222 results
Search Results
2. Learning and Teaching Object Technology.
- Author
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Börstler, Jürgen and Sharp, Helen
- Subjects
OBJECT-oriented methods (Computer science) ,COMPUTER science education ,COMPUTER software development ,INFORMATION science ,EDUCATION - Abstract
Shares perspectives on the challenges faced by educational institutions in adopting an object approach to learning software development or teaching object technology. Need to introduce object-oriented concepts; Questions outlined to better understand the idea behind object technology; Outline of the practical areas which serves as a guide for the practice of teaching and learning object technology.
- Published
- 2003
3. The BlueJ System and its Pedagogy.
- Author
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Kölling, Michael, Quig, Bruce, Patterson, Andrew, and Rosenberg, John
- Subjects
OBJECT-oriented methods (Computer science) ,SOFTWARE engineering education ,COMPUTER software development ,COMPUTER interface standards ,COMPUTER science ,EDUCATION - Abstract
Many teachers experience serious problems when teaching object-orientation to beginners or professionals. Many of these problems could be overcome or reduced thorough the use of more appropriate tools. In this paper, we introduce BlueJ, an integrated development environment designed for teaching object-orientation, and discuss how the use of this tool can change the approach to teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. A review of Computer Science resources for learning and teaching with K-12 computing curricula: an Australian case study.
- Author
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Falkner, Katrina and Vivian, Rebecca
- Subjects
COMPUTER science education ,COMPUTER science teachers ,TEACHER development ,CAREER development - Abstract
To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age children, with the intention to engage children and increase interest, rather than to formally teach concepts and skills. What is the educational quality of existing Computer Science resources and to what extent are they suitable for classroom learning and teaching? In this paper, an assessment framework is presented to evaluate the quality of online Computer Science resources. Further, a semi-systematic review of available online Computer Science resources was conducted to evaluate resources available for classroom learning and teaching and to identify gaps in resource availability, using the Australian curriculum as a case study analysis. The findings reveal a predominance of quality resources, however, a number of critical gaps were identified. This paper provides recommendations and guidance for the development of new and supplementary resources and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. A comparison of the methodological quality of articles in computer science education journals and conference proceedings.
- Author
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Randolph, Justus J., Julnes, George, Bednarik, Roman, and Sutinen, Erkki
- Subjects
COMPUTER science education ,PERIODICALS ,CONFERENCE proceedings (Publications) ,EDUCATION ,FORUMS ,SERIAL publications ,LIBRARY materials - Abstract
In this study we empirically investigate the claim that articles published in computer science education journals are more methodologically sound than articles published in computer science education conference proceedings. A random sample of 352 articles was selected from those articles published in major computer science education forums between 2000 and 2005. Each article was then coded in terms of five indicators of methodological quality. It was found that there were no practically or statistically significant differences between the articles published in journals and those published in conference proceedings on any of the indicators of methodological quality. One implication of this finding is that those who evaluate the academic output of computer science education researchers should be wary of arbitrarily prescribing more academic merit to journal publications than conference publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. What resources do CS1 students use and how do they use them?
- Author
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Postner, Lori and Stevens, Reed
- Subjects
COMPUTER science education ,COMPUTER software ,COMPUTER assisted instruction ,COLLEGE students ,INTERNET in education ,COMPUTER training ,COMPUTERS in education ,CURRICULUM ,LECTURES & lecturing ,EDUCATION - Abstract
In this paper, we explore how students used two resources, the in-class lecture and the online newsgroup, to write computer programs. By focusing on the questions students asked in each setting, we compare these two learning environments. Questions students asked during lecture typically related to the material the instructor was presenting. In contrast, questions posted to the newsgroup focused on the problems students encountered while programming. The responses posted to the newsgroup varied from providing syntax and resources to offering emotional support. We provide data that demonstrates that the newsgroup was an invaluable resource in this course as it supplied personalized, just-in-time help that allowed students to make progress on their programming assignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Towards a Framework for Characterising Concurrent Comprehension.
- Author
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Hughes, Connor, Buckley, Jim, Exton, Chris, and O'Carroll, Des
- Subjects
COMPUTER programming ,COMPUTER training ,STUDENTS ,EDUCATION ,COMPUTER software development ,EFFECTIVE teaching - Abstract
This paper proposes an evaluation framework for assessing students' comprehension of concurrent programs. The need for such a framework is illustrated by a review of various Computer Science Education forums. This review suggests that there is little pedagogical research in the area of concurrent software, particularly with respect to assessing students' knowledge. In particular, the proposed framework attempts to categorize the types of information students seek and the types of information they obtain, as they learn about concurrent software. Thus the framework could be used to guide teaching methods in this area, to hone the representations used to portray concurrent software to students and subsequently, to assess students' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Evolving Pedagogical Patterns: The Work of the Pedagogical Patterns Project.
- Author
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Helen. Sharp, Dale, Manns, Mary Lynn, and Eckstein, Jutta
- Subjects
OBJECT-oriented methods (Computer science) ,COMPUTER science education ,EXPERIENTIAL learning ,EDUCATION ,PROGRAMMING languages - Abstract
This paper is a summary of the pedagogical patterns project. The project started in 1996 with the aim of collecting and disseminating experiences of teaching and learning about object technology. We adopted a pattern format early on, although the specific format has evolved over time. In this paper we give an overall view of the project: where it started, how the material we have collected has evolved and matured, and where we need to go from here. More material from the project is available from our website www.pedagogicalpatterns.org, and our publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Opinions on computing education in Korean K-12 system: higher education perspective.
