The Emerging Scholars Program
Chris Murphy
University of Pennsylvania
cdmurphy@cis.upenn.edu
About Me

Full-time lecturer at the University of
Pennsylvania

Earned PhD-Computer Science from
Columbia in 2010

Helped launch Columbia’s Emerging
Scholars Program (ESP) in 2008
Emerging Scholars Program

An outreach program that seeks to draw
more women and under-represented
minorities into Computer Science

Focuses on Computer Science as a
collaborative problem-solving activity

Based on Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL)
Outline

What is PLTL?

What is ESP? How is it used at Columbia?

Sample exercises

Implementing PLTL in high schools

Rita Powell: NCWIT
Trends in CS enrollment

Taulbee Survey of CS undergrads 2006-07
 50%
drop in enrollment since 2001
 11.8% female
 5.3% Hispanic
 3.6% African-American

Many other studies reflect the low interest in
CS by females and minorities
Goals

Increase the number of female and minority
students who take CS1

Increase the retention rate in those groups
 Number

of students who complete the class
Increase the number of students who
continue into CS2 (and possibly major in CS)
Approach

Dispel common myths about CS
 Boys’
club
 Only programming
 No jobs
 No societal impact

Demonstrate that Computer Science is
a
COLLABORATIVE activity
 that focuses on PROBLEM SOLVING
What is Peer-Led Team Learning?

Weekly, 1-2 hour group meetings in addition
to regular class

5 – 8 students per group led by a welltrained undergrad Peer Leader

Interesting CS-related problems to be solved
as a group

Used in STEM since the 70s
PLTL is not…..

… office hours

… extra help

… “computer science for girls”
PLTL Workshops

Peer Leader presents a problem from an
area of computer science

Students work together to solve the problem

Peer Leader is leading, not teaching

Material tends to match what is covered in
the CS1 lecture but is supplementary
Why PLTL?

Factors affecting intellectual development in
college:
 Student
faculty interaction outside the classroom
 Involvement on campus through various forms of
community-building activities
 Involvement with student peer groups
 Peer groups: “the most potent source of
influence on growth and development during
the undergraduate years”

A.W. Astin, What Matters in College?
LECTURE
PLTL
Effects on Students
Better / deeper understanding of material
 Lower drop rates
 Better grades (usually)
 Formation of social groups
 Very high satisfaction!

Effects on Peer Leaders
Better understanding of the material
 Increased confidence to continue in CS
 Appreciation for different teaching and
learning styles
 Improved leadership skills
 Collegial relationship with faculty

NSF Grant for PLTL-CS
PLTL at Columbia

Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) started
in Spring 2008
 Six
participants, one Peer Leader, one Assistant
 Women only

Seed fund grant received from NCWIT in
Summer 2008

Currently two coed sections of 8-10
participants each
ESP Differentiating Features

Selective: students are recruited and then
apply to the program

No Java! Only problem solving

No homework! The one-hour workshops are
self-contained
ESP Topics
Designing and communicating algorithms
 Decision trees
 Encoding & encryption
 Natural language processing
 Biometrics
 HCI and Information Visualization
 Graph theory
 Ethical issues

1. “Mä hach’a challwawa challwataxa.”
2. “Kimsa hach’a challwawa challwataxa.”
3. “Mä challwa mä hach’a challwampiwa challwataxa.”
4. “Mä hach’a challwa kimsa challwallampiwa
challwataxa.”
5. “Paya challwallawa challwataxa.”
6. “Mä challwalla paya challwampiwa challwataxa.”
7. “Kimsa challwa paya challwallampiwa challwataxa.”
Marge
Bart
Milhouse
Maggie
Homer
Ralph
Flanders
Lisa
Student Quotes

“These workshops gave me a better perspective of what
computer science is. I have learned that it is extremely useful
and pertains to problems and issues that are in our daily lives.”

“It was extremely rewarding to participate in something in
which I not only found academic value but also social and
recreational value.”

“I loved it, learned from it, and enjoyed my time. Even people
who are not interested in computer science would find these
workshops interesting. It’s about problem solving and
looking at things in a new light.”

“The program was fun as well as very interesting. It really gave
me an idea of what kinds of problems are solved in computer
science and how it involves creativity.”
Success Stories

Kim Manis (Peer Leader, Spring 2008)
 Software

Engineer at Microsoft
Sahar Hasan (Peer Leader, Fall 08-Spring 09)
 CRA-W
Distributed Research Experience for
Undergraduates – Princeton Univ.
 CRA Undergraduate Researcher Award (Hon. Mention)
 Software Engineer at BlackRock

Elba Garza (Peer Leader, Fall 09-Spring 10)
 CRA-W
Distributed Research Experience for
Undergraduates – Georgia Tech
Women’s Representation in the Computer
Science Major at Columbia 2005-2010
% of women CS majors
25
20
15
Start of ESP
10
5
0
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
PLTL4HS: How to get
PLTL implemented at
your high school
Yes, you can do PLTL in HS!

Successfully done in chemistry and physics

College-bound students will see it as a way to
differentiate themselves in their applications
 Especially

the Peer Leaders
Requires initial investment from YOU
Major Challenges

Finding Peer Leaders

Training Peer Leaders

Selecting Materials

Institutional Issues
Finding Peer Leaders

Ideally someone who has already
participated in the program

Excellent interpersonal skills: Interactive,
communicative, supportive, positive,
responsive, respectful of others

They don’t need to be experts

Committed to the program’s success
Where/How to Look
Did well in PLTL course and other CS
courses
 Peer leader recommendations
 Demographics you want to support
 Availability (initial training, weekly meetings,
sessions)
 Personal invitations and/or application
 Interviews

Training Peer Leaders

General training should start before the
workshops commence
 A few

Content-specific training before each
workshop
 At

hours
least one hour
Organizational memory is very important
General Training
Expectations of a peer leader
 Peer leader goals and concerns
 Running Peer-led sessions, esp. the first one
 Group work
 Diverse student learning styles
 Sensitivity to race and gender

Expectations of Peer Leaders
Time with students, for meetings, prep time
 Effectively run sessions
 Keeping student attendance
 Writing a journal
 Honest feedback of sessions and their
observations
 Setting boundaries

Common Peer Leader Concerns
Running out of material or not finishing
 Embarrassing self
 Not knowing if doing right/wrong
 Not being liked
 Fear of public speaking
 Knowing role: student/leader/….
 Problems cannot deal with
 Personal safety
 Talking too much or not enough

Selecting Workshop Materials

Workshops should ideally cover a wide range
of topics from within CS

Students tend to like activities with “right”
answers

For programming-related topics, pltlcs.org is
a good place to start
Institutional Issues

How will Peer Leaders (and participants) be
compensated?

How will the program be funded?

How can you measure the success of the
program?
Summary

PLTL/ESP is an effective (and fun!) way to
generate interest in Computer Science

A PLTL program requires effort and
commitment but will be rewarding to both you
and your students

We are happy to help!
Links
•
Peer-led Team Learning in CS
–
•
Columbia Emerging Scholars Program
–
•
http://www.pltlcs.org
http://www.cs.columbia.edu/esp
National Center for Women & IT
–
http://www.ncwit.org