Developing Technical Skillsets in Diverse Audiences

Designing courses that are taken by diverse student audiences is complicated by differing technical backgrounds and desired future roles. One proposed approach to course design bundles course assignments into parallel tracks for students to self-select and complete. An initial set of three tracks of computing laboratory-based assignments were developed and tested in the classroom. Each track option utilized different visualization software and libraries with a range of expected pre-requisite knowledge and technical abilities. Student and instructor reflections on the approach reinforced the suitability of a track-based course design to fulfill course objectives towards the education of diverse audiences.