- Author
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Kim, Dae-Kyoo, Jeong, Dongwon, Lu, Lunjin, Debnath, Debatosh, and Ming, Hua
- Subjects
COMPUTER science education ,COMPUTER software ,HIGHER education ,COLLEGE curriculum ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,EDUCATION - Abstract
The need for computing education in the K-12 curriculum has grown globally. The Republic of Korea is not an exception. In response to the need, the Korean Ministry of Education has announced an outline for software-centric computing education in the K-12 system, which aims at enhancing the current computing education with software emphasis. In this paper, we review the outline from a higher education perspective and provide insights into its constructive improvement based on our experience in computer science education in higher education and a study of global initiatives on computing education. We also consider the social environment for computing education in Korea. In the proposed implementation, we first discuss goals for software-centric computing education and identify areas of focus. The identified areas are discussed in terms of topics to be covered and appropriate exposure of knowledge depth in the three levels in the Korean K-12 system. We then discuss necessary preparations for the success of the plan from academic, governmental and social perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. The ongoing challenges of computer science education research.
- Author
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Robins, Anthony
- Subjects
COMPUTER software ,COMPUTER programming ,GIRLS ,EDUCATION ,ATTITUDE (Psychology) - Abstract
An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including computer software education, pair programming and the attitude of middle school girls.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Experiences in teaching a graduate course on model-driven software development.
- Author
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Tekinerdogan, Bedir
- Subjects
COMPUTER software development ,CURRICULUM ,TEACHING ,EDUCATION research ,SOFTWARE engineering - Abstract
Model-driven software development (MDSD) aims to support the development and evolution of software intensive systems using the basic concepts of model, metamodel, and model transformation. In parallel with the ongoing academic research, MDSD is more and more applied in industrial practices. After being accepted both by a broad community of researchers and the industry, it is now being introduced in university courses. This article describes the experiences of three years of teaching of the graduate course Model-Driven Software Development at Bilkent University in Turkey. The lessons learned can be useful for peer educators who teach or aim to teach a similar course. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Toward an understanding of the variation in approaches to analysis and design.
- Author
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Box, Ilona
- Subjects
INFORMATION resources ,INFORMATION science ,INFORMATION services ,DESIGNERS ,PROBLEM solving ,PLANNING ,EDUCATION ,DECISION making ,INTENTION - Abstract
This paper contributes to an understanding of the variation in approaches that information system analysts/designers use to do analysis and design. A qualitative, phenomenographic research method was used. Four categories were constituted from the data: an ad hoc strategy with the intention of solving the problem as quickly as possible; a strategy of producing atomistic analysis and design artefacts with the intention of proving analysis/design has taken place; a strategy of adhering to a method with the intention of producing a better solution; and a strategy of adapting and scaling a method with the intent to define the problem accurately while sharing a vision of the project. The contribution to education made by these results is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Process as content in computer science education: empirical determination of central processes.
- Author
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Zendler, A., Spannagel, C., and Klaudt, D.
- Subjects
COMPUTER science ,INFORMATION technology ,EDUCATION ,EDUCATIONAL sociology ,CLUSTER analysis (Statistics) ,STATISTICAL correlation ,MULTIVARIATE analysis ,INTELLECTUALS ,INTELLECT - Abstract
Computer science education should not be based on short-term developments but on content that is observable in multiple domains of computer science, may be taught at every intellectual level, will be relevant in the longer term, and is related to everyday language and/or thinking. Recently, a catalogue of central concepts for computer science education such as algorithm, computer, and data has been empirically determined. This paper now concentrates on central processes relevant for computer science education. Experts of computer science rated 44 general-education processes regarding four criteria. By using a cluster analysis approach the following central processes for computer science education have been identified: problem solving and problem posing, analyzing, generalizing, finding relationships, classifying, and investigating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Teaching in the current higher education environment: perceptions of IT academics.
- Author
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Tutty, J., Sheard, J., and Avram, C.
- Subjects
COMPUTER science ,INFORMATION technology ,TEACHING ,HIGHER education ,POSTSECONDARY education ,HIGH technology ,EDUCATION ,LEARNING ,INSTRUCTIONAL systems - Abstract
This paper builds on previous research into teachers' conceptions of learning and teaching with an investigation of information technology academics. Using a phenomenographic approach to build a model of IT academics experiences and practice of teaching we aimed to identify any specific issues that academics in the IT discipline face and to assess the impact of the changing higher education environment on their teaching experiences. While there were few discipline-specific issues we did find that the current higher education environment appears to be negatively affecting the quality of teaching and learning within the IT discipline and indications are that these environmental factors are affecting academics within other disciplines. We concluded that current institutional policies, including teaching and learning quality measures and lack of resources, are compromising the way subjects are delivered. In some cases academics are discouraged from improving their teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Debugging: a review of the literature from an educational perspective.
