David Gries and Michael Clarkson Adapt to a New Teaching Reality: Notes from Their Experience

As the university has shifted to virtual instruction in the wake of Covid-19, CS Professor Emeritus David Gries and Senior Lecturer Michael Clarkson '10 have transformed their approach to teaching CS 2110 Object-Oriented Programming and Data Structures. As an indication of their successful transition, a student in the class posted to Reddit "I appreciate that they listened to student feedback and changed things, and explained all of their decisions. That kind of communication and transparency should be a model for the rest of the school." So that others, beyond the classroom and in other classrooms, can benefit from a glimpse of their model, CS News inquired about what steps they have taken. In redesigning the course, we have emphasized learning and compassion over grades and logistics.