Campus Computing Community (C3) at the University of Maryland
Empowering Students in Computing and STEM
The Campus Computing Community (C3) is a pioneering initiative at the University of Maryland designed to support and enrich undergraduate computing education across disciplines. Inspired by the success of academic writing centers, C3 offers a peer-assisted learning model to help students strengthen their computational skills, regardless of major or prior experience.
Housed within the College of Information (INFO) and serving undergraduates in any program at the University, C3 provides accessible, collaborative, and engaging computing support to students at all stages of their academic journey. Through one-on-one peer tutoring, interactive short courses, and cross-disciplinary outreach, C3 fosters computational confidence and prepares students for success in the rapidly evolving STEM workforce.
What C3 Offers
Peer-Assisted Computing Support - COMING SOON
C3’s peer-assisted computing program is modeled after writing centers but adapted for computing education. Students can access:
- In-Person & Virtual Tutoring – Book 1:1 appointments with trained peer tutors. – COMING SOON
- Asynchronous Code Review – Submit programming assignments for structured feedback. – COMING SOON
- Expert-Led Workshops – Participate in skill-building sessions and computational thinking activities. – COMING SOON
Our tutors—trained through a specialized Peer Learning in Computing course—support students in debugging, problem-solving, and navigating different programming languages, ensuring personalized and approachable guidance.
“Maker Movement” Computing Short Courses
Beyond tutoring, C3 provides hands-on computing short courses to engage students through creative and applied learning. These 1-credit courses connect computing with real-world applications, attracting students from diverse fields.
Example Courses:
- Data & Performance Arts – Explore how movement and data visualization intersect.
- Computational Poetry – Experiment with AI-driven poetry and natural language processing.
- Interactive Fiction & Game Design – Learn coding through storytelling.
- eTextiles & Wearable Tech – Merge fashion, electronics, and computing.
- Social Media Algorithms & Bots – Uncover how platforms shape online interactions.
These courses lower the barrier to entry for computing, making programming more accessible and engaging to students across disciplines.
In addition to offering courses by UMD faculty members, C3 is interested in encouraging students to develop their own MMAC courses, through the UMD Student-Initiated Courses program.
Why C3?
A University-Wide Initiative
Computing skills are essential across STEM and non-STEM fields alike; however, many students find programming courses intimidating or challenging due to fast-paced instruction, complex problem-solving, and varying approaches across disciplines.
C3 helps bridge these gaps by:
- Providing computing support across departments – from Information Science, to Computer Science, to Journalism, to Engineering, and English, among others.
- Creating a welcoming, non-intimidating environment for students at all skill levels.
- Offering structured peer support and enrichment to boost confidence in computing.
How to Get Involved
Ways to Participate
Join us in transforming the future of computing education at UMD!
- Students – Book a tutoring session, enroll in a short course, or apply to become a C3 peer tutor! – COMING SOON
- Faculty – Encourage students to use C3 and integrate computing support into your courses. – COMING SOON
- Faculty – Propose to teach a Maker Movement course!
- Researchers & Industry Partners – Collaborate with us to enhance computing education.