While Computer Science and STEM fields in general often come with an expensive price tag for textbook costs, MiraCosta’s Computer Science program has already started to offer Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) offerings for our courses. This grant will allow us to continue the work we have begun in making attainment of a CS degree more possible. Integrating current research to promote equitable student success is a key component of our department’s philosophy, and the materials we develop will build on work we have already done to create interactive tools through real world applications relevant to our student population. In particular, use of OER, culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining pedagogy, decolonization, and active learning strategies are at the center of our approach.
Each course in our project goes through 3 phases:
Each course is made up of a team of 2 paid CS student interns and 1 CS (usually full-time) faculty. The ratio supports student collaboration, among each other and with the faculty, and allows students to collaborate with each other on shared goals while focusing on personal goals through the grant work. How the team collaborates is just as, if not more, important. Weekly team meetings provide a space for community building to ensure grace is given through the rollercoaster ride of a semester. In addition, routine check-ins allow the teams to pivot and adapt to changes throughout the semester.
By creating an ethos of support, we see its positive effects on the grant work through how it is infused into the curriculum and spirit of the course. This also contributes to shifting our department culture and change our historically deficit-minded approaches to growth-mindset practices.