Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges — Northeasten Region

In cooperation with

 

The Association for Computing Machinery

Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education

Presents

 

NINTH ANNUAL

CONSORTIUM FOR COMPUTING

SCIENCES IN COLLEGES

NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

 

HOSTED BY

UNION COLLEGE

April 23-24, 2004

Schenectady, New York

 

Statement of Purpose

The CCSCNE brings together faculty, staff, and students from academic institutions throughout the Northeast for exchange of ideas and information concerning undergraduate computing education.

Greetings from the Co-Chairs

 Welcome to the 9th annual CCSC Northeastern Conference and to Union College.  On behalf of the conference committee we are happy to invite you to a program of talks by David Gries and Fred Martin, papers on a broad range of issues in teaching, panels on current problems and practices, tutorials with hands-on practice, and a large and varied

collection of student presentations of their work.  We hope that whether you are on the program or in the audience, your participation will enrich both the two days of meetings and your activities when you return home.

        Our committee and the CCSCNE board members have worked hard to compose the program through two meetings and much email.  We accepted 25 of 53 papers for a rate of 47%.  We gratefully acknowledge the help of our reviewers, whose careful reviews were conducted with full anonymity on both author and reviewer sides to promote objectivity in the refereeing process.  Each paper received at least three reviews and

the average was four per paper.  We are pleased that the number of student posters continues to grow as well.

        Our late-afternoon poster session and reception in Union's Nott Memorial will give you a chance to visit the most remarkable of Union's buildings.  We hope that you'll also find an opportunity to walk around the campus and to visit its Jackson Garden, which is beautiful whether in April showers or April sun.

        Next spring the CCSCNE conference returns to Providence, this time at Providence College.  Plan to attend it too, and if you have not yet been on a conference program, please consider submitting a talk or sponsoring a student poster or programming team.

 

David Hemmendinger and Scott McElfresh

CCSCNE-2004 Conference Co-chairs


2004 Conference Committee Chairs

 


Conference Chairs

David Hemmendinger, Union College

            hemmendd@athena.union.edu

Scott McElfresh,

            Carnegie Mellon University

            scottm@cs.cmu.edu

 

Papers Chairs                                       
Larry D'Antonio,
Ramapo College

            ldant@ramapo.edu

Dale Fish, Worcester State

            dfish1@worcester.edu

Michael Gousie, Wheaton College

            mgousie@wheatonma.edu

 

Undergraduate Posters Chair            
Brad Richards,
Vassar College 

            richards@cs.vassar.edu

 

Panels/Tutorials/Workshops Chairs    
Jim Teresco,
Williams College

            terescoj@cs.williams.edu
Duane Bailey,
Williams College bailey@cs.williams.edu

Speakers Chair                                
David Levine,  

            St. Bonaventure University

            dlevine@cs.sbu.edu

 

Publicity Chair                                 
Frank Ford, Providence College

            fpford@providence.edu

Vendors Chairs                                  
Bill Taffe, Plymouth State College

            wjt@mail.plymouth.edu

Hemant Pendharkar,

            Worcester State College

            HPendharkar@worcester.edu

 

Programming Contest Chairs             
Frank Ford, Providence College

            fpford@providence.edu
Chris Fernandes, Union College

            fernandc@union.edu

 

Local Arrangements Chair

Linda Almstead, Union College

            almsteal@union.edu


 


 

 

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2004

 
 


PROGRAMMING CONTEST..................................................................................................... 8:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Programming Contest Results
Programming Contest Problems

        Breakfast.................................................................................................................................. 8:00 a.m.-8:45 a.m.

Olin Center

        Computers Available for Teams to Practice....................................................................... 8:00 a.m.-8:45 a.m.

Olin Center

        Initial Meeting and Presentation of the Problems............................................................ 8:45 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Olin Center

        Contest Time................................................................................................................................. 9:00 a.m. - Noon

Olin Center

        Luncheon for Teams.................................................................................................................... Noon-12:45 p.m.

Reamer Center Campus Dining Room

 

 

 

REGISTRATION............................................................................................................................. 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Olin 110

 

 

 

 

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS................................................................................................ 9:00 a.m. - Noon

 

HCI in the Classroom

Daniel D. McCracken, City College of New York, NY

 

Bioinformatics Basics for Computer Scientists

Paul Tymann, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY

Gary Skuse, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY

Rajendra Raj, Rochester Institute of Technology

 

Although the workshops are free and open to all, potential attendees must pre-register by contacting workshops@ccscne.org.  As attendance will be limited, attendees will be notified that they have been admitted.  Location will be emailed to registrants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VENDOR DISPLAYS................................................................................................................... 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Olin Rotunda and Olin 110

WELCOME....................................................................................................................................... 1:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m.

