For the Data Science Version see here. For past projects in DS see here.

This syllabus describes the service learning section attached the computer science Capstone Project, a two semester sequence consisting of a student-led independent project (CMPS 4010 and 4020).

CMPS 4010 Capstone Project I (2)
This is the first semester of a two-semester course devoted to the development of the student’s capstone project, a required component of the Computer Science coordinate major. Under supervision of a faculty advisor in computer science, students use the tools of computer science to solve a problem from another discipline, usually their primary major area. Prerequisite(s): CMPS 2200 and 2300. CMPS 4020 Capstone Project II (2)
This is the second of a two-semester course devoted to the development of the student’s capstone project, a required component of the Computer Science coordinate major. Under supervision of a faculty advisor in computer science, students use the tools of computer science to solve a problem from another discipline, usually their primary major area.

For accounting purposes, the service learning section can only be attached to one of these, so it will be attached to CMPS 4020. However, since the project spans two semesters, the students will begin the project prior to officially registering for the service learning section. Service Learning Component

This is an optional Service Learning component to CMPS 4020 that satisfies a Tier II Service Learning Requirement.

Computer science and data science affect many aspects of civic life, including criminal justice, public services, and community organizing. The service learning component of this course will include: (i) training in techniques to engage community partners; (ii) project scoping and specifications in partnership with community partner; (iii) deployment of a working prototype; (iv) integration of community feedback and reflection on the system’s objectives, goals, and evaluation.

Our approach to service learning is to develop a reciprocal relationship between academia (students and faculty) and a community partner (non-profit, city agency, etc.) to identify and guide appropriate projects. In an ideal partnership, the students will benefit by engaging with important civic issues and how they are being addressed by community partners. The partners will benefit from working systems and/or reports addressing specific goals of the organization.

Community partners will be identified in the summer prior to CMPS 4010 through the work of the students, faculty mentor, and Tulane’s Center for Public Service.

Course Goals To work collaboratively with a community partner to develop a civic-focused computational system that addresses a real-world problem. To learn from community partners about existing practices and perspectives on the topic of interest. To reflect on the role technology plays in civic life.

Course Learning Objectives After completing this course, students will be able to: Elicit project specifications and requirements from a community partner Implement and evaluate a community-focused computational system Engage thoughtfully with civic groups Reflect critically on the role of technology in civic life

Schedule This schedule covers the two semesters of the project (CMPS 4010 and 4020).

Semester 1

Weeks 1-2 – Listening and Learning: Students will meet on site with project partners to understand the mission of their organization, their day-to-day operations, their impact on the community, and the challenges they face. Assignments Conduct a structured interview with the project partner to achieve the above goals Read Opengovdata.io: “Civic Hacking.” “What Makes a Good Data Science Project?” Service Learning as a Pedagogy of Whiteness Write Reflection Paper 1 “Understanding the Project Partner”: Summarize what you learned from interviewing the project partner. What surprised you? What opportunities and challenges do you see? What are related organizations that play similar roles in this or other communities? What are some of the social/structural issues that contribute to the need addressed by this organization? (2-3 pages)

Weeks 3-5 – Project Scoping: Students will interview project partners to scope the problem that this project will address. Assignments Conduct a project scoping interview with the project partner Read the project scoping guide Read S. Barocas and d. boyd (2017) “Engaging the Ethics of Data Science in Practice” Complete the project scoping document

Weeks 6-8 – Solution Brainstorming: Students will work to outline potential systems to address the identified issues. Assignments Outline potential solutions, with pros and cons Engage with the community partner to get feedback on the proposed solutions

Weeks 9-15 – Minimum Viable Product: In this technical sprint, students will develop a minimal working prototype of the system, piecing together all of the data and technical components.The components of the system may not be operating perfectly, and some features may still be missing. The goal is to ensure all the “plumbing” is in place to ensure the project is positioned for success. Assignments Design and implement the prototype Meet with the project partner to demo the initial draft Semester 2

