Teaching and Courses

Teaching Awards

2012 UVa ACM Professor of the Year
2011 Trigon Engineering Society Thomas E. Hutchinson Faculty Award Winner
2010 Hartfield-Jefferson Scholars Teaching Prize (first year ever awarded)
2010 UVa ACM Professor of the Year
2010 Trigon Engineering Society Thomas E. Hutchinson Faculty Award Finalist

Teaching Portfolio - Full Document

[PDF]

Personal Teaching Statement

[PDF]

Course Information

NOTE: All course links go to my latest iteration of each course. Numbers in parentheses represent overall instructor rating.
My Calendar - Google Calendar

Fall 2013 Courses

CS 1110 - Introduction to Computer Science - Podcast (11:00 AM lecture)
CS 4720 - Web and Mobile Systems - Podcast

Summer 2013 Courses

CS 4730 - Computer Game Design

Spring 2012 Courses

CS 1110 - Introduction to Computer Science - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations: Section 1 (4.55/5.0) | Section 2 (4.57/5.0)
CS 4501 - Service Learning Practicum - Teacher Overall Rating: 4.8/5.0 (Evaluations joint with Prof. Aaron Bloomfield
CS 4750 - Database Systems - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.6/5.0)

Fall 2011 Courses

CS 1110 - Introduction to Computer Science - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.64/5.0)
CS 4720 - Web and Mobile Systems - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.69/5.0)

Summer 2011 Courses

CS 2110 - Software Development Methods

Spring 2011 Courses

CS 1110 - Introduction to Computer Science - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations: Section 1 (4.4/5.0) | Section 2 (4.43/5.0
CS 4750 - Database Systems - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.68/5.0)

Fall 2010 Courses

CS 1110 - Introduction to Computer Science - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.58/5.0)
CS 4501 - Web Information Systems Engineering - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.56/5.0)

Summer 2010 Courses

CS 2110 - Software Development Methods

Spring 2010 Courses

CS 2110 - Software Development Methods - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.63/5.0)
CS 3240 - Advanced Software Development - Podcast - Teaching Evaluations (4.43/5.0)

Fall 2009 Courses

CS 2110 - Software Development Methods - Teaching Evaluations: Section 1 (4.52/5.0) | Section 2 (4.51/5.0)
CS 4501 - Web Information Systems Engineering - Teaching Evaluations (4.61/5.0)

Summer 2009 Courses

CS 201 - Software Development Methods

Spring 2009 Courses

CS 201 - Software Development Methods - Teaching Evaluations (4.49/5.0)
CS 340 - Advanced Software Development - Teaching Evaluations (4.43/5.0)

Fall 2008 Courses

CS 201 - Software Development Methods - Teaching Evaluations: Section 1 (4.48/5.0) | Section 2 (4.35/5.0)
CS 462 - Database Systems - Teaching Evaluations (4.61/5.0)

Spring 2008 Courses

CS 150 - Computing: From Ada to the Web - Teaching Evaluations (4.15/5.0)
CS 201 - Software Development Methods - Teaching Evaluations (4.08/5.0)

Fall 2007 Courses

CS 201 - Software Development Methods - Teaching Evaluations (4.02/5.0)
CS 462 - Database Systems - Teaching Evaluations (4.54/5.0)

Teaching Background

NC State Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award - Spring 2005
Certificate of Accomplishment in Teaching Program Member
Coursework in EAC 786 - Teaching for College

Previous Courses

[Download teaching evaluations]
CSC 440 - Database Management Systems - Summer 2006
CSC 440 - Database Management Systems - Summer 2005
CSC 440 - Database Management Systems - Summer 2004
CSC 440 - Database Management Systems - Summer 2003

Teaching Assistant

CSC 326 - Software Engineering - Teaching Assistant for Dr. Laurie Williams - Fall 2005
CSC 326 - Software Engineering - Teaching Assistant for Dr. Purush Iyer - Spring 2005
CSC 326 - Software Engineering - Teaching Assistant for Dr. Laurie Williams - Fall 2004
CSC 326 - Software Engineering - Teaching Assistant for Dr. Laurie Williams - Fall 2002

Research in CS Education

Layer, R., Sherriff, M., and Tychonievich, L. "Inform, Experience, Implement - Teaching an Intensive High School Summer Course." The 42nd Annual Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference, Seattle, WA, Oct 3-6, 2012. To appear.

Sherriff, M. "Teaching Web Services and Service-Oriented Architecture using Mobile Platforms." The 40th Annual Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference, Washington, DC, Oct 27-30, 2010. [PDF]

Krogius, O., Horton, T., and Sherriff, M. "Role of Larger Software Artifacts in Introductory Computer Science Courses." The 40th Annual Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference, Washington, DC, Oct 27-30, 2010. [PDF]

Lew, M., Horton, T., and Sherriff, M. "Using LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT and LEJOS in an Advanced Software Engineering Course." The 23rd Annual IEEE-CS Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training, Pittsburg, PA, Mar 9-12, 2010. [PDF]

Sennett, J. and Sherriff, M. "Compatibility of Partnered Students in Computer Science Education." The 41st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, Milwaukee, WI, Mar 10-13, 2010. [PDF]

Burg, J., and Sherriff, M. "Unix Tutorials to Move Students from PC/Windows to Unix." ED-MEDIA 2002 Conference, June 30, 2002.