- Author
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McCauley, Renee, Fitzgerald, Sue, Lewandowski, Gary, Murphy, Laurie, Simon, Beth, Thomas, Lynda, and Zander, Carol
- Subjects
DEBUGGING ,LEARNING ,TEACHING ,COMPUTER software ,COMPUTER programmers ,COMPUTER science ,EDUCATORS ,PROBLEM solving ,COMPUTER training - Abstract
This paper reviews the literature related to the learning and teaching of debugging computer programs. Debugging is an important skill that continues to be both difficult for novice programmers to learn and challenging for computer science educators to teach. These challenges persist despite a wealth of important research on the subject dating back as far as the mid 1970s. Although the tools and languages novices use for writing programs today are notably different from those employed decades earlier, the basic problem-solving and pragmatic skills necessary to debug them effectively are largely similar. Hence, an understanding of the previous work on debugging can offer computer science educators insights into how to improve contemporary learning and teaching of debugging and may suggest directions for future research into this important area. This overview of the debugging literature is organized around four questions relevant to computer science educators and education researchers: What causes bugs to occur? What types of bugs occur? What is the debugging process? How can we improve the learning and teaching of debugging? We conclude with suggestions on using the existing literature both to facilitate pedagogical improvements to debugging education and to offer guidance for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. What about a simple language? Analyzing the difficulties in learning to program.
- Author
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Mannila, Linda, Peltomäki, Mia, and Salakoski, Tapio
- Subjects
STUDENTS ,LANGUAGE & education ,COMPUTER programmers ,JAVA programming language ,COMPUTER software ,COMPARATIVE grammar ,COMPUTER programming ,COMPUTER programming schools ,EDUCATION - Abstract
In this paper, we present the results from a two-part study. We analyze 60 programs written by novice programmers aged 16 – 19 after their first programming course, in either Java or Python. The aim is to find difficulties independent of the language used, and such originating from the language. Second, we analyze the transition from a “simple” language to a more “advanced” one, by following up on eight students, who learned programming in Python before moving on to Java.Our results suggest that a simple language gives rise to fewer syntax errors as well as logic errors. The qualitative part of our study did not reveal any disadvantages from having learned to program in a simple language when moving on to a more complex one. This suggests that not only can a simple language be used when introducing programming as a general skill, but also when providing basic skills to future professionals in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Categorizing student software designs: Methods, results, and implications.
- Author
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Eckerdal, Anna, McCartney, Robert, Moström, Jan Erik, Ratcliffe, Mark, and Zander, Carol
- Subjects
COMPUTER software ,SOFTWARE architecture ,COMPUTER software development ,EDUCATION ,SEMANTICS ,EDUCATION research ,SEMANTIC differential scale ,PROGRAMMING language semantics ,STUDENTS - Abstract
This paper examines the problem of studying and comparing student software designs. We propose semantic categorization as a way to organize widely varying data items. We describe how this was used to organize a particular multi-national, multi-institutional dataset, and present the results of this analysis: most students are unable to effectively design software. We examine how these designs vary with different academic and demographic factors, and discuss the implications of this work on both education and education research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. eXtreme teaching: A framework for continuous improvement.
- Author
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Andersson, Roy and Bendix, Lars
- Subjects
STUDENTS ,TEACHERS ,EDUCATION ,TEACHING ,EMPLOYEES ,BUDGET ,EFFECTIVE teaching ,LECTURE method in teaching ,SCHOOLS ,LEARNING ,EDUCATION costs - Abstract
Many universities have experienced an increase in the intake of students and at the same time cuts in the budgets for teaching. Many teachers have discovered, for a number of reasons, that they have to adjust their teaching or even a course with short notice. These facts pose a challenge to the teachers' agility in adapting to changes—and in doing it in a cost-efficient way.We propose eXtreme Teaching as a framework that allows teachers to focus on experimenting with and improving their teaching techniques without compromising quality. The framework and the associated practices provide quick, accurate feedback that teachers can act on. eXtreme Teaching will allow better student learning, stronger relationships with the students, increased interaction and development of the staff involved, less risk—and probably happier staff members.In this paper, we will describe the eXtreme Teaching framework and discuss and motivate its background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Categorizing Pedagogical patterns by teaching activities and Pedagogical values.
- Author
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Bennedsen, Jens and Eriksen, Ole
- Subjects
CATALOGS ,EDUCATION ,VALUES (Ethics) ,TEACHING ,CATEGORIZATION (Psychology) ,LEARNING ,EDUCATION research ,LEARNING communities ,DISCUSSION in education - Abstract
The main contribution of this paper is a proposal for a universal pedagogical pattern categorization based on teaching values and activities. This categorization would be more sustainable than the arbitrary categorization implied by pedagogical pattern language themes. Pedagogical patterns from two central patterns languages are analyzed and categorized, and the result is a catalogue theoretically founded and practical in its application. The teaching values are derived from learning theories, implying the theoretical foundation of the catalogue. In order to increase the usability of the value-based categorization, we have combined it with a categorization based on teaching activities. The catalogue could be seen as a tool for combining pedagogical theories and patterns and it is a proposal for a solution to the problem of organizing pedagogical patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Pedagogical patterns: A means for communication within the CS teaching community of practice.
- Author
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Haberman, Bruria
- Subjects
COMPUTER science ,HIGH school teachers ,TEACHERS & community ,COMMUNICATION & culture ,TEACHING ,PEER communication ,DISCUSSION in education ,LEARNING communities ,EDUCATION - Abstract
The computer science high-school teaching community of practice possesses a rich collection of distributed practical knowledge consisting of individual teachers' expertise regarding pedagogy. However, without a proper means of communication and rules of discourse, the individual pieces of knowledge might not be transferred properly within the community, and eventually might get lost. Only when fertile professional communication lines have been established, can the growth of common shared, reusable knowledge bases be reinforced and nurtured. Pedagogical patterns are intended to capture the expert knowledge of the practice of teaching and to transfer that knowledge to other practitioners. This paper discusses how the culture of patterns can be employed to transfer pedagogical knowledge, and thus reinforce peer-communication and collaboration within the computer science high-school teaching community of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Strategies for teaching object-oriented concepts with Java.