Reamer Center Auditorium

Greetings from

                Union College Administration

                David Hemmendinger, Conference Co-chair, Union College

 

PLENARY SESSION I.................................................................................................................... 1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m.

Engaging Computing: Involving K-12 and Undergraduate Students

Fred Martin, University of Massachusetts at Lowell

Reamer Campus Center Auditorium

 

BREAK............................................................................................................................................. 2:15 p.m.-2:45  p.m.

Olin Rotunda and Olin 110

CONCURRENT SESSION 1......................................................................................................... 2:45 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

 

Session 1A: Panel: The Role of Digital Logic in the Computer Science Curriculum

Mark Hoffman, Quinnipiac University, CT
Richard Connelly, Providence College, MA

Michael Gousie, Wheaton College, MA

Haldun Hadimioglu, Polytechnic University, NY

Lubomir Ivanov, Iona College, NY

 

Session 1B: Papers: Curriculum Enrichment

Numerical Error in an Ethics Course

M. Dee Medley, Augusta State University, GA

Web Development Group:  an Enterprising Campus Based Internship Program for CS Majors

                Joan Peckham, Trent Batson, University of Rhode Island, RI

May we have class outside? Implementing Service-Learning in a CS1 Curriculum

                J. Brian Adams, Erica Runkles, Franklin & Marshall College, PA

 

Session 1C: Papers: Java and UML

MicroSpaces: A Compact JavaSpaces Alternative for Teaching Net-Centric Computing in Java

Ron Coleman, Marist College, NY

Anil Bhardwaj, Marist College, NY

Sachin Batra, Marist College, NY

Gary Finke, Marist College, NY

Albert Delucca, Marist College, NY

Anthony Sofia, Marist College, NY

Michael Jutt, Marist College, NY

Dr. J vs. the Bird: Java IDE’s One-on-one

Michael Olan, Richard Stockton College, NJ

On Tool Selection for Illustrating the Use of UML in System Development

Harold Smith, Penn State New Kensington, PA

 

Session 1D: Tutorial: Java - an Eventful Approach

Andrea Danyluk, Williams College, MA

Kim Bruce, Williams College, MA

Tom Murtagh, Williams College, MA

 

 

BREAK.............................................................................................................................................. 4:00 p.m.-4:45 p.m.

Olin Rotunda and Olin 110

CONCURRENT SESSION 2......................................................................................................... 4:45 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

 

Session 2A: Panel: National Science Foundation Funding for Computer Science Projects

Steve Cunningham, National Science Foundation, VA

 

Session 2B: Papers: Courses for Non-Majors

Content & Laboratories for a Computer Science Course for Non-Majors in the 21st Century

Barbara Zimmerman, Villanova University, PA

Software Product Proposals in a Computer Science Course for Non-Majors

Clifton Kussmaul, Muhlenberg College, PA

 

Session 2C: Papers: Algorithms

Introducing Data Mining

Richard Connelly, Providence College, RI

A Grading Dilemma or the Abyss between Sorting and the Knapsack Problem

                Robert McGrail, Tracey Baldwin McGrail, Bard College, NY

Session 2D: Panel

Using Resources from the Web in Computer Science Courses

Amruth Kumar, Ramapo College of New Jersey, NJ

Lawrence D’Antonio, Ramapo College of New Jersey, NJ

Frank Ford, Providence College, RI

Deborah Knox, The College of New Jersey, NJ

Linda Wilkens, Providence College, RI

Richard Wyatt, West Chester University, PA

 

 

STUDENT POSTERS/SOCIAL HOUR....................................................................................... 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Nott Memorial

 

BANQUET........................................................................................................................................ 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Reamer Campus Center Dining Room

        Winners of the Programming Contest and Student Poster Session will be announced at the banquet.

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2004

 
 

 

 

 


CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST.................................................................................................... 7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m.

Olin Rotunda and Olin 110

 

REGISTRATION.......................................................................................................................... .8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Olin 110

 

VENDOR DISPLAYS................................................................................................................... 8:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Olin Rotunda and Olin 110

 

CONCURRENT SESSION 3......................................................................................................... 8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m.

