Abstract: This presentation will review characteristics of what makes someone a great educator, with reflections from my personal experience teaching computer science. Additionally, results will be presented on enhancing student preparation for an introductory Java class by using YouTube videos. Recursion will be used as a teaching demonstration.

Short Bio: Martin Carlisle is the director of academic affairs and a teaching professor in the Information Networking Institute, at Carnegie Mellon University. Previously, he was a computer science professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, director of the Academy Center for Cyberspace Research, and founder and coach of the Air Force Academy Cyber Competition Team. Professor Carlisle earned a PhD in computer science from Princeton University. His research interests include computer security, programming languages and computer science education. He is currently the education director for picoCTF, an online computer security competition for middle and high school students that had over 27000 participants last year.

Prof. Carlisle is the primary author of RAPTOR, an introductory programming environment used in universities and schools around the world. He advises students in Carnegie Mellon’s Plaid Parliament of Pwning and founded and coached the Air Force Academy Cyber Competition Team, which advanced four years to the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. He is an ACM Distinguished Educator, a Colorado Professor of the Year, and a recipient of the Arthur S. Flemming Award for Exceptional Federal Service.