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Peter D. Smith

Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Computer Science
Saint Mary's College New SMC Home Page

Contact Infomation

Spring 1999 Courses

Fall 1998 Courses


Teaching and Research Interests

Student Fluency in Information Technology
A group of faculty and student development professionals have spent the last year investigating ways to ensure that students are prepared to enter the technological world upon graduation. The main result of our efforts is to have students self-assess their IT fluency using a rubric and to provide them with resources through our advising system to help them improve their fluency. I presented a paper detailing our efforts at the ASCUE Conference in Myrtle Beach in early June, 2001. The web reference to the slides is http://www.saintmarys.edu/~psmith/fluency/slide1.html and the paper can be found at http://www.saintmarys.edu/~psmith/fluency/fluencypaper.html
Process Education
I have taught Math Programming, Probability, CS/1, Assembly Language, Systems Analysis, Data Base, and Simulation using student teams and structured activities, following the principles of Process Education as developed by Dan Apple of Pacific Crest. This is the subject of a paper given in the 1996 ASCUE Summer Conference titled: A Process Education Approach to Teaching Computer Science
Authorware Tutorials for Quattro Pro
I have developed several tutorials for beginning students using Quattro Pro using Authorware 3.0. These tutorials simulate the actual Quattro Pro environment with a window giving students instructions on how to manipulate worksheets, checking that they have done so correctly, and giving feedback.
Survey of Small Liberal Arts Colleges Use of Technology
In 1986 and again in 1997, I have visited 40 small colleges and reported on their use of technology in academics and administration. Small College Computing Trends
When to teach C in the CS Curriculum
This is the subject of a paper given in the 1994 ASCUE Summer Conference advocating waiting to teach C until the Assembly Language Course. I have used Greg Scragg's book on Top Down Computer Organization, introducing C as an example of a High Level Language and embedding asm statements in C programs.

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