Project Team
- Ramon Lawrence, Professor, Department of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science (Lead Applicant)
Themes
- Flexible Learning
- Interdisciplinary
Year
2024
About the Project
Our society is driven by data, and students require training on how to effectively manage and use data. One of the key courses providing that training is COSC 304: Introduction to Database Systems, which enrolls several hundred students annually. The course has grown beyond computer science, enrolling over 20% of its students from majors such as engineering, management, and arts, and is a requirement for other majors like sustainability. To serve students who are not computer science majors better, this project will develop two streams of learning: database development (for software developers) and data analytics (for non-programmers). Each stream will have its own lab assignments that will be developed for auto-grading and virtual delivery for student accessibility. Students may take one or both streams and will be awarded virtual badges for completion in addition to course grades. This will significantly improve the student experience for non-CS majors and create an exemplary course on how to use badging.