On December 20, 2023, the FOUNT project held its inaugural Science Advisory Board (SAB) meeting, marking a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionize data systems education. We were honored to have the participation of esteemed board members:

• Jeanne Century (University of Chicago)
• Abraham Matta (Boston University)
• Violet Syrotiuk (Arizona State University)
• Mary Thomas (University of California – San Diego)

Meeting Highlights

The meeting provided an invaluable opportunity to present our project’s vision, discuss initial progress, and seek guidance on future directions. Key agenda items included:

• Project Presentation:
  • Overview of FOUNT’s mission to create shareable educational content for computer science and data science.
  • Discussion of project accomplishments in Year 1, including initial courselet development and community engagement efforts.
  • Outline of objectives and plans for Year 2.
• Evaluation Strategies:
  • Exploration of metrics for assessing project impact, such as courselet adoption, student engagement, and educational outcomes.
  • Challenges in measuring effectiveness and strategies for overcoming them.
• Focused Feedback and Open Discussion:
  • The board provided insights on enhancing the relevance and accessibility of educational content.
  • Emphasis on the importance of keeping courselets up-to-date in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
  • Suggestions for fostering community engagement, particularly with underrepresented and under-resourced groups.

See our FOUNT Science Advisory Board Presentation and SAB Meeting Agenda and Notes for more!

Key Takeaways

• Evaluation Metrics:
  • Develop comprehensive metrics to quantify progress, including adoption rates and learner outcomes.
  • Implement both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods.
• Community Engagement:
  • Focus on co-creation with educators and learners, especially from diverse backgrounds.
  • Enhance outreach efforts to include community colleges and organizations dedicated to data science education.
• Content Relevance and Accessibility:
  • Ensure courselets cater to varying levels of learner expertise, from beginners to advanced students.
  • Simplify access to cloud resources and platforms like Chameleon to lower barriers for new users.

Looking Ahead

The SAB’s feedback has been instrumental in refining our strategies for the coming year. We plan to:

• Expand Our Courselet Library: Continue developing courselets that address the needs of a broad spectrum of learners.
• Enhance Evaluation Methods: Work closely with our evaluation partners to implement robust assessment tools.
• Strengthen Community Ties: Engage with educators and institutions to co-develop content and share best practices.

We are grateful to our advisory board members for their time, expertise, and commitment to advancing data systems education. Their guidance will undoubtedly help us achieve our goals and make a lasting impact on the field.