Educational Computer Science Fun Projects For Integrating Multidisciplinary Concepts Of Mathematics, Science, And Engineering
- Conference
- Location
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Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2007
- Start Date
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June 24, 2007
- End Date
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June 27, 2007
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Multidisciplinary Engineering
- Page Count
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18
- Page Numbers
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12.573.1 - 12.573.18
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--2064
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/2064
- Download Count
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432
Paper Authors
Mahmoud Quweider University of Texas-Brownsville
Dr. M K Quweider is an Associate Professor and chair of the Computer Science/Computer Information Systems at University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering Science and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics, M.S. in Engineering Science, and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering all from the University of Toledo, Ohio. After graduation, he worked at several places including Pixera, a digital image processing company in Cupertino, CA, and 3COM, a networking and communication company in Schaumberg, IL. He joined the UTB/TSC in 2000. His areas of interest include Imaging, Visualization and Animation, Web Design and Graphics.
Juan Iglesias University of Texas-Brownsville
Dr. J R Iglesias is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science/Computer Information Systems at University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from New Mexico State University (NMSU), New Mexico, USA, with specialization in Databases, and the B.SC and M.S. in Computer Science from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He has worked as an Associate Director for the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), Mexico City, Mexico during the 1997 year. His areas of interest include Databases, Programming Languages, Data mining, and Web Design, and e-Commerce Systems.
Amajd Zaim University of Texas-Brownsville
Dr. A T Zaim is an Assistant Professor and the director of the VIB (Vision, Intelligence and Bioinformatics) research group at University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toledo, Ohio and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering, and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Having worked on multidisciplinary projects in 3D image-guided surgery early in his PhD years, he developed a special research interest in medical image processing. Dr. Zaim also led and managed two IT firms providing consulting for business and healthcare organizations. He recently joined the computer science department of the UTB and is currently conducting collaborative research with members of the VIB group as well as external healthcare organizations.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Educational Computer Science Fun Projects for Integrating Multidisciplinary Concepts of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering
Abstract
In our continuous efforts to increase recruitment, retention and graduation rates of our, mainly minority, computer science and engineering students, we have recently embarked on an ambitious and comprehensive transformation of a major sector of our Computer Science and Engineering curriculum, the first stage of which is transforming the means by which major goals and objectives of three key courses, Data and Information Structures (COSC-3345), Digital Image Processing (COSC-4333), and Computer Graphics (COSC-4330) are achieved. The goal is to integrate in a rather “fun and games” way basic concepts from mathematics, statistics, signal and image processing, and computer graphics into a real-life game project. The three courses are meshed synergistically through a well thought-out 2-D/3-D gaming project, which is introduced in the junior level course and continues in the senior imaging and graphics courses.
In the new age of IPods, PlayStations, and Xboxes, it is hard to ignore the affinity young students have for 3-D action-based and visually intense games; so rather than villainizing games and ostracizing their use, we aim instead at using that inherent fondness of the games to the students’ advantage by relating key computer, engineering, and mathematical concepts to the fundamental way games operate. By adhering to the guidelines and recommendations set forth by the ACME and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Technology Criteria 2000 for the Computer Science and Engineering programs, the CS/CIS department at our university has continually modified and enhanced several facets of its programs to demonstrate that its graduates possess specific mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science skills (outcomes) by their time of graduation. This paper describes our efforts to incorporate in a rather fun and entertaining ways how to integrate major concepts in the above described fields in an action-based game project which students find exciting and are easily able to relate to. Our new experience showed that a Game-based project quickly attracts students and fosters student communications, teamwork, and the development of analytical capabilities. The paper additionally details the interdisciplinary strategy implemented by the department’s faculty in conjunction with other departments in the college of Science, Mathematics, and Technology (SMT) to integrate key concepts in the Mathematics and Physics areas in the game design project.
Quweider, M., & Iglesias, J., & Zaim, A. (2007, June), Educational Computer Science Fun Projects For Integrating Multidisciplinary Concepts Of Mathematics, Science, And Engineering Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2064
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