 

Session 3A: Panel: Emerging Areas in Undergraduate Computer Science Education

Amruth Kumar, Ramapo College of New Jersey, NJ
Lawrence D’Antonio, Ramapo
College of New Jersey, NJ

Kathleen Harmeyer, Community College of Baltimore County, MD

Michael Olan, Richard Stockton College, NJ

Brad Richards, Vassar College, NY

Rose Shumba, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, PA

Linda Wilkens, Providence College, RI


Session 3B: Papers:
Team Building

Team Projects throughout the Curriculum:  Course Management, Teaching Initiatives, and Outreach

Debra Smarkusky, Penn State University, PA

Harold Smith, III, Penn State University, PA

Together is Better: Strengthening the Confidence of Women in Computer Science via a Learning Community

Lucia Dettori, School of CTI, IL

Gian Mario Besana, School of CTI, IL

Integrating Tools and Resources: a Case Study in Building Educational Groupware for Collaborative Programming

John Langton, Brandeis University, MA

Timothy Hickey, Brandeis University, MA

Richard Alterman, Brandeis University, MA

 

Session 3C: Papers: Issues Across the Curriculum

Steganography May Increase Learning Everywhere

James Ryder, SUNY College at Oneonta, NY

Testing Across the Curriculum - Square One!

Chuck Leska, Randolph-Macon College, VA

Integrating Security Across the Computer Science Curriculum

Linda Null, Penn State University at Harrisburg, PA

 

Session 3D: Papers: Programming Languages and Tools

Virtual Pet: an Exercise in XML & XSLT

Jeanine Meyer, SUNY College at Purchase, NY

Programming Language Concepts and Perl

Chuck Liang, Hofstra University, NY

Automated Laboratory Artifact Production

James Heliotis, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY

 

PLENARY SESSION II.............................................................................................................. 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

The mathematics of programming and why we should teach it

David Gries, Associate Dean of Engineering, Cornell University

Reamer Campus Center Auditorium

 

BREAK......................................................................................................................................... 11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Olin Rotunda and Olin 110

 

 

 

 

 

CONCURRENT SESSION 4.................................................................................................... 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

 

Session 4A: Papers: Architecture and Hardware

An FPGA-Based Digital Logic Lab for Computer Organization and Architecture

Mark Hoffman, Quinnipiac University, CT

Designing and Testing a Control Unit

Pierre von Kaenel, Skidmore College, NY

A Hardware/Software Simulator to Unify Courses in the Computer Science Curriculum

John Mallozzi, Iona College, NY

 

Session 4B: Papers: Pedagogy

Infusing Active Learning into Introductory Programming Courses

Keith Whittington, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY

Does an Online Course Work in Computer Science?

Robert McCloud, Sacred Heart University, CT

Instant Messaging and Course Diaries

Matthew Burke, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, MD

 

Session 4C: Tutorial: ITGuru – A Powerful Network Simulation Environment for Teaching and
Research

Victor Clincy, Kennesaw State University, GA

 

LUNCH............................................................................................................................................ 12:45 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

Reamer Campus Center Dining Room

Winners of the best paper awards to the luncheon.

 

MEMBERSHIP MEETING............................................................................................................. 2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

410 Reamer Campus Center

BOARD MEETING.......................................................................................................................... 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

410 Reamer Campus Center

 

 

 

 

STUDENT POSTERS

Friday, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Nott Memorial

 

 

Adapting Bayesian Statistical Spam Filters to the Server Side

            Sara Sinclair, Wellesley College

              Advisor: Scott Anderson

Addressing Fear of Heights through Virtual Reality

            Chia-Li Chang, Benjamin Insler, Connecticut College

              Advisor: Bridget Baird

American Kestrels GIS Research Project

            Scott Morrison, Unity College

              Advisor: Sari Hou

Analysis of Difference of Primes

            Scott McCarthy, Worcester State College

              Advisor: Hemant Pendharkar

Application of Artificial Intelligence to Chess Playing             

            Jason Cook, Union College

              Advisor: Chris Fernandes   

Application of Learned User Context to Improve Web Search Results

            Jessie Burger, Aaron Archer Waterman, Mark Strohmaier, The College of New Jersey

              Advisor: Ursula Wolz

Autocorrelation and FourierAnalysis for Detecting Periodic Cell Potentials in a Simulated Inhibitory Neural Network

            Robert Rohrkemper, Kalamazoo College and KFKI (Budapest, Hungary)

