Implementing CS0 with Computer Science Principles Curriculum

As a prerequisite to ACM-IEEE CS1/CS2 curricula, common objectives of a CS0 course are: (i) to introduce CS to students who are interested, but do not have any prior CS skills, (ii) support student success while adapting to college life, and (iii) improve recruitment and retention of CS majors using the 'common first year' theme of many STEM programs. A previous CSO survey course at our institution focused on abstract logic, without any hands-on component, resulting in a CS0 "gate" course- a dull first encounter with computer science for most and an 'extremely fun and interesting' course for the few with pre-existing abstract thinking and reasoning skills. The missed opportunity to engage more students with CS, and thereby contribute to program viability and growth, spurred curriculum renewal. Given the existence of multiple high-quality offerings of CS curricula geared toward P-12 students, including at the AP-level, and also relying on our existing institutional partnership with a national non-profit organization dedicated to expanding access to CS in schools and addressing patterns of underrepresentation, we have implemented a new course based on a Computer Science Principles curriculum. This poster provides details of implementation as well as student experience and feedback with the first cohort of this brand-new course.