Accessible Design

Teaching How All Technologies Are Accessible in Data Structures and Algorithms

Kevin Lin

Designing computing education that empowers students

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Kevin Lin (he/him) is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. He leads instructional innovation in data programming and data structures with a focus on empowering students to redesign computing problems and artifacts. Kevin received his MS in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, where he coordinated the teaching and delivery of very large-scale undergraduate CS courses to over 1,000 students per semester.


2019—
Assistant Teaching Professor
Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering
University of Washington
kevinl@cs.uw.edu
2023
Visiting Assistant Professor
Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute
University of California, San Diego

Education

2019
MS, Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley
2018
BA, Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley
BA, Cognitive Science
University of California, Berkeley

Teaching

University of Washington

2019—
Computer Programming II
22sp20au20sp
Intermediate Data Programming
25sp25wi24sp24wi23sp21sp
Data Structures and Algorithms
25sp24au24sp23au23wi22au22wi21au21su21wi20wi19au
System and Software Tools
25wi
Equitable and Inclusive Computer Science Pedagogy
22au
Designing a More Critical CS Education
21sp – 21wi
Honors Seminar
22sp – 20au

University of California, San Diego

2023
Data Structures and Algorithms for Data Science
23su

University of California, Berkeley

2016–2018
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
fa17 (Head TA) – su17fa16 (TA) – sp16 (Tutor)
Data Structures
su18sp18 (Head TA) – sp17 (Head TA) – su16 (TA)
Great Ideas in Computer Architecture
fa18 (Head TA)

Distinctions

2024
Evidence-Based Teaching Fellow
SIGCSE TS 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Award
2023
Teach Access Faculty Grant
2022
Designing Empirical Education Research Studies Participant
2021
Cultural Competence in Computing Fellow
2019
EECS Distinguished Student Teaching Award
Teaching Effectiveness Award
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award

Invited Talks

2024
Programming: You, Me, Everybody, and Everything
Robinson Center Introduction to Programming in Python
Teaching Contentious Issues in the Classroom
Cultural Competence in Computing Fellows Cohort 4 Professional Development
An Invitation to Reimagine: Empowering Students to Redesign Computing Problems and Artifacts
Illinois Computer Science Summer Teaching Workshop
Alternative Grading: Equitable Grading and Ecosystems for More Caring Communities
Reflection and Practice Seminar Series
Empowering Students Through Our Teaching
UW Teaching & Learning Symposium
An Invitation to Reimagine: Empowering Students to Redesign Computing Problems and Artifacts
UC Berkeley ACE Lab
An Invitation to Reimagine: Empowering Students to Redesign Computing Problems and Artifacts
Computing Education Research at Davis
An Invitation to Reimagine: Empowering Students to Redesign Computing Problems and Artifacts
Olin College Community Research Seminar
An Invitation to Reimagine: Empowering Students to Redesign Computing Problems and Artifacts
UIUC Computing Education Research Group
2023
Experiences Teaching Critical Comparative Data Structures and Algorithms
Embedded Ethics Conference
Experiences Teaching Critical Comparative Data Structures and Algorithms
Northwestern University Tech Ethics Mentors
2022
Teaching-Track Faculty Panel
CMU School of Computer Science Education Group
CS Education for the Socially-Just Worlds We Need
Computing Education Research at Davis
CS Education for the Socially-Just Worlds We Need
CS Diversity Committee Webinar, Simon Fraser University
2021
CS Education for the Socially-Just Worlds We Need
TechEd Seminar, Princeton University
Centering Identity and Culture in Critical Computing
Teaching Responsible Computing Summit 2021
Justice-Centered CS Education
CS Education Seminar, Western Washington University
What You Wish You Knew About Summer Instruction
Designing Computer Science Education, UC Berkeley

Publications

Conference Papers

2025
Code Interviews: Design and Evaluation of a More Authentic Assessment for Introductory Programming Assignments
Suhas Kannam, Yuri Yang, Aarya Dharm, Kevin Lin
Experience Reports and Tools paper in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
2024
An Equitable Grading Playbook
Working Group report in the ACM Virtual Global Computing Education Conference
“It Can Relate to Real Lives”: Attitudes and Expectations in Justice-Centered Data Structures & Algorithms for Non-Majors
Anna Batra, Iris Zhou, Suh Young Choi, Chongjiu Gao, Yanbing Xiao, Sonia Fereidooni, Kevin Lin
Experience Reports and Tools paper in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
2022
CS Education for the Socially-Just Worlds We Need: The Case for Justice-Centered Approaches to CS in Higher Education
Kevin Lin
Position and Curricula Initiative in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
2021
Do Abstractions Have Politics? Toward a More Critical Algorithm Analysis
Kevin Lin
Position paper in the IEEE Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology

Conference Abstracts

2024
Teaching Accessible Design in Data Structures and Algorithms
Kevin Lin
Poster in the ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research
2023
Equitable Grading Best Practices
Dan Garcia, Maria Camarena, Kevin Lin, and Jill Westerland
Panel in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
2022
Approaches for Weaving Responsible Computing into Data Structures and Algorithms Courses
Kathi Fisler, Sorelle Friedler, Kevin Lin, and Suresh Venkatasubramanian
Panel in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Reading Between the Lines: Student Experiences of Resubmission in an Introductory CS Course
Leah Perlmutter, Jayne Everson, Ken Yasuhara, Brett Wortzman, and Kevin Lin
Poster in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
2021
Nifty Web Apps: Build a Web App for Any Text-Based Programming Assignment
Kevin Lin, Sumant Guha, Joe Spaniac, and Andy Zheng
Special session in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
How Can We Make Office Hours Better?
Kevin Lin, Kristin Stephens-Martinez, and Brian Railing
Birds-of-a-feather session in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Strategies for Authentic Assessments of Mastery in CS Courses
Kevin Lin, Lina Battestilli, and Michael Ball
Birds-of-a-feather session in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Implementation of Mastery Grading Toward Rightful Presence
Jayne Everson, Leah Perlmutter, Ken Yasuhara, Kevin Lin, and Brett Wortzman
Poster in the UW Teaching & Learning Symposium
2020
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (Hindsight is 2020)
Dan Garcia, Jim Huggins, Kevin Lin, Raja Sooriamurthi, Leo Urell Ii, and Ursula Wolz
Panel in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Perspectives on Allyship in Academia
Jamie Payton, Adam Blank, Christian Murphy, Melissa Hovik, Kevin Lin, Angela Kwon, and Lara McConnaughey
Special session in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Transitioning From Peer Instruction to POGIL with Guided Lecture Notes
Kevin Lin
Lightning talk in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
How Can We Make Office Hours Better?
Kevin Lin and Brian Railing
Birds-of-a-feather session in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
2019
Near-Peer Student Mentors: Creating Scalable Learning Experiences in Large Lecture Courses
Kevin Lin
Lightning talk in the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Southwestern Region
Subgoals, Problem Solving Phases, and Sources of Knowledge: A Complex Mangle
Kevin Lin and David DeLiema
Poster in the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

Open Educational Resources

2022
Decision Trees for Text Classification in CS2
Kevin Lin
Assignment in EngageCSEdu

Non-Refereed Publications

2024
Generative AI in Education
Kevin Lin
Birds-of-a-feather session at SciPy 2024
Teaching How All Technology is Assistive: Integrating Accessible Design into an Undergraduate Computing Course
Anna Batra, Simon Wu, Kianna Bolante, Jinghua Sun, Katharine Zhang, Iris Zhou, Kevin Lin
Poster in the UW Undergraduate Research Symposium
An Invitation to Reimagine: Reframing the Dialogue between Educators, Students, and Employers
Kevin Lin and Alannah Oleson
UW Teaching & Learning Symposium
An Invitation to Reimagine: Reframing the Dialogue between Educators, Students, and Employers
Kevin Lin
Lightning talk in the 3C Fellows Spotlight
2023
Designing and Evaluating a Justice-Centered Intermediate Computing Course
Anna Batra, Iris Zhou, Chongjiu Gao, Sonia Fereidooni, Yanbing Xiao, Suh Young Choi, Kevin Lin
Poster in the UW Undergraduate Research Symposium
2019
How Help Can Hurt: Understanding Defensive Climate in the Undergraduate CS Classroom
Kevin Lin
Research paper prepared for the EECS Department, UC Berkeley
A Berkeley View of Teaching CS at Scale
Kevin Lin
MS technical report for the EECS Department, UC Berkeley
From 40 to 400 to 1,400: Providing Formative Feedback in Large-Scale Courses
Kevin Lin
GSI Online Library: Teaching Effectiveness Award Essays for the Graduate Division, UC Berkeley

Media

2022
Alternative grading, how?
Brett Wortzman, Kevin Lin, and Kristin Stephens-Martinez
The CS-Ed Podcast
2021
Alternative grading, why?
Brett Wortzman, Kevin Lin, and Kristin Stephens-Martinez
The CS-Ed Podcast

Mentoring

2023
Anna Batra
UW MS in Computational Linguistics to Cascadia College Adjunct Faculty in Computer Science
Iris Zhou
UW BA in Mathematics to UC San Diego MS in Computer Science & Engineering
2022
Sonia Fereidooni
UW BS/MS in Computer Science to University of Cambridge PhD in Digital Humanities
2021
Leah Perlmutter
UW PhD in Computer Science to Grinnell College Assistant Professor
Aleks Jovčić
UW BS in Computer Science to Lakeside School CS Teacher
2017
Sarah Jin
UC Berkeley BA in Computer Science to Stanford Teacher Education Program

Department Talks

2024
An Invitation to Reimagine: Empowering Students to Redesign Computing Problems and Artifacts​
Allen School Faculty Lunch – ACE Computing Ed Symposium – CSE 121 Staff Workshop
Alternative Assessment Systems: Designing for Flexibility
ACE TA Panel
COM2 Roundtable Career Exploration Gala
2023
Computing Education Researcher Panel
Racial Diversity in Tech
2022
Impact++ @ UW Lightning Talk: Education X Tech
2021
CS for What and for Whom?
2020
Programming a Better Future
2019
Applying for Academic Positions and Postdoctoral Appointments
EECS/CS Life from a Student Perspective
2018
Introductory CS Courses at UC Berkeley
EECS/CS Life from a Student Perspective
2017
How to Learn Computer Science

Service

2025
ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Tutorials Junior Co-Chair – Associate Program Chair
2024
ACM Virtual Global Computing Education Conference
Associate Program Chair
ACM Journal on Responsible Computing
Reviewer
ACM Conference for Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology
Reviewer
Center for Learning, Computing, and Imagination
Co-Director
ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Birds-of-a-Feather Senior Co-Chair – Reviewer
ACM SIGCSE Special Projects
Committee Member
2023
EngageCSEdu
Reviewer
NCWIT Aspirations in Computing
Reviewer
IEEE Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology
Reviewer
ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Birds-of-a-Feather Junior Co-Chair – Student Research Competition Judge
ACM SIGCSE Special Projects
Committee Member
2022
NCWIT Aspirations in Computing
Reviewer
Communications of the ACM
Reviewer
IEEE Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology
Zoom Chair – Reviewer
ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Paper Session Chair – Reviewer
2021
IEEE Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology
Reviewer
ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Paper Session Chair – Reviewer – Poster Judge
2020
The CS-Ed Podcast
Transcript Editor
ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Paper Session Chair – Reviewer