1,189 research outputs found
Exploring Sense of Belonging in Computer Science Students
No full textThe 25th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE 2020), Virtual Conference, 15-19 June 2020Student sense of belonging has been shown to be associated with many attributes such as motivation and persistence. However, sense of belonging can show variations according to factors such as race and gender. In this study, we examine the relationship between undergraduate Computer Science students' participation in networking, outreach, and mentoring activities and their sense of belonging. Results reveal lower levels of sense of belonging in women and self-identified minorities. However, we observed a higher sense of belonging in female students who participated in networking, outreach, and mentoring activities
Models for Computer Science Teacher Preparation: Developing Teacher Knowledge
No full textAcross the globe, Computer Science Education has grown tremendously over the past decade to teach primary and secondary students computing ideas and tools. From integrating computational thinking in disciplines to teaching computer science as a stand alone subject, models for teacher preparation range from one and done professional learning workshops to full certificate and licensure programs. The group will focus on providing a landscape of how CS teachers are prepared academically in various countries and make evidence-based recommendations for how teachers should be educated to develop knowledge and skill to teach computer sci- ence. The working group will also discuss how to develop these knowledge systems while promoting instruction that is equitable and centers students in the classroom. In addition, the working group will focus on new directions in computing education (such as, artificial intelligence and machine learning) and their implica- tions for teacher preparation. We will bring together a group of international computer science education scholars who have been engaged in teacher preparation. In addition to what knowledge teachers need to teach CS, we will also focus on how the field is preparing teachers to think critically about AI/ML and the role of computer science in the design of technology tools to achieve goals while mitigating potential societal harms
APEINTA: A Spanish Educational Project Aiming for Inclusive Education In and Out of the Classroom
No full text[Poster] ITiCSE'09, 14th annual ACM SIGCSE conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education, Paris, France, 6-9 July, 2009APEINTA is a Spanish educational project founded by the Spanish Minister of Education and Sciences that aims for inclusive education for every student of all abilities in and out of the classroom. In this work, the APEINTA project is presentedPublicad
Computer science education in Ireland: Capacity, access and participation
No full textOur world is both physical and digital. Students would benefit from understanding how this digital world works, and how algorithms drive it [2]. Students would also benefit from learning computational thinking, and becoming creators and designers of computer systems and applications. These are invaluable skills; not just a means to ensure a skilled workforce [1]. However, diversity, gender balance, and equality are recognized globally as challenges in this field. Looking through a lens filtered on four components: diversity, inclusion, teacher education and professional development, this study will evaluate current Computer Science (CS) learning opportunities in the Irish primary and post-primary curriculum. It aims to identify the opportunities and key factors for the growth and development of CS in Ireland. This research is divided into three phases, influenced by the three components of the CAPE model [3] that underpins this study: Capacity for, Access to, and Participation in CS education. Data will be gathered using various means: focus groups (students, teachers, principals and policymakers), and student questionnaires. The analytic approach is mixed, it involves document, thematic and content analysis. Findings from this study will provide a detailed view of the current landscape relating to CS education in Ireland, particularly its diversity and inclusion. Recommendations on the equitable integration of Computational Thinking/Coding/CS education across the formal education system in Ireland will be provided. This will have implications for educational policy, initial teacher education, and second-level teaching practice in Ireland and beyond.non-peer-reviewe
Are chats and forums accessible in e-learning systems?: a heuristic evaluation comparing four learning content management systems
No full text[Poster] 18th ACM conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education (ITiCSE'13), 1-3, July 2013, Canterbury (England)This paper presents a heuristic evaluation of accessibility of the Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) tools: chat and forums in four Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS): Moodle, ATutor, dotLRN and Claroline. Moreover, some recommendations are offered in order to improve the accessibility of the toolsThis study has been partially funded by the MA2VICMR (S2009/TIC-1542) research projectPublicad
Gender Issues in Computer Science Research, Education, and Society
No full textWomen are underrepresented in Computer Science disciplines at all levels, from undergraduate and graduate studies to participation and leadership in academia and industry. Increasing female representation in the field is a grand challenge for academics, policymakers, and society. [1]. The lack of women is among the core reasons for the huge skills and talent gap existing between the number of graduates in higher education institutions and the number of job positions available in the ICT Industry in Europe. The main questions are: How to have more girls choosing computer science as their higher education studies and profession; How to retain female students and assure they finish their studies and start successful careers in the field; How to encourage more female Ph.D. and postdoctoral researchers to remain in the academic career and apply for professorships in computer science departments; How to support and inspire young women in their careers and help them to overcome the main hurdles that prevent women from reaching senior positions in industry and public sector. Which communication and dissemination strategy to adopt in this field. The lecture presents statistics about female presence in education, research and industry. Moreover, it presents research issues from projects at NTNU and other from other international partners mainly in EUGAIN.submittedVersio
Gender gap in academia: perceptions of female computer science academics
No full textDespite increased attention from Universities and Industry, the low representation of female students in Computer Science undergraduate degrees remains a major issue. Recognising this issue, leading tech companies have established strong and committed diversity initiatives but have only reached up to 17\% female representation in their tech departments. The causes of the reduced attraction and retention of female students are varied and have been widely studied, advancing the understanding of why female students do not take up or leave Computer Science. However, few analyses look at the perceptions of the females that have stayed in the field. In this paper, we explore the viewpoints of female academics and postgraduate students in Computer Science with various undergraduate backgrounds and pathways into academia. Our analysis of their interviews shows the influence of family, exposure, culture, sexism and gendered thought on their perceptions of the field, and of themselves and their peers. We identify that perceptions of identity conflict and a lack of belonging to the discipline persist even for these high-performing professionals.Katrina Falkner, Claudia Szabo, Dee Michell, Anna Szorenyi, Shantel Thye
Challenges Faced by Teaching Assistants in Computer Science Education Across Europe
No full textTeaching assistants (TAs) are heavily used in computer science courses as a way to handle high enrollment and still being able to offer students individual tutoring and detailed assessments. TAs are themselves students who take on this additional role in parallel with their own studies at the same institution. Previous research has shown that being a TA can be challenging but has mainly been conducted on TAs from a single institution or within a single course. This paper offers a multi-institutional, multi-national perspective of challenges that TAs in computer science face. This has been done by conducting a thematic analysis of 180 reflective essays written by TAs from three institutions across Europe. The thematic analysis resulted in five main challenges: becoming a professional TA, student focused challenges, assessment, defining and using best practice, and threats to best practice. In addition, these challenges were all identified within the essays from all three institutions, indicating that the identified challenges are not particularly context-dependent. Based on these findings, we also outline implications for educators involved in TA training and coordinators of computer science courses with TAs.</p
Digital storytelling and group work: Integrating the narrative approach into a higher education computer science course
No full textThis study discusses the integration of digital storytelling and the narrative approach into a University level Computer Science course. The pedagogical intervention took place on a project basis. The plan involved student work in groups for the production of digital stories in three phases, including an abstract, a manuscript and a final story. The overall instructional design included workshops and lectures, online tutorials, and group work. The students were assigned to explore the topic of recursion. Face-to-face meetings for the coordination of group work were emphasized during lectures, workshops and project instructions. The study uses qualitative research methods and the findings indicate two main patterns of group work. The first pattern follows from loose coordination and division of tasks among group members at the initial stages of the project. This results in documentary-like and program-based video stories. The second pattern involves tighter collaboration with face-to-face meetings for common task completion, video recording and editing, and manuscript improvement. This mode of work results in short-film style stories where recursion is well-represented. In both patterns, however, the videos present external rather than internal examples of recursion. As a result, the digital stories represent what the code does instead of how it does it.Peer reviewe
An International Pilot Study of K-12 Teachers’Computer Science Self-Esteem
No full textComputer Science (CS) is a new subject area for many K-12 teachersaround the world, requiring new disciplinary knowledge and skills.Teacher social-behavioral factors (e.g. self-esteem) have been foundto impact learning and teaching, and a key part of CS curriculumimplementation will need to ensure teachers feel confident to de-liver CS. However, studies about CS teacher self-esteem are lacking.This paper presents an analysis of publicly available data (n=219)from a pilot study using a Teacher CS Self-Esteem scale. Analy-sis revealed significant differences, including 1) females reportedsignificantly lower CS self-esteem than males, 2) primary teachersreported lower levels of CS self-esteem than secondary teachers, 3)those with no CS teaching experience reported significantly lowerCS self-esteem, 4) teachers with 0-3 years experience had a neg-ative CS self-esteem, but after four years, teachers had a positiveCS self-esteem, and 5) teachers who lived further from metropol-itan areas and in some countries reported lower CS self-esteem.These initial findings suggest a pressing need for future researchto look further into teacher CS self-esteem to inform teacher CSprofessional development
- …