- Author
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Sicilia, Miguel-Ángel
- Subjects
JAVA programming language ,OBJECT-oriented methods (Computer science) ,COMPUTER programming ,COMPUTER interfaces ,LEARNING ,SYSTEMS design ,EDUCATION ,PROGRAMMING languages ,CYBERNETICS - Abstract
A considerable amount of experiences in teaching object-oriented concepts using the Java language have been reported to date, some of which describe language pitfalls and concrete learning difficulties. In this paper, a number of additional issues that have been experienced as difficult for students to master, along with approaches intended to overcome them, are addressed. Concretely, practical issues regarding associations, interfaces, genericity and exceptions are described. These issues suggest that more emphasis is required on presenting Java programs as derivations of conceptual models, in order to guarantee that a thorough design of the object structure actually precedes implementation issues. In addition, common student misunderstandings about the uses of interfaces and exceptions point to the necessity of introducing both specific design philosophies and also a clear distinction between design-for-reuse and more specific implementation issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Implementing large projects in software engineering courses.
- Author
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Coppit, David
- Subjects
SOFTWARE engineering education ,COMPUTER software development ,TECHNOLOGY education ,PROJECT management ,COMMUNICATION & technology ,EDUCATION ,LECTURES & lecturing ,HOMEWORK - Abstract
In software engineering education, large projects are widely recognized as a useful way of exposing students to the real-world difficulties of team software development. But large projects are difficult to put into practice. First, educators rarely have additional time to manage software projects. Second, classrooms have inherent limitations that threaten the realism of large projects. Third, quantitative evaluation of individuals who work in groups is notoriously difficult. As a result, many software engineering courses compromise the project experience by reducing the team sizes, project scope, and risk. In this paper, we present an approach to teaching a one-semester software engineering course in which 20 to 30 students work together to construct a moderately sized (15 KLOC) software system. The approach combines carefully coordinated lectures and homeworks, a hierarchical project management structure, modern communication technologies, and a web-based project tracking and individual assessment system. Our approach provides a more realistic project experience for the students, without incurring significant additional overhead for the instructor. We present our experiences using the approach the last 2 years for the software engineering course at The College of William and Mary. Although the approach has some weaknesses, we believe that they are strongly outweighed by the pedagogical benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Teaching the tacit knowledge of programming to noviceswith natural language tutoring.
- Author
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Lane, H. Chad and VanLehn, Kurt
- Subjects
COMPUTER programmers ,TUTORS & tutoring ,NATURAL language processing ,COMPUTER programming education ,COMPUTER software ,COMPUTER training ,STUDENTS ,EDUCATION ,COMPUTER science - Abstract
For beginning programmers, inadequate problem solving and planning skills are among the most salient of their weaknesses. In this paper, we test the efficacy of natural language tutoring to teach and scaffold acquisition of these skills. We describe ProPL (Pro-PELL), a dialogue-based intelligent tutoring system that elicits goal decompositions and program plans from students in natural language. The system uses a variety of tutoring tactics that leverage students' intuitive understandings of the problem, how it might be solved, and the underlying concepts of programming. We report the results of a small-scale evaluation comparing students who used ProPL with a control group who read the same content. Our primary findings are that students who received tutoring from ProPL seem to have developed an improved ability to solve the composition problem and displayed behaviors that suggest they were able to think at greater levels of abstraction than students in the read-only group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. A Comparison of Source Code Plagiarism Detection Engines.
- Author
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Lancaster, Thomas and Culwin, Fintan
- Subjects
COMPUTER software ,PLAGIARISM ,EDUCATION ,COMPUTER programming - Abstract
Automated techniques for finding plagiarism in student source code submissions have been in use for over 20 years and there are many available engines and services. This paper reviews the literature on the major modern detection engines, providing a comparison of them based upon the metrics and techniques they deploy. Generally the most common and effective techniques are seen to involve tokenising student submissions then searching pairs of submissions for long common substrings, an example of what is defined to be a paired structural metric. Computing academics are recommended to use one of the two Web-based detection engines, MOSS and JPlag. It is shown that whilst detection is well established there are still places where further research would be useful, particularly where visual support of the investigation process is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. "Design-n-Code Fests" as Capstone Projects for an Object-Oriented Software Development Course.
- Author
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Clyde, Stephen W. and Crane, Angelique E.
- Subjects
COMPUTER software development ,OBJECT-oriented methods (Computer science) ,PROGRAMMING languages ,COMPUTER science education ,EDUCATION - Abstract
When students in our upper division software engineering courses at Utah Stat University expressed lack of confidence in their understanding of how all pieces of software development fit together, we chose to offer a one-day “Design-n-Code Fest” workshop. The workshop would take the students through key parts of the development process for a software project (i.e. from systems analysis through implementation and unit testing). This paper describes our experiences with three such workshops, what actually happened, what we learned, and what we plan to do for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. An Applied Approach to Teaching the Fundamentals of Operating Systems.
- Author
-
Hughes, Larry
- Subjects
COMPUTER operating systems ,COMPUTER science education ,EDUCATION - Abstract
Operating systems is an example of a subject that, with the right tools, can be taught in an applied manner, giving students the opportunity to understand, and hence appreciate, the fundamentals of commercial operating systems such as Unix and Windows. Not surprisingly, the tools needed in an operating systems course are, at a minimum, a hardware testbed and a programming language into which algorithms can be translated. This paper describes how many of the salient points concerning operating systems, such as concurrency and critical regions, can be covered in an applied manner using the PC, the C programming language, and extensions to C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. What are the important gender-related issues in computing at present?
