Energizing ECS

Students: Sujeeth Goud Ramagoni, Sam Mazzone

Mentor: Dr. Dennis Brylow

Project Background

Exploring Computer Science (ECS) is an immersive, comprehensive, and year-long research-based program designed for high school students as an introductory-level computer science curriculum. The program not only encompasses a robust curriculum but also includes a teacher professional development component. The primary objective of ECS is to foster inclusivity and encourage wider participation in the field of computing.

Since 2014, Marquette has been at the forefront of promoting the ECS curriculum throughout Wisconsin, leading the charge in ensuring that students have access to this valuable educational resource. However, the rapid evolution of the computer science field, combined with the significant changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in the classroom environment, has highlighted certain shortcomings in the effectiveness of the latest version of ECS.

To address these challenges and adapt to the current educational landscape, a dedicated project has been initiated. This project aims to deliberately update and rejuvenate various aspects of the ECS curriculum. By incorporating the necessary revisions, the program will be better equipped to meet the demands and overcome the obstacles faced by both students and educators in today's classrooms.

The envisioned updates will allow ECS to remain relevant and impactful, ensuring that students receive a comprehensive and engaging computer science education. Through this initiative, Marquette and its collaborators aim to empower students with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in the dynamic and ever-evolving world of computer science.

Project Description

Due to the pandemic, teaching has been a challenge for all teachers. We are hoping to create a tool to tweak the ECS curriculum to accommodate for issues that teachers have been experiencing.

2022 Goals For Each Week

Week	Description
Week 1	Set milestones and goals for the project duration Meet with project leaders, mentor, and other students Making a list of features that could help improve ECS Discuss project with Dr. Dennis Brylow
Week 2	Evaluate teachers feedback on improvements Start building website based on features from feedback
Week 3	Start building website features such as: Home Page Log In Screen Registration Screen One Activity For Demo
Week 4
Week 5	Start reviewing the progress that has already been made Start live streaming classroom using Agora
Week 6	Continue working on live streaming classroom using Agora Start HTML online compiler If at time at end of week, go back and fix fundamental bugs from previous work
Week 7	Start working on Google Calendar and Google Classroom integration Continue working on bugs from previous work
Week 8	Continue working on Google Calendar integration Start working on Google Classroom integration

2023 Goals For Each Week

Week	Description
Week 1	Set milestones and goals for what needs to get done for the ECS website Meet with project leaders, mentor, and other students Rework existing code to fix bugs and improve efficiency Start planning out how to include new features such as error detection and notifications Read research papers on computer science education, project future, and other relevant topics