The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded UI computer science professor Garrett Morris $77,430 for a three-year research project entitled "Integrating Formal Methods into the Foundational Undergraduate Curriculum". Morris and co-PI Alberto Segre (UIowaCS Professor and Chair) will partner with Peter-Michael Osera (Grinnell College), as well as James Lathrop (PI), Samik Basu, and Andrew Miner (Co-PIs) (Iowa State University) on this collaborative "Formal Methods in the Field" proposal.
Mathematics and computer science are inextricably linked. However, undergraduate computer scientists often do not appreciate the relevance of mathematics to their discipline. This disconnect adversely affects students, especially as they progress from concrete, practical introductory courses centered on programming to theoretical upper-level courses rooted in abstract mathematics.
Researchers have observed that student performance in the classroom and retention within the major falter when these connections are not established. This project's impact is to address these concerns by developing pedagogy that:
unites the mathematical foundations and practice of computer science together in a way that all undergraduates can appreciate and directly apply in their future endeavors and,
is adoptable by as many institutions as possible, especially those with limited room to expand their curriculum.
To accomplish these goals, the collaborators will develop, deploy, and evaluate new pedagogy that integrates formal methods techniques (e.g., program reasoning) within the existing undergraduate CS curriculum.
Additionally, the project promotes the relevance of formal methods to undergraduate computer science educators — including non-formal methods experts — as exemplified by this pedagogy, through a series of workshops at the regional and national levels.
Additional details on pedagogy in award abstract.
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