Motivation and Non-Majors in CS1: Identifying Discrete Audiences for Introductory Computer Science
Andrea Forte, Mark Guzdial · 2003
Traditional introductory computer science courses (CS1) have had little success engaging non-computer science (CS) majors. At Georgia Institute of Technology, where CS1 is a requirement for CS majors and non-majors alike, two tailored CS1 courses were introduced as an alternative to the traditional course. The results were encouraging: more non-majors succeeded (completed and passed) in tailored courses than in the traditional course, students expressed fewer negative reactions to the course content, and many reported that they would be interested in taking another tailored CS course. The authors present findings from a pilot study of the three courses and briefly discuss some of the issues surrounding tailored CS1 for non-majors: programming, context, choice of language, and classroom culture.