Weeks 1-2 – Reflecting on the current state of the project. Assignments Write Reflection Paper 2 “Towards a Solution”: Reflect on your initial prototype. What is working and what is not? How could your working process change for the better? How would you describe the collaboration with the project partner thus far? What have you learned about the problem that has surprised you? What ethical issues do you anticipate arising with this project? (2-3 pages)

Weeks 3-9 – Testing and Iterative Refinement: Students will continue to iteratively improve the functionality of their project and conduct comprehensive testing to ensure validity. Project partners should be involved as appropriate for additional feedback. Assignments Implement unit tests and integration tests to ensure the validity of the system. Include measures of bias and fairness when appropriate. Implement additional features and functionalities as needed Read Aequitas: A Bias and Fairness Audit Toolkit Collect any additional data or resources needed to improve the project

Weeks 10-15 – Deliverables and Documentation: Students will finalize and deliver their final project to the partner. Assignments Implement final aspects of the project, meeting with the project partner to identify any last-minute, high priority issues. Present the final project to the partner and discuss with them the final outcomes. Document all your code and make the code repository public, if possible. Document all outstanding issues so that the project could be extended by future students. Write Reflection Paper 3 “Project Post Mortem”: Reflect on how the final project went. What worked and what didn’t? What was harder/easier than you expected? What impact do you think your project may have on the project partner and community? What additional work is needed to ensure a longer-range impact? How can this project be made self-sustaining? What have you learned that will contribute to your future projects/career? (2-3 pages) Write the final project report containing the technical details of the problem, solution, and validation measures. (8-12 pages)

Assessment

Grades will be based on reflection papers (25%) attendance and collaboration with project partners (25%) evaluation of the final project (50%)

The reflection papers, presentations, and project will be graded in part using the following rubric:

Additional components of the project will be assessed based on

  • Final Report:
    • Clarity, related work, discussion (10%)
    • Technical correctness and depth (15%)
    • Evaluation and results (15%)
  • Project presentation (10%)
  • Documentation and repository usability (10%)
  • Code quality and thoroughness (20%)
  • Demo (20%)

Student Support Services

As we move to remote/hybrid teaching Tulane has moved a number of student success resources online. Please visit the Virtual Learning Student Support Pages for more information.

Please come talk to us if you feel you are behind or overwhelmed in this class. We can work with you and Tulane provides a suite of services to help you succeed in this course including the following. For more information please visit the student support services webpage.

  • Academic Advising - Advising maximizes student potential by sharing information, tools, and resources that empower them to make informed decisions about creating appropriate plans to achieve their academic goals.
  • Academic Learning & Tutoring - The ALTC supports students through supplemental instruction, peer tutoring, writing and presentation consultations, pop-up review sessions, study space, and online learning resources.
  • Case Management and Counseling - Students can leverage support services such as CAPS for Counseling Services, Case Management and Victim Support Services, and Goldman Center for Student Accessibility.
  • Success Coaching - Coaches help students create actionable steps to meet goals on topics such as college transition, time-management, motivation, testing anxiety, stress management, and decision-making.

ADA / Accessibility Statement

Tulane University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability, please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. I will never ask for medical documentation from you to support potential accommodation needs. Instead, to establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility. After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. Goldman Center contact information: goldman@tulane.edu; (504) 862-8433; http://accessibility.tulane.edu.

Recording of Class Sessions

Recording class sessions: Classes will be recorded and the recordings will be posted to Canvas. Students may not post a class recording elsewhere, either wholly or in part. Instructors may use a class recording in another course or in a subsequent semester.

Code of Academic Conduct and Academic Integrity

This course will follow Tulane’s Code of Academic Conduct. Cheating will be reported to the Associate Dean of Newcomb-Tulane College. Discussion is encouraged. However, what you turn in must be your own. You may not read another classmate’s solutions or copy a solution from the web. I will be running checks on the code turned in for plagiarism. If plagiarism is detected the minimum penalty is a 0 on the assignment and being reported, however, you may automatically fail this course at the discretion of the instructor or Honor Board.

