UIUC Computer Science Department
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
 

Scavenger Hunt:
Retention Through Orientation

The DCS Scavenger Hunt is a team-based orientation activity for incoming freshmen in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois. It is intended to foster a sense of community within the department and acclimate new students to undergraduate life as computer science majors.

   

Like many large research universities, Illinois has struggled with the high attrition rate of first-year students in computing disciplines. Scavenger Hunt, which has been held each of the past three years, is intended to foster a sense of community within the department and acclimate new students to undergraduate life as computer science majors. A unique aspect of the activity is the use of handheld computers to manage most aspects of the competition, which enables physically handicapped students to participate on an equal footing with their able-bodied peers. Thus far, we have observed a significant correlation between student participation in Scavenger Hunt and retention rates in the department.
Data and Resources  
  SIGCSE Paper  
  Setting Up the Scavenger Hunt  
  Sample Clue Files  
  Scavenger Hunt Rules