By Rachel Robey
In addition to his novel teaching methods that help the department handle its record popularity and class sizes, newly appointed Teaching Professor Jim Williams provides an unrivaled education to students of all skill levels.
In his ten years with Computer Sciences (CS), Dr. Jim Williams, a veteran member of the department’s rapidly expanding roster of teaching faculty, has taught thousands upon thousands of students. In that time, he says the massive upswing in enrollment has been the most pressing challenge—yet one thing remains constant: his commitment to ensuring that CS provides the same caliber of education that the department achieves in its research.
In honor of these efforts, Williams was recently appointed as a “Teaching Professor,” a new position established by Dean Eric Wilcots in recognition of “demonstrated and ongoing excellence, distinction, and innovation in instruction.” A longtime instructor of Programming I (CS 200) and a new member of the College of Letters & Sciences (L&S) Teaching and Learning Advisory Council, Williams is one of just four members of the CS teaching faculty to receive the appointment.
“As a teaching professor, I’m excited to continue exploring innovative teaching strategies and contributing to the academic community,” says Williams. “Together, we’ll shape the future of computer science education.”
Teaching in an era of explosive growth
“I’ve taught over 7,000 students in the last decade—I crossed that in summer 2024,” says Williams, reflecting on the growth of the department and its efforts to serve any student seeking a computer science education. “Right now I’ve got about 280, but the most I’ve ever had in a semester is 900 students. I did an overload for a few semesters because of the explosive demand.”
UW–Madison, which differs from other universities by virtue of its open-access undergraduate Computer Sciences degree, is in the midst of a popularity boom. While other schools have transitioned to a limited-access model allowing only a select number of students to complete computer science degrees, UW–Madison Computer Sciences is accessible to any student who meets the major declaration requirements.
“Jim is one of our greatest educators, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have him. It takes a special kind of instructor to successfully lead these massive introductory courses and ensure that students are thriving,” says CS Chair Steve Wright. “It’s in part due to his commitment that we’re able to maintain our distinctive open-access model. We’re thrilled to honor him with the teaching professor title.”
Computer Sciences’ unique open-enrollment approach has contributed to its more than 800% growth in undergraduates over the last ten years, and has cemented it as the largest major—and one-half of the most popular double major—on campus. Likewise, the growth has brought on a unique set of challenges for educators like Williams, who remain focused on maintaining a high-quality learning experience in large introductory courses.
“How do we enlarge classes? How do we recreate student interactions and small group discussions in such a large format?” he asks. “How, exactly, do we scale?”
An innovative approach to CS education
As classroom sizes surge, Williams—working with other members of the department like Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor Mike Swift and Gary Dahl (one of three other instructors to be appointed as teaching professor)—has instituted a number of measures to ensure his students still receive tailored attention and support.
One such tactic is the department’s peer mentoring program: “Even though lectures are large, students can still have small group interactions with 10 to 12 peers and an assistant peer mentor,” says Williams. “It helps break down the barriers, so tentative students are more likely to get the support they need.”
Additionally, Williams allows students to submit multiple attempts on assignments, making homework a more encouraging opportunity for further learning. In large lectures where there’s significant variation in his students’ programming experience, he focuses discussions on the current material in order to maintain a welcoming environment for those newer to programming. Students with more advanced questions are encouraged to ask them during office hours, which immediately follow lectures, or in discussions with TAs.
Williams understands that these efforts, which are designed primarily to support students who are new to computer science, might mean his course isn’t for everyone. “We offer a self-assessment to help guide students in determining if they are prepared for the next course. Ultimately, it’s up to the student to decide,” he says. “So if a student is in my class, it’s because they’re choosing to be there.”
Creating an equitable learning environment
Beyond large lectures, a major obstacle of CS’ open-access model is the variation in level of experience for incoming freshmen. While UW–Madison’s program is uniquely welcoming to computer science newcomers, the skill disparity among degree seekers upends common assumptions around how teaching—and especially grading—ought to be conducted.
“When students are learning to read and write a programming language, it may take some a little bit longer—but that’s ok. The goal is simply to get to fluency,” says Williams. “A lot of the activities in my course are independent, allowing students to go at their own pace.”
This relatively novel outlook also encouraged Williams to move away from curved grading models that force distinctions between students. “In looking at the data, I realized curved grading really privileged those with substantial previous knowledge,” he explains. “My belief is that, in these introductory courses, exams and assignments should demonstrate competency and allow me to keep evolving the teaching so I can help as many students as possible achieve fluency.”
Still, even with the new teaching professor title, Williams considers his job to be much the same as it’s ever been: “It’s about ensuring those that have no prior experience are able to spend the time they need to learn in a fair environment.”
Congratulations—and our utmost thanks—to Professor Williams!