              Advisor: Peter Erdi

BioInformatics: Searching for Primers

            Ryan Menzer, Union College

              Advisor: Chris Fernandes

Basis Function Expansion for Coupled Integral Equations in Quantum Field Theory

            Jason Slaunwhite, Union College

              Advisor: David Hemmendinger

Cache Conscious Dynamic Memory Allocation

            Christopher Cyll, Williams College

              Advisor: Duane Bailey

Calculating Web Page Trustworthiness by Exploring Communities on the Web

            Mirena Chausheva, Wellesley College

              Advisor: Panagiotis Metaxas

Cellular Tic Tac Au-Toe-Mata

            Mark Schiebel, Union College

              Advisor: David Hemmendinger

Constructing a Theoretical Machines Website

            Brenda Aldine, Darlene Banta, University of Scranton

              Advisor: Jack Beidler

The Corona Project: A Testing Framework for Programming Contests

            Stephen Gewand, Greta Heissenberger, St. Bonaventure University

              Advisor: Steven Andrianoff

Creating a Video Device Application

            Kevin Septor, Colby College

              Advisor: Dale Skrien

Designing and Implementing a User-Focused Web Based Database System

            Rachel Noiseux, Colby College

              Advisor: Clare Congdon

DNA-based Computation

            Kai Chen, Williams College

              Advisor: Duane Bailey

Dynamic Sampling with Governed Neural Networks

            Jeremy Stober, Matt Fiedler, Evan Moses, Swarthmore College

              Advisor:  Lisa Meeden

Earth’s Tides Simulation

            Craig Brubaker, Union College

              Advisor: David Hemmendinger

Evolving Fuzzy Sets

            Brian Oduor, Connecticut College

              Advisor: Andrey Anev

Experiences of Using Rational Rose/Visio for UML Modeling in an undergraduate Software Engineering Course: A student Perspective

            Darynn Flango, Aydaen Lynch, Robert Smith, Matthew Lang, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

              Advisor: Rose Shumba

favGene v2.0 – A Perl and MySQL system for exploring a set of favorite genes

            Steve Benz, Robert Grossman, Wheaton College, MA

              Advisor: Mark LeBlanc

Front-end for a RETAIN Function

            Melissa Chavez, Union College

              Advisor: Chris Fernandes  

Genealogy Database for Butler Area Public Library

            Andrew Beers, Stephen Browarny, Slippery Rock University

              Advisor: Deborah Whitfield

 A Genetic Algorithms Approach to Learning Communication and Coordination in Simulated Robots

            Chris Sotzing, Colby College

              Advisor: Clare Congdon

A Geometric Model for Simulating Chinese Brush Painting

            Ross Girshick, Brandeis University

              Advisor: Timothy Hickey

 GIS in Hazard Mitigation

            Seth Dunn, Unity College

              Advisor: Sari Hou

 “GraceNote” Fair-Use Jukebox

            Will MacMillan, Union College

              Advisor: Chris Fernandes

 Graphical Implementation of Huffman and Arithmetic Coders

            James Keeler, SUNY Fredonia

              Advisor: Ziya Arnavut

Graphically Representing Artificial Intelligence with Maya Programming

            Kyle Horan, Providence College

              Advisor: Linda Wilkens

Haptic and Audio Correlation in User Interfaces

            Dessislava Peeva, Connecticut College

              Advisor: Bridget Baird

Image-Based Search Engine

            Michael Marcus, Penn State UniversityNew Kensington

              Advisor: Harold Smith

Investigation of Online Interactive Systems

            Gray Robert, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

              Advisor: Simon Read

An Investigation of the Efficient Generation and Applications of Random Programs

            Jue Wang, Wellesley College

              Advisor: Franklyn Turbak

Investigating WEB Dynamics

            Joy Kamunyori, Vassar College

              Advisor: Brad Richards

Looking At You: Computer Generated Graphical-Human Interaction

            Giselle Isner, Fordham University

              Advisor: Damian Lyons

Mathematical Models Governing Dynamic User-Driven Resource Allocation

            Michael Massimi, Eric Tarn, The College of New Jersey

              Advisor: Ursula Wolz

Overhead Camera Implementation for Robot Colony

            Vimal Vishwanathan, Connecticut College

              Advisor: Gary Parker

The Politics of Free: Open Source Software in Government

            Brian Donorfio, Wheaton College

Real Time Constructive Solid Geometry Rendering Using 3D Texture Mapping

            Genevieve Herres, SUNY Geneseo

              Advisor: Douglas Baldwin

Robot Colony

            Ramona Georgescu, Hailu Teklehaimanot, Connecticut College

              Advisor: Gary Parker

Search Engines

            Glen Harmon, Wagner College

              Advisor: Adrien Ionescu

A Simulation of Quantum Logic Gates and Qubits Using Ruby

            Jennifer Carini, Colby College

              Advisor: Marc Smith

A Software Simulation of an AES-Equipped 802.11x Wireless Network

            Matthew Grayson, Trinity College

              Advisor: T