Board 58: Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning in Introductory Computer Science

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is an evidence-based, student-centered pedagogy that focuses on the simultaneous development of both content knowledge and process skills. Students work in learning teams completing classroom activities designed to help them collaboratively construct an understanding of key concepts. POGIL activities use learning cycles in which teams begin with a model and collectively answer questions that guide students to explore the model, invent their own understanding of key concepts, and then apply that understanding to other contexts. The instructor is not a lecturer but serves as an active facilitator who observes student teams, interacts to address problems, and leads classroom discussion as needed. Research studies have generally found that students in POGIL classrooms have better learning outcomes than students in traditional classrooms. The 2017 NSF IUSE IntroCS-POGIL project seeks to expand the use and evidence of POGIL in Introductory Computer Science by studying how faculty implement POGIL in introductory CS courses and the factors that affect faculty implementation and student outcomes. In its first year, the project supported 13 CS faculty from seven institutions as they adopted POGIL by providing professional development, curriculum resources, and regular mentoring by experienced POGIL instructors. All 13 instructors plan to continue to use POGIL in their IntroCS courses.