- Author
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Carter, Janet
- Subjects
COURSE selection (Education) ,EDUCATION ,EMPLOYMENT of college graduates - Abstract
An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses an article on graduates' perception regarding their chosen courses, and students' preferences for choosing their courses.
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Computer Science Education in High School.
- Author
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Ben-Ari, Mordechai
- Subjects
COMPUTER science ,SECONDARY education ,EDUCATION ,SCIENCE ,HIGH school teachers - Abstract
Focuses on computer science education in high school in the United States. Model for high school computer science studies; Issues facing high school teachers; Research carried out on the study of computer science in high school.
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. An evaluation of a professional learning network for computer science teachers
- Author
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Judy Robertson, Peter Donaldson, Laurie O'donnell, and Quintin Cutts
- Subjects
General Computer Science ,Computer science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,05 social sciences ,Professional development ,050301 education ,02 engineering and technology ,Professional studies ,Teacher education ,professional learning ,Education ,Presentation ,Conceptual framework ,020204 information systems ,Professional learning community ,Pedagogy ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Mathematics education ,computer science education ,Faculty development ,0503 education ,teacher education ,Qualitative research ,media_common - Abstract
This paper describes and evaluates aspects of a professional development programme for existing CS teachers in secondary schools (PLAN C) which was designed to support teachers at a time of substantial curricular change. The paper’s particular focus is on the formation of a teacher professional development network across several hundred teachers and a wide geographical area. Evidence from a series of observations and teacher surveys over a two-year period is analysed with respect to the project’s programme theory in order to illustrate not only whether it worked as intended, by why. Results indicate that the PLAN C design has been successful in increasing teachers’ professional confidence and appears to have catalysed powerful change in attitudes to learning. Presentation of challenging pedagogical content knowledge and conceptual frameworks, high-quality teacher-led professional dialogue, along with the space for reflection and classroom trials, triggered examination of the teachers’ own current ...
- Published
- 2017
30. The effects of integrating service learning into computer science: an inter-institutional longitudinal study
- Author
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Audrey Rorrer, Tiffany Barnes, Kim Buch, Jamie Payton, and Huifang Zuo
- Subjects
Service (business) ,Engineering ,Longitudinal study ,Knowledge management ,General Computer Science ,Computer science ,business.industry ,Service-learning ,Context (language use) ,Integrated curriculum ,Pipeline (software) ,Education ,Alliance ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,business - Abstract
This study is a follow-up to one published in computer science education in 2010 that reported preliminary results showing a positive impact of service learning on student attitudes associated with success and retention in computer science. That paper described how service learning was incorporated into a computer science course in the context of the Students & Technology in Academia, Research, and Service (STARS) Alliance, an NSF-supported broadening participation in computing initiative that aims to diversify the computer science pipeline through innovative pedagogy and inter-institutional partnerships. The current paper describes how the STARS Alliance has expanded to diverse institutions, all using service learning as a vehicle for broadening participation in computing and enhancing attitudes and behaviors associated with student success. Results supported the STARS model of service learning for enhancing computing efficacy and computing commitment and for providing diverse students with many personal...
- Published
- 2015
31. A blended learning approach for teaching computer programming: design for large classes in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Author
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Helene Gelderblom, Tesfaye Bayu Bati, and Judy van Biljon
- Subjects
Blended learning ,Cooperative learning ,General Computer Science ,Computer science ,Learning environment ,Teaching and learning center ,Active learning ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Educational technology ,Mathematics education ,Experiential learning ,Learning sciences ,Education - Abstract
The challenge of teaching programming in higher education is complicated by problems associated with large class teaching, a prevalent situation in many developing countries. This paper reports on an investigation into the use of a blended learning approach to teaching and learning of programming in a class of more than 200 students. A course and learning environment was designed by integrating constructivist learning models of Constructive Alignment, Conversational Framework and the Three-Stage Learning Model. Design science research is used for the course redesign and development of the learning environment, and action research is integrated to undertake participatory evaluation of the intervention. The action research involved the Students’ Approach to Learning survey, a comparative analysis of students’ performance, and qualitative data analysis of data gathered from various sources. The paper makes a theoretical contribution in presenting a design of a blended learning solution for large class teachi...
