2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Students enter college with diverse backgrounds and prior experiences. Some students require more time to understand and master the material, while other students can move through a course more quickly. We designed and developed courses that allow students to adjust due dates to accommodate these differences. When we first proposed an approach that supported individualized, flexible due dates, many agreed it was a good idea but thought it was impossible to implement. We have now been offering such courses for more than five years.

In this paper, we describe a new teaching modality (CS Flex) for higher education, designed to help students achieve learning outcomes while reducing barriers to student success. CS Flex allows students to leverage the expertise and skills they bring to the program and build on those abilities to complete it in a timeframe that fits their personal education and employment goals. This program has several interesting characteristics that, when combined, form a truly unique program.

CS Flex blurs the boundaries of the traditional semester, offering open entry and early exit opportunities. This enables continuous enrollment and progression in the program as soon as they are ready, creating a schedule that works around the individual student rather than around a course or a semester. This provides students with the opportunity to start a CS course when they are ready, without waiting for the traditional semester. The flexibility in pacing and start dates allows students to complete a course and continue in the program at an accelerated pace.

The CS Flex program includes additional elements based on pedagogical best practices, which further strengthen the program. Each course is divided into modular learning units and mapped to explicit learning outcomes. Modules include consistent elements such as readings, interactive materials, formative assessments, and summative mastery checks that ensure transparency and predictability across courses. Progression depends on demonstrated mastery, reinforcing depth of understanding rather than seat time.

The CS Flex program is designed to achieve the same learning objectives as standard CS courses while offering a distinct learning experience. Course topics and materials align fully with the core CS curriculum, allowing students to combine CS Flex and traditional CS courses to meet degree requirements. Each module in a CS Flex course is structured around clearly defined learning outcomes. This reinforces a consistent and outcome-driven learning experience.

Experienced CS faculty develop CS Flex courses to provide a carefully structured online learning experience that maintains academic rigor while supporting flexibility in scheduling. Instructional materials are designed and developed in advance so instructors can focus on meaningful student interactions. Consistent student-teacher interaction and rapid feedback are integral parts of the curriculum design.

This paper examines the design, implementation, and evolution of the CS Flex program, presenting lessons learned from five years of practice. We discuss how design choices, such as modular structure, mastery progression, and rapid-feedback pedagogy interact to support student success. Significant lessons were learned and we found that implementing structured limits and track shift policies improved completion rates and decreased the average time to completion.