About Us

 

DUPLEX is funded by the National Science Foundation (DUE #0089009) and the PEW Center for Academic Transformation. The dedicated computer laboratory is supported by a gift from the Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation, Margaret Ramsey '84.

The project is making fundamental changes in how computer programming courses are taught at Drexel, with the goal of enhancing and individualizing the students' experience while providing more efficient course management for faculty [Herr02,Cera02a]. The ultimate goal is to develop a methodology that can be exported to other courses, other departments, and other universities.

Some of the project's accomplishments to date are:

  • increasing the amount of hands-on, active learning in the classroom through the use of a specially-equipped labs
  • exploiting the strengths of Web-based course management systems (CMS) both to deliver content and to handle administrative aspects of course management [Popy02a]. Drexel supports WebCT institutionally, and its useful features include capability for online exercises and in-class quizzes, electronic submission of assignments, and online gradebooks.
  • enhancing CMS support of online assignment grading through creation of a software package, Labrador [Cera02b], which is slated for further deployment at Drexel, with interest expressed by other campuses.