Scaffolding Research Projects in Theory of Computing Courses

TL;DR

This paper explores a scaffolded 'mock conference' project for Theory of Computing courses, enhancing student engagement and understanding by simulating real conference submissions, and shares practical experiences from implementation.

Contribution

It introduces a structured scaffolding approach for the mock conference project in ToC courses, providing insights into its implementation and benefits.

Findings

Improved student engagement and understanding of ToC concepts.

Positive feedback from students on the conference simulation.

Practical guidelines for implementing the project in courses.

Abstract

Theory of Computing (ToC) is an important course in CS curricula because of its connections to other CS courses as a foundation for them. Traditional ToC course grading schemes are mostly exam-based, and sometimes a small weight for traditional proof-type assignments. Recent work experimented with a new type of assignment, namely a ``mock conference'' project wherein students approach and present ToC problems as if they were submitting to a ``real'' CS conference. In this paper we massively scaffold this existing project and provide our experiences in running such a conference in our own ToC course.