Communications of the ACM

team, and how they might improve in the future. A homework assignment might prompt students (individually, in pairs, or in teams) to apply good coding style to their own code, or to an example provided by the instructor.

Research on POGIL in other disciplines (for example, Farrell3, Moog8) generally finds that, compared to traditional approaches, student attrition is lower, content mastery is greater, and students have more positive attitudes. In one study, 13 on the first day of Organic Chemistry II, students took an unannounced quiz on content from Organic I. Students from the POGIL section of Organic I did dramatically better than those from the lecture section, although the quiz was written by the lecture instructor. There are fewer studies of POGIL in computer science, but results are encouraging. After converting a CS1 course to POGIL, pass rates increased for females but not males. 6 In a software project course, POGIL activities helped students to understand the importance of communication in real software projects. 7 In a survey ( summarized in Figure 2), CS POGIL instructors reported that students were more active and engaged, understood concepts better, and were better at teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. 5

Thus, POGIL can both improve student learning outcomes and develop key skills. POGIL has been used across STEM disciplines in secondary and post-secondary settings. The POGIL Project (see http://pogil.org) reviews and endorses POGIL activities, and offers an extensive series of workshops on classroom facilitation, activity authoring, and related topics. The U.S. National Science Foundation has funded numerous projects to support POGIL,

including several focused on computing disciplines. To learn more about POGIL activities for a range of computing topics, see http://cspogil.org.

References

1. Chi, M. T. H. and Wylie, R. The ICAP framework: Linking
cognitive engagement to active learning outcomes.
Educational Psychologist 49, 4 (Oct. 2014), 219–243.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2014.965823
2. Eberlein, T. et al. Pedagogies of engagement in
science: A comparison of PBL, POGIL, and PLTL.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 36, 4
(2008) 262–273. http://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20204
3. Farrell, J.J. et al. A guided-inquiry general chemistry
course. Journal of Chemical Education 76, 4 (1999),
570–574.

4. Hart Research Associates. Falling Short? College Learning and Career Success. 2015.

5. Hu, H.H. et al. Results from a survey of faculty adoption of Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in Computer Science. In Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (I TiCSE) (Arequipa, Peru, July 11–13, 2016) ACM. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1145/2899415.2899471

6. Hu, H. H. and Shepherd, T.D. Using POGIL to help students learn to program. ACM Transactions on Computing Education ( ToCE) 13, 3 (Aug. 2013), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/2499947.2499950

7. Kumar, S. and Wallace. C. 2014. Instruction in software project communication through guided inquiry and reflection. In Proceedings of the IEEE Frontiers in Eduucation (FIE) Conference (Madrid, Spain, Oct. 22–25, 2014). ASEE/IEEE. DOI:https://doi. org/10.1109/FIE.2014.7044167

8. Moog, R.S. et al. POGIL: Process oriented guided inquiry learning. In Chemist’s Guide to Effective Teaching: Vol II, N. J. Pienta, M. M. Cooper, and T. J. Greenbowe (Eds.). Prentice Hall, 90–107.

9. Moog, R.S. and Spencer, J. N. POGIL: An overview.
In Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning: ACS
Symposium Series 994, R. S. Moog and J.N. Spencer,
Eds., American Chemical Society, 2008, 1–13.
10. NACE. Job Outlook 2018. National Association of
Colleges and Employers, Bethlehem, PA, 2018.
11. Simon, B. et al. Students as teachers and communicators.
In The Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education
Research, S.A. Fincher and A.V. Robins, Eds. Cambridge
University Press, 2019, 827–858.
12. Simonson, S., Ed. POGIL: An Introduction to Process
Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning for Those Who Wish
to Empower Learners. Stylus Publishing, 2019.
13. Straumanis, A. and Simons, E.A. A multi-institutional
assessment of the use of POGIL in Organic Chemistry.
In Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL),
ACS Symposium Series 994, R. S. Moog and J.N. Spencer,
Eds., American Chemical Society, (2008), 226–239.

Clif Kussmaul ( clif@kussmaul.org) is Principal Consultant at Green Mango Associates, LLC, in Bethlehem, PA, USA.

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ComingNex tMonthin C OMMUNIC

AT
ION S Figure 2. CS faculty (n= 26) perceptions of POGIL effectiveness. More engaged in class More active in learning Deeper understanding of concepts More effective in small groups
Positive peer-to-peer relationships
Stronger communication skills
Stronger critical thinking skills