Program Learning Goals and Objectives
| Goal I:
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Offer a basic core of Computer Science courses that cover the
basic knowledge in the discipline. Computer Science is a rapidly
changing field. However there is a body of basic skill and
knowledge that every Computer Science major should have. This
body of skills and knowledge will be a foundation for further
learning in their careers.
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| Goal II:
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Offer a curriculum that enhances the
student's career opportunity, especially in the
Bakersfield area. The program offers some service
courses to the community of Bakersfield and to our
students who are looking for employment after
graduation. New services courses are designed and
offered based on leading technology.
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| Goal III:
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Offer courses in sufficient
breath and depth so that the students will be
competitive for a variety of objects and will be
prepared for graduate schools. Computer science is a
very dynamic field. The curriculum of the computer
science program is constantly under modification. The
latest curriculum will cover the breadth and the depth
required by Association for Computing Machine (ACM).
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| Goal IV:
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Offer service courses for
non-majors. A large number of students entering CSUB are
the first generation in their families to go to college
and have not had experience with computers and
information technology before. Any college student who
is not proficient with a word processor and a
spreadsheet and does not know how to apply information
technology to his/her major area is at a serious
disadvantage. The University has an obligation to remove
this disadvantage. The Computer Science Department is
teaches courses that help students develop computer
skills. Also, the Computer Science department provides
programming courses for science and engineering students |
| 2.2 |
Program
Objectives/Student Outcomes and Assessment
|
| 2.2.1 |
Program Objectives
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The professional
organizations for computer science (ACM, IEEE) have
established formal "standards" for program objectives
(or outcomes) and the assessment of these objectives,
which computer science undergraduate programs seeking
ABET accreditation must address. The full documentation
of these standards is lengthy and technical but they can
be summarized and grouped together as involving four
interrelated "processes".
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| |
1. |
The program must have
documented measurable objectives, which must include
expected outcomes for graduating students.
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2. |
Data relative to the
objectives must be collected on a regular basis and
documented.
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3. |
The extent to which each
program objective is being met must be discussed
periodically and an assessment reached by the
department.
|
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4. |
The results of these
periodic assessments must be used to identify
opportunities for improvements in the undergraduate
program. The decisions and actions taken by the
department must be documented.
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Our program
addresses these four processes in the following ways:
|
| |
1. Program
objectives or student learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed the program,
will be able to
|
| |
1a. |
display an understanding
and range of experience from hardware and system level
programming to application software involving multiple
components and distributed systems.
|
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1b. |
work on different
platforms, from personal computers to workstations and
servers, and understand how a particular computer
platform exemplifies specific design principles and
optimizations.
|
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1c. |
do additional reading and
research in order to become proficient in a specialty
area of computer science.
|
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1d. |
understand how computer
science relates to mathematics and the physical
sciences.
|
| |
1e. |
understand the analysis,
design, and implementation of a computerized solution to
a real life problem.
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1f. |
write a technical document
such as a software specification white paper or a user
manual.
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1g. |
make an oral presentation
which utilizes professional quality presentation aids .
|
| |
1h. |
understand and appreciate
the ethical and societal issues related to computers in
society. |
| 2.2.2 |
Assessment Methods of
Objectives of Student Outcomes
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| |
We have several
avenues for collecting data relative to the program
objectives or students' learning outcomes. Those methods
are
|
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2a. |
Student course evaluations
are conducted regularly for a number of courses in
computer science. These surveys use a standard campus
form and there is room for exposition on the form.
Faculty members are encouraged to tell the students to
comment in writing about features of the course (faculty
members are NOT, of course, present during the actual
time that students are filling out the form and do not
receive the responses until after the quarter).
Instructors also obtain valuable feedback from
coursework and exams.
|
| |
2b. |
Core Curriculum
Performance Discussions are conducted every year
regarding the problems students have faced in the core
curriculum courses and necessary adjustments of topics
(and time spent on each) are made. This is especially
important in that the core is common to BOTH tracks.
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| |
2c. |
The Major Field Test in
computer science is administered in the spring to all
computer science undergraduates who enrolled in a Senior
Seminar (CMPS
490) section that year. The results are used to as a
base for program modification and enhancement.
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| |
2d. |
Surveys are mailed to
all alumni every year in order to get important feedback
from our graduates AFTER they have been working in the
field a number of years.
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2e. |
The department periodically reviews Placement
Information from our on-campus office to see where
students are placed and what local employers are looking
for.
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| |
2f. |
The department forms
committees for review of special curricular issues, for
example, the review and approval of student Senior
Seminar Projects [in process of implementation].
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2g. |
The syllabus, examinations, assignments for each
course, and students' course work, midterm and final
exam results are collected (2 for each A, B and C
students), and are used for assessing students' learning
outcomes.
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2h. |
The program requests that students document their
projects, make oral presentations, and formal
specifications in a number of courses such software
engineering, database system, and senior seminar. Those
documents are collected, kept in the department, and
used to evaluate the students' learning outcomes. |
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