- Published
- 2014
32. Using GitHub in large software engineering classes. An exploratory case study.
- Author
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Tushev, Miroslav, Williams, Grant, and Mahmoud, Anas
- Subjects
SOFTWARE engineering ,CONFIGURATION management ,CASE studies ,STUDENT projects ,EXIT interviewing ,GROUP work in education ,QUALITATIVE chemical analysis - Abstract
GitHub has been recently used in Software Engineering (SE) classes to facilitate collaboration in student team projects as well as help teachers to evaluate the contributions of their students more objectively. We explore the benefits and drawbacks of using GitHub as a means for team collaboration and performance evaluation in large SE classes. Our research method takes the form of a case study conducted in a senior level SE class with 91 students. Our study also includes entry and exit surveys, an exit interview, and a qualitative analysis of students' commit behavior. Different teams adapt GitHub to their workflow differently. Furthermore, despite the steep learning curve, using GitHub should not affect the quality of students' submissions. However, using GitHub metrics as a proxy for evaluating team performance can be risky. We provide several recommendations for integrating Web-based configuration management tools in SE classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Dragonfly: strengthening programming skills by building a game engine from scratch
- Author
-
Mark Claypool
- Subjects
Game art design ,General Computer Science ,Video game development ,Multimedia ,Computer science ,business.industry ,Game programming ,Game design document ,ComputingMilieux_PERSONALCOMPUTING ,computer.software_genre ,Education ,Computer game ,Game design ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Game development tool ,Software engineering ,business ,Game Developer ,computer - Abstract
Computer game development has been shown to be an effective hook for motivating students to learn both introductory and advanced computer science topics. While games can be made from scratch, to simplify the programming required game development often uses game engines that handle complicated or frequently used components of the game. These game engines present the opportunity to strengthen programming skills and expose students to a range of fundamental computer science topics. While educational efforts have been effective in using game engines to improve computer science education, there have been no published papers describing and evaluating students building a game engine from scratch as part of their course work. This paper presents the Dragonfly-approach in which students build a fully functional game engine from scratch and make a game using their engine as part of a junior-level course. Details on the programming projects are presented, as well as an evaluation of the results from two offerings th...
- Published
- 2013
34. Gender differences in factors influencing students towards computing
- Author
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Roli Varma
- Subjects
Medical education ,White (horse) ,General Computer Science ,Native american ,Computer science ,education ,Ethnic group ,Racial group ,medicine.disease ,Education ,ComputingMilieux_GENERAL ,Race (biology) ,Asian americans ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,medicine ,Mathematics education ,Attrition ,Digital divide - Abstract
This paper examines students' pre-college experience with computers. It finds significant gender differences in how students develop interest in computers; exposure to computers at home; availability of computers in high schools; and high-school preparations for college study in a computing field. The paper has a number of implications to improve the digital divide for women. It is based on 150 in-depth interviews of female and male undergraduate students, members of five major ethnic/racial groups (White, Afro-American, Hispanic, Asian American, and Native American) from seven institutions in the USA.
- Published
- 2009
35. Reversing: a fundamental idea in computer science
- Author
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Michal Armoni and David Ginat
- Subjects
Cognitive model ,Cognitive science ,Resource (project management) ,Recursion ,General Computer Science ,Computer science ,Logical reasoning ,Mathematics education ,Cognition ,Reversing ,Context (language use) ,Education ,Variety (cybernetics) - Abstract
Reversing is the notion of thinking or working in reverse. Computer science textbooks and tutors recognize it primarily in the form of recursion. However, recursion is only one form of reversing. Reversing appears in the computer science curriculum in many other forms, at various intellectual levels, in a variety of fundamental courses. As such, it is too important a notion to be left unexplored. In this paper we discuss reversing in the context of two theoretical frameworks – as a fundamental idea in computer science, in the context of Schwill's model of fundamental ideas, and as a powerful problem solving means, in the context of Schoenfeld's cognitive model of problem solving. We recognize seven different forms of reversing, and demonstrate the essential role of each in algorithm or proof design. Our focus in the paper is conceptual, yet we briefly note our initial experimental experience, with student difficulties in both the invocation and utilization of reversing. We then discuss cognitive aspects o...
- Published
- 2008
36. A Classification of Recent Australasian Computing Education Publications
- Author
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Simon
- Subjects
General Computer Science ,Computer science ,Situated ,Media studies ,Library science ,Research question ,Education - Abstract
A new classification system for computing education papers is presented and applied to every computing education paper published between January 2004 and January 2007 at the two premier computing education conferences in Australia and New Zealand. We find that while simple reports outnumber other types of paper, a healthy proportion of papers address and answer a research question. We find that more papers deal with programming courses than with other courses, and that more than half of all publications are situated in single subjects. To the extent that differing circumstances permit, we compare our results with those of an earlier study of the SIGCSE conference, and find that the Australasian publications include fewer simple reports and more papers describing analysis and experiment. We note a reasonable number of publications on multi-institutional work, which we interpret as evidence of a sense of computing education community within Australia and New Zealand.
- Published
- 2007
37. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: Australasian perspectives
- Author
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Donald Joyce
- Subjects
Academic integrity ,Vocabulary ,General Computer Science ,Cheating ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Key (cryptography) ,Engineering ethics ,Social science ,Psychology ,GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries) ,Education ,Theme (narrative) ,media_common - Abstract
This paper reviews nearly 80 published items concerned with promoting academic integrity and reducing plagiarism. Nearly all of them were published in the last seven years and have authors based in Australasia. Most of them have authors from computing departments and many were published in computing journals or presented at computing conferences. The paper begins with a description of how the reviewed items were selected, then dates and types of publication are analysed, key concepts and terms are listed, perspectives and themes are identified, and the referenced literature is reviewed by theme.
- Published
- 2007
38. Implementations of the CC′01 human – computer interaction guidelines using Bloom's taxonomy
- Author
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Dean Sanders, J. Ben Schafer, Julie Barnes, Arthur E. Kirkpatrick, Laura Marie Leventhal, Michael Wainer, RoxAnn Stalvey, Christine Shannon, Bill Manaris, and John Wright
- Subjects
General Computer Science ,business.industry ,Computer science ,Knowledge level ,Education ,Software ,Human–computer interaction ,Taxonomy (general) ,Perspective-taking ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Knowledge area ,Mainstream ,business ,Implementation ,Curriculum - Abstract
In today's technology-laden society human – computer interaction (HCI) is an important knowledge area for computer scientists and software engineers. This paper surveys existing approaches to incorporate HCI into computer science (CS) and such related issues as the perceived gap between the interests of the HCI community and the needs of CS educators. It presents several implementations of the HCI subset of the CC′01 curricular guidelines, targeting CS educators with varying degrees of HCI expertise. These implementations include course/module outlines from freshman to graduate levels, suggested texts, and project ideas and issues, such as programming languages and environments. Most importantly, each outline incorporates Bloom's taxonomy to identify the depth of knowledge to be mastered by students. This paper condenses collaborative contributions of 26 HCI/CS educators aiming to improve HCI coverage in mainstream CS curricula.
