Previous Special Projects Award Winners
Since 2003 SIGCSE has awarded a limited number of Special Projects Grants each year. These grants help SIGCSE members investigate and introduce new ideas in the learning and teaching of computing. Projects must provide some clear benefit to the wider disciplinary community in the form of new knowledge, developing or sharing of a resource, or good practice in learning, teaching, or assessment.
Here is a list of previous awards:
Keystrokes: A System for Capturing Textual Development in Video-Based Learning
Chris Johnson (johnch@uwec.edu)
Award: $5,000
Award Date: November 2012
With the rise of video-based learning, instructors who use live-coding to teach
face a challenge: source code in videos is hard to read and locked up in pixels.
We propose Keystrokes, a software suite for capturing and playing back "text
movies," whose contents students may freely interact with and repurpose.
Enhancing an Interactive Textbook with Community Moderated Exercises
Brad Miller (millbr02@luther.edu)
David Ranum
Award: $4,000
Award Date: November 2012
Runestone Interactive is a project focusing on providing tools and content for
the purpose of creating interactive computer science courseware. This new
project will add an enhancement that allows community moderated programming
exercises. Students will be able to submit, vote, rank, and critique solutions
to problems that are part of the interactive text.
Computing Attitudes Survey (CAS) Validation Project
Allison Elliot Tew (aetew@u.washington.edu)
Brian Dorn (bdorn@hartford.edu)
Award: $5,000
Award Date: November 2012
The goal of the CAS Validation Project is to develop a valid instrument for
measuring the development of expert-like attitudes about CS for university
students. Building upon success in validating the instrument locally, we will
conduct a large-scale empirical study and interviews so the instrument can be
made widely available.
Pythy--a Cloud-Based IDE for Novice Python Programmers
Anthony Allevato (allevato@vt.edu)
Stephen Edwards (edwards@cs.vt.edu)
Award: $3,360
Award Date: May 2012
Pythy is a web-based programming environment for Python that eliminates
software-related barriers to entry for novice programmers, such as installing an
IDE or the Python runtime. Using only a web browser, within seconds students can
begin writing code, watch it run, and access support materials and tutorials.
A Computer Security Card Game: A Vehicle for Computer Security Outreach and Education
Tamara Denning (tdenning@cs.washington.edu)
Award: $5,000
Award Date: May 2012
We are developing an educational computer security card game, designed for
cooperative learning amongst 3 to 6 players. The game is designed to raise
awareness and improve understanding of key issues in computer security. Players
play hackers (in the traditional, ethical sense) and learn about computer
security while completing Missions.
CloudCoder: Using Crowdsourced Programming Exercises to Improve Student Learning in CS1
David Hovemeyer (dhovemey@ycp.edu)
Jaime Spacco (jspacco@knox.edu)
Award: $4,000
Award Date: May 2012
Short programming exercises are useful for assessment and skills reinforcement
in introductory CS courses. However, developing good exercises is difficult. By
adding exercise sharing features to the open source CloudCoder system, we will
make it easier for instructors to share, assess, and improve exercises,
benefiting the overall CS education community.
Supporting a Research Community Around Web-Scale Data Gathering
Ian Utting (I.A.Utting@kent.ac.uk)
Michael Kölling
Award: $5,000
Award Date: May 2012
Support for the creation of a large-scale repository of data about the behaviour
of beginning programmers using the BlueJ Java IDE, and providing access to the
data for CS Education Researchers world-wide. Construction and support of a
community around the data.
Learning About Network Security Threats in a Safe, Easy Sandbox
Michael Jipping (jipping@hope.edu)
Award: $5,000
Award Date: November 2011
This proposal describes a project to create exercises that allow demonstration
of network security threats. The exercises will be easy to set up and
demonstrate and will be usable to experimentation. Virtual machines will be
preconstructed for scripted setup and execution.
Robotics Training for Rural and Urban Middle School Teachers
Jeff Gray (gray@cs.ua.edu)
Award: $2,500
Award Date: August 2011
We have 30 existing robots that we plan to loan to rural and inner-city schools
throughout the state of Alabama. This Special Project would provide the travel
to support the weekend training of 15 teachers. Additionally, the project would
supply the plaques and awards for our state-wide K-12 robotics contest.
Teaching HS Computer Science as if the Rest of the World Existed
Scott Portnoff (srp4379@lausd.net)
Award: $2,500
Award Date: August 2011
Design, Implementation and Rationale for a HS CS Curriculum of Interdisciplinary
Central-Problem-Based (ICPB) Units that Model Real-World Applications. Units
address the complexities of solving central problems in the fields of Astronomy,
Molecular Modeling, Political Science (Voting), Environmental Science,
Bioinformatics/Evolution, Music, and Ethics/Holocaust Studies.
Managing Student Deliverables in a Collaborative Online Game Design Course
Ursula Wolz (wolzu@montclair.edu)
Award: $2,500
Award Date: August 2011
Game design is a means to motivate students to pursue coursework in computer
science. Since teacher expertise is sparse, a solution is to create online
courses. This project pilots effective transfer of a highly collaborative
pedagogy with a paper-based student deliverables procedure to a fully online
experience.
The Enculturation of Taurus (Taulbee for the Rest of Us)
Jodi Tims (jltims@bw.edu)
Susan Williams (rebstock@georgiasouthern.edu)
Award: $2,400
Award Date: August 2010
The "Taulbee for the Rest of Us" special project was an important first step in
providing student and faculty information for institutions that offer computing
degrees but are not Ph.D. granting. This project will modify and expand the
survey in a manner that will make it sustainable on a yearly basis.
To see more awards use the links below:
2009 - 2 awards
2008 - 4 awards
2007 - 10 awards
2006 - 8 awards
2005 - 16 awards
2004 - 7 awards
2003 - 6 awards
