Research Proposal – Going Paperless for CPSC 121

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENG 301 Professor

From: Dhara Bhatt, UBC Student

Date: Feb 15, 2022

Subject: Proposal to Determine a Feasible Solution for Going Paperless in CPSC 121

 

Introduction

 

In an effort to go paperless for future terms, CPSC 121 is changing its typical exam format (ie. written midterms and finals) to an online format using PrairieLearn. The shift to going paperless presents a wide range of benefits, including less paper waste and general course efficiency. Paperless finals are better suited to being autograded, and even sans autograder, allow for faster and more productive grading. Students also spend less time writing repetitive proofs. In times of crisis, like the current Covid-19 pandemic, the format further offers flexibility and safety.

 

Still, there are a number of student concerns that are raised when overhauling a system. One primary concern is that for courses that rely heavily on math and problem-solving (such as CPSC 121’s discrete math focus), paper is often a more intuitive and natural format.

 

Audience

The intended audience for this report is the CPSC 121 professors and course team. Ideally, the report would be read by Dr. Karina Mochetti. She is the one who can implement and make changes to the platform.

 

Statement of Problem

 

Since going paperless has several advantages, yet presents unique challenges for a course like discrete math, the crux of the issue is to find a way to extract the benefits of both formats, while still retaining their overall respective purposes. Students often struggle to “think out loud” when doing math on a computer, and although scratch paper is provided, the to and fro of transferring long proofs can be stressful under a time crunch. Further concerns include the inability to highlight key words, or circle and experiment on figures and diagrams relevant to the problem.

 

Proposed Solution

 

My current proposal is to provide a paper package for each student. This booklet would contain printed versions of any key diagrams and figures that are relevant to the problem, allowing students to highlight and circle as necessary. As well, the booklet would contain blank pages with unlabelled headers. When students do rough scratch work, they would be able to identify the problem they are working on in the header, and complete their scratch work underneath. They would not be required to use the scratch paper, but would be optionally free to do so. If a student runs out of time or feels they are unable to sufficiently transfer a question online, they can flag the question on the online system to reference the scratch work. To prevent students from only doing their work on paper and flagging every question, students would only receive partial marks for questions that are flagged. Still, through this mechanism, students would be less constricted if they first do their work on paper and are unable to transfer it online. This would preserve the autograding potential for the vast majority of questions provided.

Scope 

 

To establish a more fully developed solution for a paperless transition for CPSC 121, I plan to pursue the following areas of inquiry:

1. What are the current benefits and challenges of the new online format?
2. What are the most common student concerns for paperless midterms and finals?
3. Does the proposed solution adequately assuage student concerns?
4. Is the proposed solution feasible and realistic for both the student and professional body?
5. Does the proposed solution preserve the benefits of the online format?

 

Methods

 

My primary data source will include a consultation with Dr. Karina Mochetti. Though she is also one of the recipients of the research paper (along with other professors of CPSC 121), her role in implementing the online platform will provide insight for creating a well-rounded solution. I will be interviewing Dr. Mochetti for a more intensive look into the inner workings of PrairieLearn, and her experience with the benefits and drawbacks of grading different formats. Furthermore, I will conduct a survey directed to current students in the CPSC 121 discord. This will allow me to compile the most common concerns and preferences that students have, and assess the feasibility of my proposed solution.

 

My Qualifications 

 

I am a student of CPSC 121, and have been privy to the various discussions and challenges expressed from both the professors and the students about going paperless. Furthermore, I have taken a previous logic course (similar to CPSC 121) that was entirely on paper, and can thus compare and contrast the two formats with ease.

 

Conclusion

 

Certain courses like discrete math provide unique challenges in the shift to go paperless. In virtue of having long proofs and symbolic language, they also often require more time and effort to grade. Autograding midterms and finals for courses like CPSC 121 would drastically increase efficiency, but must be balanced with student queries and concerns. By researching the common concerns and gaining bearings on the new system, I can clarify a potential solution that extracts the bulk of the benefits of both formats. With your approval, I will start the research process at once.