates were more likely to continue

– Students that transferred to a different field of study had comparable grades to those that continued

• PREOP is designed to address confidence

Approach: PREOP• PREOP – Students program robots using a drag-and-drop,

syntax-free interface– Students’ algorithms generate both a virtual and

physical output• Thus, increasing the chance of providing compelling results

Approach: Classroom Setup

• iRobot Creates – inexpensive pre-built robots – purchased for 100.00 USD each– Roomba without the vacuum

• USB Bluetooth devices • BAM modules

Approach: Course Description

• PREOP was used in CS1 laboratory– 1 of the 5 labs of CS1 used PREOP– Class included a 10 to 15 minute lecture on

fundamental programming concepts– Students had to complete an active-learning lab

assignment using PREOP

Approach: Classroom Setup

• Teams of two or three • Run code on simulated and real robots

Live demonstration

Results

*Enrollment information obtained from the university registrar office

Results

• Survey– Students asked to rate their computer knowledge

and programming skills• 1 = above average • 0 = average• -1 = below average

Results

Future Work

• Analysis of students currently enrolled in CS1 laboratory

• Implementation with other robot platforms such as Lego Mindstorms and Scribblers

Summary

• PREOP was developed to increase the retention of CS students at the University of Alabama

• PREPOP combines the advantages of robotics and programming with Alice

• Results indicate that the students in the PREOP Lab, are more likely to be registered for the CS2 course

• Students in the PREOP Lab also rate their programming skills and computer knowledge as higher than their peers in the non-PREOP Labs

• We are currently deploying PREOP for use in all lab sections associated with CS1

Additional Information

• For downloads, videos, and instructional material visit http://cs.ua.edu/preop/

• PREOP is supported by NSF DUE-0736789

References

• [1] Cooper, S., Dann, W., and Pausch, R. 2000. Alice: a 3-D tool for introductory programming concepts. In Proceedings of the fifth annual CCSC northeastern conference on The journal of computing in small colleges. Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, New Jersey, United States: Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. 107-116.

• [2] Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2008-09 Edition, Computer Scientists and Database Administrators, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos042.htm (visited Dec. 2008).

• [3] Zweben, S., “Computing Degree and Enrollment Trends,” From the 2007-2008 CRA Taulbee Survey, http://cra.org,

• [4] Patterson, L., and Trasti, J. 2002. Women Students in Computer Science: Student Perspectives of Faculty Bias as a Possible Influence on Student Retention. In J. Sawyers (Ed.), Mid Atlantic Conference on the Scholarship of Diversity. Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• [5] Fagin, B. S., and Merkle, L. 2002. Quantitative analysis of the effects of robots on introductory Computer Science education. J. Educ. Resour. Comput. 2, 4.

• [6] Pearce, J., and Nakazawa, M. 2008. The funnel that grew our cis major in the cs desert. P6oceedings of the 39th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, 503-507.

Thank You

• Any Questions?

Approach: PREOP Features

Approach: PREOP Features

Approach: PREOP Features

Traditional CS1 Lab TopicsDraw a Diagram

Make a Systematic ListEliminate Possibilities

Use Matrix LogicLook for a PatternGuess-and-Check

Identify SubproblemsAnalyze the Units

Solve an Easier Related ProblemCreate a Physical Representation

Work BackwardsDraw Venn DiagramsConvert to Algebra

Evaluate Finite DifferencesOrganize Information

Change FocusVisualize Spatial Relationships