COURSE PORTFOLIO
(Draft)
CS 211 - Fundamentals of Computer Science II
Bellevue Community College
Michael Gelotte
A course portfolio is an opportunity to look carefully at the anatomy and functioning of a particular course, and to look at the whys and wherefores of both the course and the way it is taught. This document is a record of a learning journey - not unlike the prototypical hero’s journey -and the final result will hopefully be a useful tool for instructors, including (or rather, ESPECIALLY) me. A vital part of the hero’s journey is the Return Home, with Treasures to share with family and community. Hopefully this portfolio will contribute to that ”treasure”. (Note to self: I need to add a further discussion of the Hero Journey here....)
Therefore the audience of this portfolio is primarily myself, but also for colleagues at Bellevue Community College and other local schools, perhaps as a starting point for discussions on the scholarship of learning, or for critical analysis of my (and perhaps their) teaching methods, styles, assessments, and so forth.
The course chosen for this portfolio is Computer Science 211 - Fundamentals of Computer Science, II - a fairly standard ACM CS2 course. This is at the current time (Spring 2006) the capstone of our Computer Science Transfer program - the final class preparing our students for transfer to 4-year schools. I chose this course for several reasons: I teach it almost every quarter, it is the final in our program, and I want to make sure that our students are well prepared for transfer. Therefore I feel it is one of the most important of the courses that I teach - and perhaps in most need of polishing - or at least, evidence showing that the course is “successful”.
This portfolio will begin by discussing the Context of the course within our program , and then examine the “official” Objectives, and my personal Objectives, and the Content of the course. An examination of my personal Teaching Methods and Philosophy will be followed by a discussion of Evidences of Student Learning, and Assessments. Then, the results of Peer and Self Observations, What I Value in student learning, What I Have Learned, and a Summary will round it out.