Alternative pacing in an introductory java sequence

In academic year 2002-3, the Information Technology (IT) Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) implemented an alternative programming sequence with the goal of helping students who initially struggle with programming concepts to succeed. The original IT freshman programming sequence consisted of three (3) courses, Programming for IT 1 (IT-1), Programming for IT 2 (IT-2), and Programming for IT 3 (IT-3). Since the second course in this sequence, IT-2, had traditionally been a "gatekeeper" for students, the IT Department created a decelerated two-course sequence, IT-2A and IT-2B, as an alternative option. In its first year of implementation, this option significantly increased student retention through the introductory programming sequence, improved overall student performance, and enhanced student satisfaction. These results were described in a paper presented at the 2003 CITC4 conference entitled "Implementation of Alternative Pacing in an Introductory Programming Sequence" and published by ACM Press (Whittington, Bills, and Hill, 2003). However, the true measure of whether or not this approach was a success is how well the students who completed the decelerated option performed in the final programming course, IT-3. In IT-2A and 2B, students had been "cohorted" with other students like themselves and given more time on task. In IT-3, they had to adjust to both learning in a more competitive setting and at the standard pace. This paper examines how the first group of students to complete the alternative programming sequence performed in the third programming course. How these students felt in terms of their preparedness for IT-3 and their overall satisfaction with the alternative programming sequence is also discussed. Finally, since this curricular change is just a part of the IT department's ongoing plans to build flexibility into the curriculum, this paper concludes with the lessons learned and the department's plans for future studies.