- Published
- 2007
39. Essential use cases for pedagogical patterns
- Author
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Luca Botturi and Michael Derntl
- Subjects
Structure (mathematical logic) ,Pattern language ,Knowledge management ,General Computer Science ,Computer science ,business.industry ,Reuse ,Education ,Metadata ,Order (exchange) ,Use case ,Architecture ,business ,Set (psychology) - Abstract
Coming from architecture, through computer science, pattern-based design spread into other disciplines and is nowadays recognized as a powerful way of capturing and reusing effective design practice. However, current pedagogical pattern approaches lack widespread adoption, both by users and authors, and are still limited to individual initiatives. This paper contributes to creating a shared understanding of what a pattern system is by defining the key terms. Moreover, the paper builds upon and extends a set of existing functional and non-functional requirements for pattern systems, adds structure to these requirements, and derives essential use cases following a goal-based approach for both pattern maintenance and pattern application. Finally, implications concerning the pedagogical use of pattern-based design are drawn, concluding that a stronger focus on the underlying (pedagogical) value system is required in order to make a pattern system a meaningful tool for effective educational design.
- Published
- 2006
40. Multi-agent Systems Design for Novices
- Author
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Keerthi Rajendran and Simon Lynch
- Subjects
Structure (mathematical logic) ,General Computer Science ,Computer science ,business.industry ,Concurrency ,Multi-agent system ,Teaching method ,Suite ,Educational technology ,ComputingMethodologies_ARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCE ,Education ,Unified Modeling Language ,Software system ,Software engineering ,business ,computer ,computer.programming_language - Abstract
Advanced approaches to the construction of software systems can present difficulties to learners. This is true for multi-agent systems (MAS) which exhibit concurrency, non-determinacy of structure and composition and sometimes emergent behavior characteristics. Additional barriers exist for learners because mainstream MAS technology is young and design methodologies are still evolving. This paper considers the benefits and difficulties associated with teaching/learning agent technology and recommends an approach used by the authors. The paper examines Agent UML - a set of proposed extensions to UML to facilitate MAS design but suggests that simpler design tools are more appropriate for novice MAS programmers. A small suite of preferred tools are presented.
- Published
- 2005
41. A Call for Action (Research): Applying Science Education Research to Computer Science Instruction
- Author
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John M. Clement
- Subjects
Physics ,General Computer Science ,Computer science ,Physics education ,Information and Computer Science ,Social science education ,Science education ,Education ,Philosophy of computer science ,Educational research ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Mathematics education ,Action research ,Science, technology, society and environment education - Abstract
In educational research, investigators in one field are often ignorant of similar research in other fields. Physics education in particular has undergone dramatic reforms in recent years, all based on insights gained from conducting educational research. Often, pedagogical methods resulting from research in one field can be revised and transferred to another. This paper demonstrates that many methods used in physics and other science programmes Throughout this paper, programme will refer to the curricular concept and program will refer to computer programs. can be adapted to teaching computer science. The author has pursued action research in computer science and implemented ideas from science education, especially from physics education, in teaching computer science classes at a small religious secondary school in the southwestern United States. This paper presents ideas and teaching strategies with the hope of building bridges between computer science educa...
- Published
- 2004
42. A Wittgenstein Approach to the Learning of OO-modeling
- Author
-
Christian Holmboe
- Subjects
Meaning (philosophy of language) ,General Computer Science ,Language identification ,Object language ,Language technology ,Natural language programming ,Class diagram ,Sociology ,Linguistic philosophy ,Linguistics ,Natural language ,Education - Abstract
The paper uses Ludwig Wittgenstein's theories about the relationship between thought, language, and objects of the world to explore the assumption that OO-thinking resembles natural thinking. The paper imports from research in linguistic philosophy to computer science education research. I show how UML class diagrams (i.e., an artificial context-free language) correspond to the logically perfect languages described in Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. In Philosophical Investigations Wittgenstein disputes his previous theories by showing that natural languages are not constructed by rules of mathematical logic, but are language games where the meaning of a word is constructed through its use in social contexts. Contradicting the claim that OO-thinking is easy to learn because of its similarity to natural thinking, I claim that OO-thinking is difficult to learn because of its differences from natural thinking. The nature of these differences is not currently well known or appreciated. I suggest how explicit a...
- Published
- 2004
43. Evolving Pedagogical Patterns: The Work of the Pedagogical Patterns Project
- Author
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Jutta Eckstein, Mary Lynn Manns, and Helen Sharp
- Subjects
Object technology ,General Computer Science ,Multimedia ,Work (electrical) ,Computer science ,computer.software_genre ,computer ,Dissemination ,Education - Abstract
This paper is a summary of the pedagogical patterns project. The project started in 1996 with the aim of collecting and disseminating experiences of teaching and learning about object technology. We adopted a pattern format early on, although the specific format has evolved over time. In this paper we give an overall view of the project: where it started, how the material we have collected has evolved and matured, and where we need to go from here. More material from the project is available from our website www.pedagogicalpatterns.org, and our publications.
