CS Training

Calendar/Dates

• All training levels have rolling start dates throughout all parts of the calendar year.

Training Philosophy

• Experiential learning - you learn by doing and practice.
• Open access educational resources - utilize when available for basic instruction.
• Learning outcomes - incremental, mastery through practice/doing.
• Each training level specifies key learning outcomes, and our work focuses on getting you the time on task needed to master these learning outcomes.
• Mastery of learning outcome tasks through the following steps: basic content, demonstration and explanation of task (multiple examples), self check examples (answers provided), assigned examples as quiz questions.

Training Levels

• Lettered, with different domains having a different number of levels.
• Each "level" is designed to be around 50 hours of work (depending on your background and how quickly you pick it up).
• Each level assumes completion of the previously levels. Most levels build on previous levels.
• Trainees can start a domain at whichever level is appropriate, depending on their background.

Training Domains

• Python programming
  • Level A - first 4 chapters of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python (basics, conditionals, loops, functions, lists) at a level covered in CS 101 Fundamentals of Computing
  • Level B - chapters 5, 6, 9, (dictionaries, tuples, strings, files) and selections of others at a level covered in CS 151 Introduction to Computer Science
  • Level C - object-oriented programming and additional topics at a level covered in CS 201 Programming Structures
  • Levels A-C collectively are comparable to the python portion of CS 401/501 Programming for Data Science
• C programming
  • Levels A, B, C - comparable to the corresponding levels for python programming
  • Levels A-C collectively are comparable to the C portion of CS 500 Programming Fundamentals.
• Data structures
  • Level A - basics, arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues
  • Level B - binary search tree, heap, hash table
  • Levels A-B are comparable to the data structures portions of CS 202 Data Structures & Algorithms, or CS 500 Programming Fundamentals.
• Algorithms
  • Level A - algorithms basics, searching and sorting
  • Level B - graphs, breadth-first / depth-first search, shortest path
  • Levels A-B are comparable to the data structures portions of CS 202 Data Structures & Algorithms, or CS 500 Programming Fundamentals.
• Unix/linux
  • Levels TBD
• Mathematics
  • Levels TBD

Evaluation

• Auto-graded quizes, quiz questions regularly updated/changed.
• Auto-graded program output, programs regularly updated/changed.
• Final interview - using a script and rubric that is consistent and provided to all registrants.
• The result of the evaluation is one of the following: did not pass, pass-, pass, pass+. The evaluation form is retained at ISU.
• Pdf "certificates" are issued with the result of the evaluation, explanation of what the evaluation means. Something also on LinkedIn (endorse their profile with appropriate certificate)?

What is Included in the Price

• $50/month, first month is free for ISU students or those with a complete application, $450/year.
• Access to training materials, training assignments/quizzes, auto-graded quizzes, auto-graded program output.
• For each training level, 2 chances per month at the final interview (required for officially completing/passing the training). Additional final interview chances for an additional fee.
• For US residents only - help/assistance through Teams, dozens of assignments with feedback.
• Differentiator from Udemy, Coursera, EdX, etc. - focus on spending doing "doing" / active learning / lots of assignments, tied/integrated to ISU curriculum.

Administration

• One Microsoft Team for content, communication, assignments.
• Separate Microsoft Team for help/assistance (US residents only).
• Auto-graded quiz questions hosted securely off of the CS server.
• Final evaluation over video/screen-sharing meeting.
• CS faculty member runs the training programs with assistance from CS GA.
• Registration/payment through Center for Community Engagement (Aceware Student Registration system).
• Breakdown of where fees go is TBD.
• Registration agreement includes a privacy statement (what data do we keep on each registrant, how they can ask for their data, how they can ask it to be deleted), paying particular attention to international registrants.

Training Packages

The following are collections of levels designed to meet the outcomes of courses or admissions. These are not guarantees of credit or a positive admission decision.

• MS Admissions interview - pass rating in each of - Python levels A-B or C levels A-B, Data structures levels A-B, Algorithms level A.
• CS 151 -
• CS 201 -
• CS 202 -
• CS 500 - pass+ rating in each of - C levels A-B, Data structures levels A-B,
• CS 501 -

Admission to MS in Computer Science

• Persons who complete the appropriate training levels should be able to pass the department's admissions interview for the MS in computer science. This is not a guarantee, but these training levels are specifically designed to prepare to pass the admissions interview.

Course Credit

• Those who complete the appropriate package can use their completion of the training program to apply for Prior Learning Assessment for the given course.
• This is for enrolled students only (so after being admitted), students are charged 25% of the tuition of the course for an evaluation, and the evaluation can include an additional "challenge exam". The challenge exam would be selections from the final interview from the training levels that were completed by the student.
• More details on the process are at https://www.indstate.edu/services/testing/departmental-examsassessment-prior-learning