Developing Course-Level Learning Goals for Basic Data Structures in CS2

Abstract

Establishing learning goals for a course allows instructors to design course content to address those goals, helps students to focus their learning appropriately, and enables researchers to assess learning of those goals. In this work, we propose six learning goals for a topic prevalent in CS2 courses: Basic Data Structures. These learning goals arise from reviewing several CS2 courses at a variety of institutions, surveying faculty experts who commonly teach CS2, and meeting and working closely with these experts. We outline our process for creating learning goals, identify important topics underlying these goals, and provide examples of how the goals developed on the path to consensus. We also document that the term "CS2" does not have a unified interpretation within the CS education community and describe how this hurdle influenced our decision to focus on Basic Data Structures.