Work in progress - initial evaluation of an introductory course in programming that assists in career choices

We present initial results from an effort to investigate the effectiveness of programming-centric computer literacy courses at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). UTEP is an urban university serving a largely Hispanic student population principally drawn from the sister cities of El Paso, TX, USA, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, MX. This course is based on the creatively engaging ldquomedia programmingrdquo approach of Dr. Mark Guzdial of Georgia Tech. In this course, which was designed for Liberal Arts students, students are introduced to the Jython programming language. Class projects implement and extend algorithms that directly manipulate multimedia and expose students to digital representations of images and sounds in a sequence of aesthetically focused projects. We are investigating whether (1) there is value in modifying this curriculum to complement common occupational traits for student cohorts enrolled in engineering and computer-science programs and (2) such courses can assist students in career choices and improve long-term student success.