Search for: All records

Early computer science courses (CS1, CS2) are the cornerstone of student understanding of computer science. These courses introduce the foundational knowledge of computer science needed to understand more complex topics and to be successful in follow-on courses. It is thus important to introduce CS concepts in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner to increase student interest and retention. This paper presents a new approach to teaching the Computer Science 1 (CS1) course through our BRIDGES system. This approach aims to increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes by using audio-based assignments that they can manipulate and process audio signal information, as well as visualize and play them. We explain how to design and implement audiobased assignments and connect them to fundamental programming constructs such as variables, control flow, and simple data structures, such as arrays. These assignments encourage and engage students by using audio data they are interested in to write code, promoting problem-solving and improvements in their critical thinking skills.