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  Think outside the semester Self-Paced Learning Increases Retention and Capacity (SPARC) project   GMU logo  
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GMU SPARC

The SPARC project is creating a self-paced learning environment that blends online learning, automated assessment, collaborative practice, and peer-supported learning. Support comes from Google's 3X in 3 Years program, which hopes to increase the capacity of early computing courses without sacrificing educational quality. SPARC delivers educational material online, encourages students to practice programming in groups, and allows them to demonstrate their knowledge individually at any time. This allows students to learn the material at their own pace. This educational model frees our students from the tyranny of the 3-hour semester course by replacing the conveyor belt with a 21st century, black-belt, model of education.
Read a description on the CS Department's website.
News and Events

Dr. Shvetha Soundararajan has joined the team and is teaching a SPARC section of CS 112 for Spring 2017. (more)

Our paper, A Novel Self-Paced Model for Teaching Programming, will appear in the Fourth Annual ACM Conference on Learning at Scale (L@S), Cambridge MA, USA, April 2017. (more)

Peer Computing Experts (PCEs) receive their certificates of appreciation. (photos)

Peer Computer Experts (PCEs) (PCE)


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