Constructive , Inquiry - Based , Multimedia Learning in Computer Science Education

Introduction Interactive multimedia can facilitate diverse learning styles. A sensory-rich participatory design goes beyond the more abstract style typical of lectures or textbooks, helping students who learn by seeing, hearing or doing. Recently, PI Blank authored a textbook, The Universal Machine with an accompanying multimedia CD-ROM, for a first semester course on computer science (CS1). In addition to C++ programming, The Universal Machine surveys the breadth of computer science, with chapters on the history of the idea of the universal machine, programming languages and their translators, the software life cycle, computer architecture, operating systems and networks, object-oriented software engineering (OOSE), social and ethical issues, and artificial intelligence (AI). Blank’s experience with The Universal Machine has demonstrated that interactive multimedia courseware significantly improves final examination scores. This proposal, building on an extensive body of multimedia material and lessons learned, seeks to provide a framework for multimedia-enhanced education throughout the computer science curriculum.