Combining cooperative learning and peer instruction in introductory computer science

Abstract

CPSC 120, Principles of Computer Science I, is a first semester freshmen level course for computer science majors. Over a three semester comparison period, this course had an average WDF rate of 56% (i.e. percentage of students receiving a grade of “D” or “F”, or withdrawing from the course). In two sections of this course, two strategies, peer instruction and cooperative learning, were combined to lower the WDF rate for both sections to an average of 32.5%. The improvement was even more dramatic for the female students in the classes, who improved from a 53% WDF rate to a WDF rate of only 15%.