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The
teaching of John Ramirez, Computer Science, is driven by a
commitment to make his field vitally interesting for students.
“My main approach is to make students feel comfortable and
interested. In computer science, a lot of the material is very
technical; the challenge is to keep students coming to class and
having a good learning experience. I feel if they come to class
they will learn.”
Ramirez traces his interest in teaching to his
parents, both of whom are faculty at Duquesne University. As an
undergraduate, he tutored other students; later, as a teaching
assistant at Pitt, he learned skills from several good
teachers. “One of the things I learned from them and from my
experience is that if a teacher makes students feel like he/she
is a real person, someone they can talk to, they’ll be at ease
and more receptive to learning.”
Ramirez makes
himself accessible to students in and out of class. “I pause
often in class and encourage students to ask questions and
participate. Then I try very hard to make students feel good
about what they have said. Even if a question reveals
confusion about the information I’ve discussed, I respond with a
comment like, ‘I can see where your question would come from.’”
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"One
of the strongest endorsements I can provide is that I plan to
emulate his teaching style when I begin instructing students
of my own in the years to come."
Kenneth Leslie Gage |
Motivating Students
“I
often take a light, humorous approach,” Ramirez says. “I try to
help students relate to subjects that are by their nature very
technical. I use analogies to connect material to the real
world, sometimes with a joke. If students think about how
topics relate in different ways to the real world, they are
much more likely to remember and learn. I help students realize
the practical applications of the theoretical material and why
it is necessary to learn it. From feedback I’ve gotten from
students, I think my approach usually works.”
Ramirez’s
determination to make computer science enjoyable for Pitt
students extends beyond those majoring in the field to students
who are taking a basic course as an elective. Ramirez also
tries to accommodate students’ divergent skill levels. “Teachers
should be aware of who their students are. The first core
computer science course is often taken as an elective by
students outside the program; therefore, these classes can have
a mix of opposite extremes in terms of levels of computer
experience. As a teacher, I have to find a middle ground. I
present material carefully, building from easy to difficult,
providing encouragement and hints, at the same time trying to
keep the material challenging for the more knowledgeable
students. I try to motivate students to excel. For example, in
programming courses I encourage them to go beyond the
requirements, not only to improve their grades, but also for a
feeling of accomplishment.”
Faculty Accessibility
As
director of undergraduate programs in computer science (which
includes coordinating undergraduate advising), Ramirez is
accessible to students beyond the classroom. “I want students to
feel this is a good place for them,” he says. He accomplishes
this by welcoming feedback from students about his own courses
and about the program as a whole. Ramirez also tries to help
students deal with a shortage of courses that resulted from the
loss of a number of faculty to industry. Finally, he
encourages faculty to interact with students and with each
other.
“Those faculty who
students feel are unapproachable are doing a disservice to
students,” he asserts. He thinks teaching can be improved if
faculty informally exchange ideas, explaining, “No matter how
good you think you are, you can always improve.
Computer Science Careers
Ramirez
hopes his concern for students will result in more people
choosing careers in computer science. He is the computer
science liaison for Pitt’s University in High School Program
where students can get college credit for select courses. He’s
also working with colleagues on a state grant to attract
students who are underrepresented in computer science to major
in and seek careers in the field. “There’s a big gap. Although
women make up about half the population, they comprise less than
half of the majors or job holders in the field. At the same
time, more personnel are needed to fill technical jobs. In
workshops for targeted groups of high school juniors and
seniors, one of our goals is to change the stereotype of the
typical computer ‘nerd’ by showing students the diverse careers
that are available with a computer degree. For example, guest
speakers have discussed innovative medical and e-commerce
applications of computer technologies,” Ramirez says.
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