For more information about the honor board process and the code of academic conduct please see the NTC Academic Integrity Website.

To be more clear (text from Hal Daumé III): Any assignment or exam that is handed in must be your own work (unless otherwise stated). However, talking with one another to understand the material better is strongly encouraged. Recognizing the distinction between cheating and cooperation is very important. If you copy someone else’s solution, you are cheating. If you let someone else copy your solution, you are cheating (this includes posting solutions online in a public place). If someone dictates a solution to you, you are cheating.

Everything you hand in must be in your own words, and based on your own understanding of the solution. If someone helps you understand the problem during a high-level discussion, you are not cheating. We strongly encourage students to help one another understand the material presented in class, in the book, and general issues relevant to the assignments. We also encourage the use of online resources to understand and clarify things, but not taking results verbatium. When taking an exam, you must work independently. Any collaboration during an exam will be considered cheating. Any student who is caught cheating will be given an F in the course and referred to the University Office of Student Conduct. Please don’t take that chance – if you’re having trouble understanding the material, please let me know and I will be more than happy to help.

The Code of Academic Conduct applies to all undergraduate students, full-time and part-time, at Tulane University. Tulane University expects and requires behavior compatible with its high standards of scholarship. By accepting admission to the university, a student accepts its regulations (i.e., Code of Academic Conduct and the Code of Student Conduct) and acknowledges the right of the university to take disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion, for conduct judged unsatisfactory or disruptive.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement (EDI)

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are important Tulane values that are key drivers of academic excellence in our learning environments. In our drive for academic excellence, we seek to ensure that students, faculty, and staff across diverse social identities, cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences can thrive -especially those from from underrepresented and underserved communities (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, social class, international, veterans, religious minorities, age, and any other classification protected by applicable law -see Tulane’s Nondiscrimination Policy). In order to build a supportive culture and climate for every member of our community, we recognize that we each of have unique EDI strengths to share with others and that we also have areas for EDI growth, learning, and change. This EDI commitment and cultural humility helps us collectively build a university community and culture where everyone experiences belonging.

Religious Accommodation Policy

Per Tulane’s religious accommodation policy as stated at the bottom of Tulane’s academic calendar, we will make every reasonable effort to ensure that students are able to observe religious holidays without jeopardizing their ability to fulfill their academic obligations. Excused absences do not relieve the student from the responsibility for any course work required during the period of absence. Students should notify the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester about their intent to observe any holidays that fall on a class day or on the day of the final exam.

Title IX

Tulane University recognizes the inherent dignity of all individuals and promotes respect for all people. As such, Tulane is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination including sexual and gender-based discrimination, harassment, and violence like sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or is experiencing these types of behaviors, know that you are not alone. Resources and support are available: you can learn more at http://allin.tulane.edu. Any and all of your communications on these matters will be treated as either “Confidential” or “Private” as explained in the chart below. Please know that if you choose to confide in me I am mandated by the university to report to the Title IX Coordinator, as Tulane and I want to be sure you are connected with all the support the university can offer. You do not need to respond to outreach from the university if you do not want. You can also make a report yourself, including an anonymous report, through the form http://tulane.edu/concerns.

Confidential Private
Except in extreme circumstances, involving imminent danger to one’s self or others, nothing will be shared without your explicit permission. Conversations are kept as confidential as possible, but information is shared with key staff members so the University can offer resources and accommodations and take action if necessary for safety reasons.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): (504) 314-2277 or The Line (24/7): (504) 264-6074 Case Management and Victim Support Services: (504) 314-2160 or srss@tulane.edu
Student Health Center: (504) 865-5255 Tulane University Police (TUPD): Uptown - (504) 865-5911. Downtown – (504) 988-5531
Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education (SAPHE): (504) 654-9543 Title IX Coordinator: (504) 314-2160 or msmith76@tulane.edu