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Title: Beyond course work: expanding what’s valued in computer science degree programs
Purpose As the field of Computer Science (CS) continues to diversify and expand, the need for undergraduates to explore career possibilities and develop personalized study paths has never been greater. This reality presents a challenge for CS departments. How do the students striving to become competent professionals in an ever-changing field of study? How do they do this efficiently and effectively? This study addresses such questions by introducing RadGrad, an online application combining features of social networks, degree planners and serious games. Design/methodology/approach RadGrad application is designed to promote participation in extracurricular activities, value real-world experience and provide guidance for students planning their degrees. What follows is an exploration of how the application was designed, along with an analysis of how students used it in its first year. Findings Findings suggest RadGrad helped students to participate in relevant community activities and take an active role in planning their degrees. Originality/value The paper describes the features of the application, introducing how the concept of Innovation, Competence and Experience (ICE) scores – rather than a GPAs – were used to motivate undergraduates to participate in extracurricular activities. Initial results suggest RadGrad and the concept ICE scores can be applied to any field where students are encouraged to gain real-world experience as part of their degree program. Lessons learned and future directions are discussed.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1829542
NSF-PAR ID:
10293922
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
Volume:
13
Issue:
3
ISSN:
2050-7003
Page Range / eLocation ID:
741 to 758
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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