Women in Computing Syllabus

Autumn 2005

Seminar Meeting Place: Allen Center 403

www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/490w/

Instructors:

Crystal Lynn Eney

Allen Center 101

ceney@cs.washington.edu

Elizabeth Arrowsmith

esais@cs.washington.edu

Office Hours: By appointment.

Goals:

1. Foster a sense of community amongst women interested in computing.

2. Encourage a wider, more accurate view of computer science and related fields.

3. Offer a safe environment for discussion and debate.

4. Inspire interest, enthusiasm and curiosity about Computer Science.

Grading

In order to receive credit for this course you need to accumulate 140 out of 150 points. The following table indicates how points can be earned throughout the quarter.

Activity	Points	Max
Participation	10/class	100 points
Assignment 1	0-20	20
Assignment 2	0-20	20
Visit WISE study lab	10	10

Requirements

Participation

We feel that this is the single most important component of the course. You will get the most out of this seminar if you come every week to class and actively participate in the discussions.

If you are going to miss a class, send one of us an email stating that you will be absent BEFORE class and we will work out a way for you to make-up any missed points.

Assignment 1

This is a one-page discussion paper giving us some of your computing background. Complete assignment description posted on the website.

Assignment 2

This is a small research project on various companies where you will report back to the class information about what your particular company produces, who works there, etc.

Visit WISE study lab

We would like for you to all visit the WISE study center at least once during the quarter, in order to become more comfortable with using their resources.

Tentative Schedule

Date	Activity	Notes
October 4th	Introductions, WISE visit
October 11th	Discussion	Assignment 1 due
October 18th	Google and Microsoft: industry visitors	Bring questions to ask
October 25th	Research in Action: Tablet PC
November 1st	Major Exploration: CSE and other tech. fields
November 8th	Cancelled
November 15th	Research in Action: Tactile Graphics and Urban Sim
November 22nd	CSE current student panel or animation videos	Assignment 2: Portfolio Reports on companies
November 29th	Microsoft visit	230PM-7PM
December 6th	Sheri Hargus from HerInteractive Video Game Company	End Quarter Questionnaire

Optional Reading

Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing

Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher.