Curriculum Vitae for Brian Kokensparger

Contact Information

Brian Kokensparger, Ph.D.
College of Arts & Sciences
Journalism, Media, & Computing Dept.
Creighton University
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178
USA

Office: Hitchcock Comm Arts, 212
Phone: 402-280-2878
Email: bkoken@creighton.edu

Education and Earned Degrees

Creighton University - Omaha, Nebraska M.F.A. in Creative Writing
    Completed: May, 2017
    Thesis: "Night Geese: Selected Poems"

University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Nebraska Ph.D. in Education Studies
    Completed: December, 2013
    Focus: Instructional Technology
    Dissertation: "Using Compositional Writing Samples to Explore Student Usage
          Patterns in a Learning Management System"

Creighton University - Omaha, Nebraska M.S. in Computer Science
    Completed: December, 1997
    Focus: Systems Programming
    Thesis: "Developing a GUI for an Arrhythmia Monitoring System"

Creighton University - Omaha, Nebraska B.A. in English - Creative Writing
    Completed: May, 1991
    Focus: Playwriting, with a support in Theatre
    Thesis: "Doin' Chickens, a Play in 3 Acts"

Professional Experience

Current Appointment:
Assistant Professor of Journalism, Media, and Computing
    Journalism, Media, and Computing Department
    Creighton University

Previous Experience:
Coordinator of Pre-Health and New Student Advising
    College of Arts & Sciences
    Creighton University

Technology Coordinator
    College of Arts & Sciences
    Creighton University

Systems Engineer
    Computer Arrhythmia Monitoring (Cardiology Division)
    Creighton University

Academic Assistant to the Dean
    College of Arts & Sciences
    Creighton University

Administrative Assistant/Promotions Coordinator
    Fine & Performing Arts Department
    Creighton University

Fields of Interest

Research:

• Computer Science Education and Pedagogy
• Digital Humanities Programming
• Textual Analysis of Early Modern English Drama
• Assessment and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Linguistic Landscape/Applied Linguistics
• Multi-Processor Research Methods

Teaching:

• Programming for Beginners and Non-Majors
• Programming for the Digital Humanities
• Computer Organization/Hardware
• Web Programming
• Database Design
• Data Collection for Social Justice (developing)

Courses Taught at Creighton University

• Computers and Scientific Thinking (CSC 121)
• Introduction to Programming (CSC 221)
• Professional Writing (JRM 320)
• Introduction to Computer Organization (CSC 414)
• Relational Database Design (CSC 542)
• Web Programming (CSC 551)
• Freedom and Security in a Digitally Divided Society (CSC/SRP 448)
• Directed Independent Study (CSC 497)
• Culture of Collegiate Life (RSP 101)

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Kokensparger, B. (2018). Navigating the forest through the trees: Visualizing character paths through Shakespeare's As You Like It. (IN PRESS - scheduled for issue 1(2) in November, 2018) Journal of Digital Archives and Digital Humanities.

Kokensparger, B. (2018). What ought to be taught?: Topical analysis for teaching future digital humanities researchers in a CS1 course. J. Comput. Sci. Coll. 33(5),165-171.

Kokensparger, B. & Peyou, W. (2018). Programming for the Humanities: A Whirlwind Tour of Assignments (Abstract). SIGCSE '18: Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education. p. 1050.

Kokensparger, B. (2017). Do students lie on placement surveys? An action research study. J. Comput. Sci. Coll. 32(5),156-162.

Kokensparger, B. (2016). Transformational Programming: Using the Shakespeare Corpus to Help Students Learn Decision Structures (Nifty Assignment). J. Comput. Sci. Coll. 31(5),160-162.

Kokensparger, B. (2016). Seven Reasons Why the Shakespeare Corpus is an Excellent Training Context for Digital Humanities Programming. J. Comput. Sci. Coll. 31(5),125-132.

Kokensparger, B. (2015). Meaningful Geometrics: Bridging Scratch to Python (Nifty Assignment). J. Comput. Sci. Coll. 30(5),107-109.

Kokensparger, B. (2014). Using Test Questions as a Sole Method for Assessing Student Critical Thinking Skills in a Computer Organization Course. J. Comput. Sci. Coll. 29(5),145-151.

Kokensparger, B. & Brooks, D. W. (2013). Using Audio Introductions to Improve Programming and Oral Skills in CS0 Students. J. Comput. Sci. Coll. 29(1),68-73.


Other Significant Publications

Kokensparger, B. (2018). Corpus visualization: High-level student engagement on a zero budget (Accepted book chapter proposal, IN PRESS). Quick Hits: Teaching with the Digital Humanities. Indiana University Press.

Kokensparger, B. (2018). Guide to Programming for the Digital Humanities - Lessons for Introductory Python. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-99115-3

Kokensparger, B. (2018). How does linguistic complexity in Shakespeare's plays relate to the production history of a commercial American theatre? (Invited book chapter, IN PRESS - under final edits by the editor.) Big Data in Computational Social Science and Humanities. Springer.

Kokensparger, B. (2018). Finding the Jesuit spirit of theater in Chekhov's Three Sisters. America Magazine: The Jesuit Review. Retrieved from https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/01/11/finding-jesuit-spirit-theater- chekhovs-three-sisters, published January 11, 2018.

Kokensparger, B. (2017). List of reasons why the Shakespeare corpus provides a great learning context for beginning programming students. Folgerpedia Online. Folger Shakespeare Library. Retrieved from https://folgerpedia.folger.edu/List_of_reasons_why_the_Shakespeare_corpus_pro vides_a_great_learning_context_for_beginning_programming_students

Kokensparger, B., & Taylor, A. (2015) The Effectiveness of Violence Prevention Training at Creighton University: Results of the Year 3 Survey (Grant Deliverable). White paper of analyzed survey results published to external audience (Women's Center for Advancement).

Kokensparger, B. (2014). A Question of How We Learn. Creighton Magazine, Omaha, Nebraska, 30(2),22-25.

Kokensparger, B., & Taylor, A. (2014). Personal Violence Experiences Reported by Students Before and After Matriculation to Creighton University (Grant Deliverable). White paper published to external audience (Women's Center for Advancement).

Presentations and Posters

Scholarly Presentations - International Peer-Reviewed

Kokensparger, B. "Walking into a Brave New World: Visualizing Character Paths through Shakespeare's Plays" (Paper Presentation). Digital Archives and Digital Humanities 2017, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan. (November 30, 2017)

Kokensparger, B. "Institutionalized Hostility: The Lack of Bilingual Signage at Nebraska Rural Hospitals" (Paper Presentation), Linguistic Landscape 8, Liverpool, UK. (April 29, 2016)


Scholarly Presentations - National Peer-Reviewed

Kokensparger, B. "The play IS the thing: Using agent-based modeling to suggest authorship for A Yorkshire Tragedy" (Paper Presentation) Digitorium, 2018, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (October 5, 2018)

Kokensparger, B. & Peyou, W. (2018). "Programming for the Humanities: A Whirlwind Tour of Assignments (Workshop Presentation). SIGCSE '18: Baltimore, Maryland. (February 21, 2018). *With student co-presenter.

Kokensparger, B. "Using the Ubiqu+Ity Tool to Do Theme Analysis on a Literary Corpus" (Workshop Presentation). Digitorium, 2017, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (March 2, 2017)

Kokensparger, B. "Re-Visiting Linguistic Complexity in Shakespearean Drama" (Project Demonstration). EMDA 2015 Reunion Meeting, Folger Institute, Washington, DC. (May 17, 2016)

Kokensparger, B. "How Linguistic Complexity in the Shakespeare Corpus Relates to the Production History of a Commercial Shakespearean Theatre" (Paper Presentation) Digitorium, 2016, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (March 4, 2016)

Kokensparger, B. "Helping Them Find the Line: Teaching Hactivism in the Modern University" (Paper Presentation). Dalton National Institute on College Student Values, Tallahassee, FL (February 5, 2016)

Kokensparger, B. "Measuring Linguistic Complexity in Shakespearean Drama" (Project Presentation). EMDA 2015, Folger Institute, Washington, DC. (July 2, 2015)

Kokensparger, B. "A Size to Fit All: Creating a Capstone Project Rubric to Assess Three Vastly Different Programs" (Paper Presentation). National Assessment Institute, Indiana University -- Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Indianapolis, Indiana (October 20, 2014)

Kokensparger, B. "Educational Data Mining Prospects With Canvas" (Paper Presentation), InstructureCON 2013, Instructure, Inc., Park City, Utah. (June 20, 2013)

Kokensparger, B. "Audio Introductions as an Intervention to Improve Programming in CS0 Courses" (Paper Presentation), 2013 International Institute for SoTL Scholars and Mentors, IISSAM, Los Angeles, California. (May 31, 2013)


Scholarly Presentations - Regional Peer-Reviewed

Kokensparger, B. "What ought to be taught?: Topical analysis for teaching future digital humanities researchers in a CS1 course." (Paper Presentation), CCSC-CP Regional Conference, The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, Maryville, Missouri. (April 7, 2018)

Kokensparger, B. "Do students lie on placement surveys? An action research study" (Paper Presentation), CCSC-CP Regional Conference, The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, Lincoln, Nebraska. (April 1, 2017)

Kokensparger, B. "Transformational Programming: Using the Shakespeare Corpus to Help Students Learn Decision Structures" (Nifty Assignment Presentation), CCSC-CP Regional Conference, The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, St. Joseph, Missouri. (April 1, 2016)

Kokensparger, B. "Seven Reasons Why the Shakespeare Corpus is an Excellent Training Context for Digital Humanities Programming," (Paper Presentation), CCSC-CP Regional Conference, The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, St. Joseph, Missouri. (April 1, 2016)

Kokensparger, B. "Meaningful Geometrics: Bridging Scratch to Python," (Nifty Assignment Presentation), CCSC-CP Regional Conference, The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Missouri (April 10, 2015)

Kokensparger, B. "Using Test Questions as a Sole Method for Assessing Student's Critical Thinking Skills in a Computer Organization Course" (Paper Presentation), CCSC-CP Regional Conference, The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, Fulton, Missouri. (April 4, 2014)

Kokensparger, B. "Using Audio Introductions to Improve Programming and Oral Skills in CS0 Students" (Paper Presentation), CCSC-Midwest Conference, Consortium for Computer Science in Colleges, Findlay, Ohio. (September 21, 2013)


Other Scholarly Presentations and Posters

Kokensparger, B. "Brainstorming Communication Research: The Jesuit University as Regional Conscience." AJCU-CC 2018, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri. (July 20, 2018).

Kokensparger, B. (Facilitator). "Tune up Your Syllabus, Then Supercharge it!" (2- part workshop series). TLC Faculty Development Series, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. (Mar 24th and April 4th, 2018).

Kokensparger, B. "7 Trending Patterns of Program Assessment of Student Learning" (Poster Presentation). Creighton University Assessment Symposium (November 3, 2017).

Kokensparger, B. "The Peer Review Process, From Inside-Out" AEA Faculty Development Series, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. (September 20, 2017).

Kokensparger, B. & Longo, M. "Developing a Summer Bridge Course in Canvas for First Generation and Low SES Students - A Cautionary Tale", Nebraska Canvas User's Meeting, ESU2 Nebraska Public Schools, Norfolk, Nebraska. (July 31, 2017)

Kokensparger, B. "Mission Back at You: Where do Our Institutional Mission Statements Intersect?" AJCU-CC 2017, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. (July 19, 2017).

Kokensparger, B. "Mission, of Course!" AEA Faculty Development Series, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. (April 5, 2017).

Kokensparger, B, "Finding God in All Things" (Panelist). New Faculty Orientation to Mission Meeting, A&S Mission Catalysts, College of Arts & Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. (February 17, 2017)

Kokensparger, B, "Let Them Take Pictures: Linguistic Landscape as a Service Learning Pedagogy", AJCU-CC 2016, New Orleans, Louisiana. (July 14, 2016)

Kokensparger, B. "John Creighton: Blazing the First Internet," (Chatauqua-style presentation funded by the Nebraska Humanities Council), Lincoln County Museum, North Platte, Nebraska. (May 12, 2016)

Kokensparger, B. "Place-Based Learning: Thinking Beyond Creighton's Borders", AEA Faculty Development Presentation, Creighton Academic Excellence and Assessment, Omaha, Nebraska. (April 5, 2016)

Graham, K. & Kokensparger, B. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Magis Course-Level Assessment and Renewal," Creighton University Assessment Symposium, Omaha, Nebraska. (November 12, 2015)

Kokensparger, B. "Digital Humanities: A New Way to Do Ignatian Research?," AJCU-CC Communications Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts. (July 24, 2015)

Kokensparger, B. "Ten Ways to Measure Student Learning with What You Already Have," (2 part workshop series). AEA Faculty Development Series, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. (March 25 and April 1, 2015)

Kokensparger, B. & Duda, G. "Getting Started in Assessment: Nuts and Bolts," Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. (February, 2015)

Kokensparger, B. (panelist and table moderator) "The Assessment Mentoring Program," Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. (January 28, 2015)

Kokensparger, B. "Co-Curricular Workshop Series," AEA Faculty Development Series, Creighton Academic Excellence and Assessment, Omaha, Nebraska. (Three sessions presented in the month of October, 2014)

Kokensparger, B. "Getting Assessment Data Out of Canvas and Into Taskstream: Test Item Analysis," Time Out for Lunch Series, Creighton University Office of Academic Excellence and Assessment, Creighton University. (February 28, 2014)

Kokensparger, B. "Getting Assessment Data Out of Canvas and Into Taskstream: Rubrics," Time Out for Lunch Series, Creighton University Office of Academic Excellence and Assessment, Creighton University. (February 12, 2014)

Kokensparger, B. "Quantitative Analysis Workshop," AEA Time Out for Lunch Series, Creighton University AEA, Omaha, Nebraska. (November 20, 2013)

Kokensparger, B. "Train, Theatre, or Telegraph: The Future of Face-to-Face in Higher Education," Student Research Conference, University of Nebraska -- Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska. (November 9, 2013)

Kokensparger, B. "Survey Design, Implementation and Management," Time Out for Lunch Series, Creighton University AEA, Omaha, Nebraska. (October 30, 2013) Kokensparger, B. "One Communications Project Rubric Fits All: Or Does It?," AJCU-CC Communications Annual Meeting, Fairfield, Connecticut. (July 17, 2014)

Kokensparger, B. "RSP Jesuit Martyr Facilitations (three sessions)," RSP Jesuit Martyr Facilitations, Ratio Studiorum Program, Omaha, Nebraska. (Three sessions given in the Fall 2014 semester, beginning October, 2014)

Wirth, E. & Kokensparger, B. "Merging Departments and Organizational Culture," AJCU-COMM Meeting, American Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Santa Clara, California. (July 19, 2013)

Grants and Fellowships (funded)

Kokensparger, B. (Principal Investigator) "Magis Core Curriculum New Course Development Grant," Sponsored by College of Arts & Sciences, Creighton University, $2,000 (Jul 1, 2018 - Jun 30, 2019).

Kokensparger, B. "Using GPR to Train Students to Collect and Analyze Data as a Community Engagement Project," Sponsored by the Teaching and Learning Center, Creighton University, $2,000 (April 1, 2018 to December 1, 2018).

Kokensparger, B. (Fellowship), "Academic Excellence and Assessment (AEA) Senior Fellowship" (2-year appointment), Sponsored by Creighton University AEA Office, Creighton University, $4,000 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2018).

Kokensparger, B. (Principal Investigator), "Developing a Digital Circuit Lab for a Computer Organization Course," Sponsored by the Office of Academic Excellence and Assessment, Creighton University, $2,000 (December 1, 2015 to December 1, 2016).

Reed, D. & Kokensparger, B. (Co-Principal Investigator) "Magis Core Curriculum New Course Development Grant," Sponsored by College of Arts & Sciences, Creighton University, $4,000 (July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015).

Kokensparger, B. (Fellowship), "Academic Excellence and Assessment (AEA) Fellowship" (2-year appointment), Sponsored by Creighton University AEA Office, Creighton University, $4,000 (July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2016).

Kokensparger, B. (Principal Investigator), Ward, L. "Violence Prevention Survey and Study." Analyzed data collected from a survey instrument at Creighton University on the topic of students' sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and experiences of being stalked. This grant funded through CHI Health. Industry/Corporation (07/01/2014 - 05/15/2015)

Kokensparger, B. & Taylor, A. (Investigator), Personal Violence Experiences Reported by Students Before and After Matriculation to Creighton University. Creighton University White Paper. (June 2014). Research supported through a grant from CHI Health., PI, Industry/Corporation (01/01/2014 - 06/30/2014)

Kokensparger, B. (Principal Investigator), "General Harney and the Blue Water Massacre," Sponsored by Non-Western Studies Program Committee, Creighton University, $800 (October 15, 2013 - June 30, 2014).

Kokensparger, B. (Fellowship), "Academic Excellence and Assessment (AEA) Fellowship" (2-year appointment), Sponsored by Creighton University AEA Office, Creighton University, $4,000 (July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2014).

Teaching Awards

• Dean's Special Award (February 8, 2018). Awarded by Creighton College of Arts & Sciences.
• "Iggy" Award, (May 2014). Awarded by Creighton EDGE Program
• Faculty Partner of the Year (April 3, 2014). Awarded by Creighton Student Support and Services Office.
• Dean's Award for Professional Excellence in Pre-Major Advising (February 7, 2012). Awarded by Creighton College of Arts & Sciences.
• Service-Learning Faculty Member of the Year, (September 26, 2008). Awarded by the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education.

Professional Development

Certifications

    Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC (Certified Reader) (06/15/2015 - present)

    Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Certified) (06/15/2012 - present)

Membership in Professional Societies

    Member - Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) (03/01/2016 - present)

    Member - Consortium for Computer Science in Colleges (01/01/2012 - present)

    Member - International Educational Data Mining Society (06/01/2013 - 05/31/2015)

    Member - Special Interest Group in Knowledge Discovery in Databases (SIGKDD) (01/01/2010 - 12/31/2012)

Service to the Profession

Conference Paper Reviews

    SIGCSE 2018 - Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education (Baltimore, Maryland) - Reviewed 3 papers (September, 2017)

    DADH 2017 - Digital Archiving and Digital Humanities (Taipei, Taiwan) Reviewed 2 papers (August, 2017)

Consulting

    Max-Bod Journal/Watercolors Project (in cooperation with the Joslyn Art Museum), supervise programming student involvement and assist in TEI/XSLT aspect of the project. (05/15/2017 - ONGOING)

    Technology and Data Consultant, assist with technical details of digitizing 13,500 burial permits and making them available for public viewing through the Internet and research data for Creighton students. (11/20/2015 - ONGOING)

    Green Dot Surveys, Years 2 and 3, designed survey instruments, oversaw data collection, analyzed and reported on two surveys regarding the Sexual Violence climate at Creighton University. (03/01/2014 - 07/15/2015)

    ILAC Assessment Reporting Design Project, assisted assessment coordinators in ILAC program with instrument design, implementation, data collection, analysis, and reporting of results. (02/01/2015 - 03/20/2015)

    Fine and Performing Arts Assessment Consultant (09/01/2013 - 07/01/2014)

Service to the Institution

University Service

    Magis Core Curriculum Committee (elected member through May 2021) (elected 2018)

    Peer Review Subcommittee, Subcommittee Chair - University Assessment Committee (08/15/2015 - 6/1/2018) - 3 years of service

    University Assessment Committee, Appointed Member (08/01/2011 - 6/1/2018) - 7 years of service

    Violence Prevention Advisory Board (02/01/2014 - 05/31/2016) - 2 years of service

    Mentor for New Staff Members (12/01/2013 - 5/15/2016) - 3 years of service

    TaskStream Implementation Team (09/15/2011 - 05/15/2015) - 4 years of service

    UAC Technical Resources Subcommittee (08/15/2012 - 05/15/2013) - 1 year of service

    Native American Persistence Task Force (06/01/2012 - 06/01/2012)

    Alcohol Education Task Force (08/15/2010 - 05/15/2012) - 2 years of service

    Gateway Program for SSS Students (01/01/2011 - 01/01/2011)


College of Arts & Sciences Service

    College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Senate (elected member through May 2021) (elected 2018)

    College of Arts & Sciences Special Programs Day - Prospective Student Interviews (ONGOING since 2017)

    AS Mission Catalysts (ONGOING since 2016)

    AS Advising Task Force (ONGOING since 2016)

    Prospective Student Recruitment and Advising (ONGOING since 2013)

    College of Arts & Sciences Assessment Committee, Elected Member (ONGOING since 2011)

    Faculty Senate Steering Committee, Elected Member (08/15/2016 - 05/30/2017) - 1 year of service

    AS-Faculty Senate, Elected Member (08/01/2014 - 05/30/2017) - 3 years of service

    Digital Humanities Advisory Committee, Member (01/01/2015 - 12/15/2016) - 1 year of service

    Digital Humanities Faculty Search Committee (11/01/2014 - 06/30/2015)

    Ratio Studiorum Program Training Team (08/15/2005 - 06/15/2016) - 11 years of service


JMC Department Service

    Moderator, Computer Science Club (ONGOING since 2015)

    Journalism, Media & Computing Department, Assessment Coordinator - Department (ONGOING since 2011)

    Luce-Booth Faculty Member Search Committee (10/01/2016 - 02/01/2017)


Recent Community Service

    Speaker Bureau - Humanities Nebraska (formerly Nebraska Humanities Council) (01/01/2003 - ONGOING)

    Filmstreams discussions leader for the movie The Imitation Game, 2 sessions (1/24/17)

    Three Sisters, by Anton Chekhov - Character Performance (Chebutykin) (9/15/2017 to 11/15/2017)

    Gates High School Applicant Mentoring (10/01/2013 - 04/01/2014)