EngageCSEdu: CS1 and CS2 Materials for Engaging and Retaining Undergraduate CS Students

How do you engage students in the computer science classroom? In this Demo Session we will examine this question within the context of EngageCSEdu (http://www.engage-csedu.org), a web-based collection of instructional materials for introductory CS classes. Developed by computer scientists, social scientists, and learning scientists from California State University, Long Beach, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), and Google, EngageCSEdu is comprised of ~1500 instructional materials (such as assignments, projects, labs, and assessments) and 17 Engagement Practices (strategies and techniques for engaging and retaining students based on CS education and social science research). During this session we will demonstrate key features of EngageCSEdu, discuss how research-based findings on gender diversity and student engagement were used in its development, and invite participants to contribute their ideas for engaging and retaining students. Attendees will explore EngageCSEdu with members of the original development team and discuss how this focused and comprehensive open collection of instructional materials can be effectively used to support instructors. As a product by and for the CS education community, this demo is an opportunity for potential users to provide valuable feedback and input into the ongoing development and dissemination of materials on EngageCSEdu. By the end of this demonstration participants will be more familiar with the research-based factors shown to increase engagement among undergraduate students, particularly women and underrepresented minorities, and have an opportunity to play an active role in positioning EngageCSEdu within the CS education community.