Sharing of Teaching Materials and Techniques

Pair Programming
Sherriff, M. "Pair Programming in the Classroom." Tapestry CS Education Workshop, Summer 2009, 2010, and 2011. [PPT]

My work and advocating for pair programming (an extension of my work with my PhD advisor at NC State University, Dr. Laurie Williams) has had an impact both at UVa and at other schools. I have shared my knowledge of team creation and management with several other SEAS facutly at UVa and have given several presentations about it to over 100 high school teachers. They have also contacted me to let me know how their efforts have been going. I'm proud to say that my efforts in spreading pair programming as a mechanism for helping lower-level programmers has been successful.

The Encryption Chase
Sherriff, M. "Encryption Chase - Assignment for CS2." Nifty Assignments Panel, SIGCSE 2010, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 2010. http://nifty.stanford.edu/2010/sherriff-encryption-chase/ - This chase activity was recognized as one of the "Nifty Assignments" in computing in 2010. Since then, it has been adopted by faculty and industry practioners both at UVa and abroad.

Here are two instances of the chase that I created for CS 1110 for teaching loops and encryption: Chase 1 - Loops & Chase 2 - Encryption

For the younger kids in the LEAD program, I wrote a simpler chase with a lesson on the history of cryptography: Cryptography Lesson & LEAD Chase

Advising and Mentoring

Undergraduate Advisees

2008-2009 - 28 Advisees (CS, BACS, First-Year SEAS)
2009-2010 - 42 Advisees (CS, BACS, First-Year SEAS)
2010-2011 - 40 Advisees (CS, BACS, First-Year SEAS)
2011-2012 - 32 Advisees (CS, BACS, First-Year SEAS)
2012-2013 - 44 Advisees (CS, BACS, First-Year SEAS)

Also one of two primary contacts for all CS minors.

Senior Thesis Projects

Fall 2012 - Spring 2013 (5)

Michael Legore - Software Maintenance Lifecycles with Non-Profit Software Systems
Daniel Miller - Visualizing UVa Enrollment Trends
Amanda Ray - Efficient User Interfaces for Aiding Students with Enrollment
Hunter Williams - Automated Quadcopters with Android Devices
Samuel Wilson - Automated Quadcopters with Android Devices

Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 (8)

Alex Johnson - Software for Non-Profit Organizations
Matt Russell - Software for Non-Profit Organizations
Erik Davis - An Evaluation of Python as an Effective CS1 Language
Harry Bowron - Open-source Software for Teaching Chemistry
Navid Hosseini - A More Cost-Effective Unattended Ground Sensor Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Products
Manuel Cordovez (SIE)- A More Cost-Effective Unattended Ground Sensor Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Products
Katie Hempenius (SIE)- A More Cost-Effective Unattended Ground Sensor Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Products
Reed Wilson (ECE)- A More Cost-Effective Unattended Ground Sensor Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Products

Fall 2010 - Spring 2011 (11)

Jared Harding - Mobile HCI for Course Selection
Calvin Li - Voice Interface for Portable Learning
George Washington - Voice Interface for Portable Learning
Bennett Sorbo - CavDaily Advertising
Nikhita Karki - Scheduling System for Student Volunteers at UVa Hospital
Daniel Magnusson - Motion Sickness with Video Games
Kevin Leach - Prescription Databases
Michael Devine - Generating Music and Art using Microsoft Kinect
Olex Ponomarenko - Generating Music and Art using Microsoft Kinect
Derrick Brameyer - Agile Development in Student Projects (Ind. Study)
Alan Kush - Agile Development in Student Projects (Ind. Study)

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010 (9)

Matt Beattie - Bluetooth Identification for Vehicles
Ryan Grigsy - Security for Emergency Announcement Systems
Joshua Joyner - Lego Mindstorm NXT Sensor Simulation
Seth Micalizzi - Mobile GPS Social Applications
Charles Plucker - Mobile Virtual Reality
Emma Rosenfeld - Teaching Time Concepts to Early Elementary Students
John Szmuski - Bluetooth Identification for Vehicles
Steven Trombetta - PairEval v2.0
Jessica Vasconcellos - Student timecard system for Newcomb Hall

Fall 2008 - Spring 2009 (4)

Jeffery Gaither - Web Software Source Control Management and Users
Michael Miller - An Analysis of Static Metrics in Open-Source Software Projects
Benjamin Plunkett - UVaCollab: Compliance with FERPA
Joshua Sennett - Compatibility of Partnered Students in Computer Science Education

Fall 2007 - Spring 2008 (4)

Eric Bradbury - A New Paradigm for Tutoring at the School of Engineering and Applied Science
Fred Dysart - PHP Based Automated Fix for SQL Injection Attacks
Maureen Maughn - Web-Based Kennel System in PHP and MySQL
Danny Shih - Integrated Querying in C# using Microsoft LINQ

Evidence of Self-Improvement

Podcasting of courses for self-review
Peer evaluators have watched me teach and have provided critiques (Profs. Horton, Bloomfield, and Humphrey)
Constant feedback from students through message boards and anonymous feedback (available by request)
Continued research in CS education
Continued participation in education conferences

Curriculum Efforts

Committees

Chair, CS Undergrad Curriculum Committee
Member, SEAS Undergrad Curriculum Committee
Member, eText Pilot Advisory University Committee
SEAS Summer Advising

New Courses Created

CS 4720 - Web & Mobile Systems
CS 4501 - Service Learning Practicum

Courses Revamped / Introduced New Technology

CS 1110 - Added second programming language, scaled to much larger size
CS 150 - Introduced two new programming languages
CS 2110 - Introduced Android phone projects
CS 3240 - Introduced Lego MINDSTORM NXTs and Bluetooth projects
CS 4750 - Introduced cloud and distributed database systems

Letters of Support

Unsolicited letter of support from The Society of the Dawn, a secret society at UVa [PDF]