Joan Lucas
University of New Mexico, NM·Education Research
Computer scientists need to know which problems can be solved efficiently and which cannot, so they do not waste effort on impossible solutions. Courses on computing theory teach this by having students design abstract models of computation, such as automata (simple machines that read strings of symbols).
- Fields
Education Research
Computer Science
- Topics
computer science education
computing theory
theory of computation
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jun 2028
What they work on
- Expand the Automated Feedback for Computing Theory (AFCT) tool, built on the JFLAP automata visualization package, with new features, better usability and adaptability, and release it as open-source software.
- Measure how immediate automated feedback affects students' behavior, performance and learning of formal languages and automata theory in theoretical computer science courses at five institutions.
- Test whether students at different types of institutions are affected differently by AFCT, and compare how various types of feedback change student learning.
More about the research
Many students struggle with this abstract modeling and visualization. This project asks whether instant, automated feedback helps students learn it.
Why it matters
Students often struggle with the abstract models at the core of computing theory, which underpins designing efficient algorithms and recognizing infeasible problems. An open-source automated feedback tool, tested across different kinds of institutions, could help instructors teach these concepts more effectively and better prepare computer science students to build high-quality software.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Anita Sarma
Oregon State University, OR·Computer Science
Identify the needs and expectations of students and instructors for a chatbot that supports open source software contribution, using participatory design.
Emily Lovell
University of California-Santa Cruz, CA·Education Research
Expose HBCU computer science students who have completed foundational coursework to open source career pathways through paid summer contributions to real-world open source software projects matched to their interests.
Narges Norouzi
University of California-Berkeley, CA·Education Research
Model students' problem-solving strategies and algorithmic thinking in computer science courses by integrating fine-grained process data to trace competencies across levels of abstraction.
The school
University of New Mexico: 27 labs on PI Pages, $355M a year on research, 182 research doctorates a year.
Reach out
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