Proposer: N.

Hari Narayanan, Professor of Computer Science & Software Engineering, Auburn University, 3101 Shelby Center, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. Tel: +1 334-844-6312; Fax: +1 334-844-6329; Email: naraynh@auburn.edu; Web: www.eng.auburn.edu/~naraynh BoF Title: Enriching Computing Instruction with Studio-Based Learning Abstract : This BOF is related to the Special Session Transforming the CS Classroom with Studio-Based Learning (SBL). SBL promotes learning in a collaborative context by having students construct, present, review and refine their work with the guidance of peers and teachers. A team of CS educators and education experts have been implementing and evaluating SBL in CS courses over the past five years. The BOF will introduce SBL to the SIGCSE audience, and engage them in a discussion of the potential of, evidence for, and practical advice regarding SBL as an instructional approach that can motivate as well as teach students. Discussions will include "war stories" from teachers who have adopted the approach in their courses and hands-on activities to help participants apply SBL to their courses. Significance and Relevance of the Topic: Research by Hundhausen and Narayanan in the late 1990s and early 2000s led to an adaptation of the SBL model for computing education. The four discussion leaders lead a multi-institutional research project that has been designing, implementing and evaluating SBL over the last five years with support from the National Science Foundation. So far, over 1500 students have experienced SBL in 33 courses at 15 institutions. During the current academic year, this effort involves 17 faculty teaching 26 computing courses at 15 institutions in seven states. Some of these faculty are also expected to attend the BOF session and participate in discussions. Discussing SBL with the broad SIGCSE audience through a BOF is important for at least three reasons. First, though enrollment has started to climb after a precipitous decline, attrition is still a major problem in CS. Based on the affective impact of SBL that we have observed, there is reason to believe that SBL may help address this problem. Second, SBL is a flexible instructional model that is adaptable to lower-division and upper-division, small and large, and lecture and lab courses. Hence, we believe it will be attractive to SIGCSE attendees. Finally, this session will enrich the conference by highlighting the fruits of educational research from one of the most systematic implementation and evaluation efforts of a computing pedagogy to date, and will tie in well with other related SIGCSE activities such as panels and special sessions. More information about SBL and current SBL activities may be found at the SBL community portal www.studiobasedlearning.org. We will use this portal to welcome the BOF attendees to the SBL community and to maintain and enhance connections with them in future. Expected Audience: Based on our experience holding SBL faculty development workshops co-located with SIGCSE 09 and 10, we expect an audience of 20-30 computing educators to attend. Discussion Leaders (in addition to the proposer): Martha E. Crosby, Chair and Professor of Information & Computer Sciences, University of Hawaii-Manoa. Dean Hendrix, Director of Undergraduate Programs and ABET Accreditation and Associate Professor of Computer Science & Software Engineering, Auburn University. Christopher Hundhausen, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Washington State University. Expertise of Discussion Leaders: Martha Crosby has over 35 years of teaching experience, and she has been overseeing SBL curses at the University of Hawaii-Manoa and affiliated campuses since 2007. Dean Hendrix has more than 20 years of teaching experience and five years of experience teaching in the studio format. Chris Hundhausen has 12 years of teaching experience and has been designing and/or teaching studio-based activities during half of his teaching career. Hari Narayanan has over 15 years of teaching experience, five years of which has been in designing and teaching computing courses in the studio format. Special Requirements, if any: No special audio-visual equipment will be needed.