- Published
- 2003
44. Curricular Considerations for Supporting Careers in Computer Graphics
- Author
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Eric Sedgwick, Jacob D. Furst, Nedjla Ougouag-Tiouririne, Rosalee Wolfe, Roymieco Carter, Steve Luecking, and John C. McDonald
- Subjects
General Computer Science ,Multimedia ,business.industry ,Computer science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Information technology ,Bachelor ,computer.software_genre ,Field (computer science) ,Education ,Computer graphics ,Fluency ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Mathematics education ,Dialog box ,Graphics ,business ,Curriculum ,computer ,media_common - Abstract
This paper examines the needs of students who, in the past, may have chosen to major in computer science or some other aspect of information technology as a way of achieving the goal of finding a job in the computer graphics field. The growth in computer graphics has lead to increased job opportunities in the industry. However, these jobs require fluency in both art and computing that an individual course or even a sequence of several courses cannot provide. In the past, there has been discussion of curricula for isolated graphics courses as part of a BS/CS degree, but industry demands more preparation than what one or two courses can deliver. This paper surveys and compares the two extant Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Graphics with the intent of encouraging dialog on the possibility of a four-year curriculum supporting this discipline.
- Published
- 2003
45. Teaching Visual Design Principles for Computer Science Students
- Author
-
Roymieco Carter
- Subjects
Communication design ,Praxis ,General Computer Science ,Multimedia ,Computer science ,business.industry ,Interface (computing) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,Graphic design ,computer.software_genre ,Education ,Course (navigation) ,Presentation ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,business ,Curriculum ,computer ,media_common - Abstract
Computing has become highly visual as interactive programs become increasingly prevalent. Computer science students need to be able to create effective visual displays as part of interface implementation. This paper describes a course covering graphic design topics relevant to computer science students. In this course, students learn the basic visual elements, the visual organizational principles and how to use them in the context of the digital page. The other topics of this paper are the presentation of course information to the computer science student, the implementation of the course information as praxis, course project construction, and a method for critiquing student projects. Curriculum Integration will also be discussed as a feature towards achieving a seamless and collaborative experience.
- Published
- 2003
46. Bridging Academic Software Engineering Education and Industrial Needs
- Author
-
Hossein Saiedian
- Subjects
Software Engineering Process Group ,Social software engineering ,Engineering ,General Computer Science ,business.industry ,Software development ,Software walkthrough ,Education ,Engineering management ,Personal software process ,Engineering ethics ,Software engineering ,business ,Software project management ,Software review - Abstract
Welcome to the special issue of the Computer Science Education on Software Engineering Education and Training. This special issue of the Computer Science Education includes four of the best education papers of the 23rd International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE) as well as one invited article presenting ongoing work in Software Engineering Education (SEE). The articles share a common theme: They emphasize effective education for practical and industrial problems. Some of the articles, in fact, represent case studies of collaborative projects between members of the academic and industrial or government institutions. ICSE, the flagship conference of the software engineering community, is well known for being a world-wide forum where researchers, practitioners, and educators together define and identify new directions of research and practice in software engineering, assess the state of the art, and exchange ideas. The 23rd ICSE, which included a track in SEE, was held in Toronto, Canada, during May 12‐19, 2001. Four of the SEE papers were recommended for further consideration for the Computer Science Education. The authors of the selected papers were requested to revise their original papers and thus were provided with an opportunity to expand on their papers beyond the version published in the proceedings. The invited article provides an investigation into one type of industry/university collaboration to address the existing lack of available software engineers. Formalism and Component-Based Software Development Component-based software development is widely acknowledged as fundamental for improving software productivity and quality. To reason about a component in a modular fashion, without being concerned about the imple
- Published
- 2002
47. Characteristics of Successful Collaborations to Produce Educated Software Engineering Professionals
- Author
-
Dawn Ramsey, Cynthia D. Tanner, Heidi J. C. Ellis, Nancy R. Mead, and Ana Moreno
- Subjects
Open software ,Software Engineering Process Group ,Engineering ,Engineering management ,Knowledge management ,Software ,General Computer Science ,Work (electrical) ,business.industry ,Personal software process ,business ,Software engineering ,Education - Abstract
Currently, a large gap exists between the number of open software engineering positions and the number of qualified software engineers to fill those positions. The Industry/University (I/U) subgroup of the Working Group on Software Engineering Education and Training (WGSEET) is investigating active collaborations between companies and universities in which non-software professionals and practitioners without formal software education are reeducated to become software engineers. This paper describes the current status of work performed by the I/U subgroup in the investigation of reeducation collaborations. It is our goal to identify the common characteristics of successful collaborations in order to provide guidance to universities and companies when constructing a collaborative program, as well as to promote future collaborations. In this paper, we report on the current activity of the I/U subgroup, describe the features of successful collaborations identified so far in our research, and provide some conc...
- Published
- 2002
48. Problem-Based Learning for Foundation Computer Science Courses
- Author
-
Alan Fekete, Judy Kay, Jeffrey H. Kingston, Kate Crawford, Michael Barg, Tony Greening, and Owen Hollands
- Subjects
General Computer Science ,Problem-based learning ,Computer science ,Teaching method ,Active learning ,Teaching and learning center ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Mathematics education ,Educational technology ,Experiential learning ,Learning sciences ,Education ,Synchronous learning - Abstract
The foundation courses in computer science pose particular challenges for teacher and learner alike. This paper describes some of these challenges and how we have designed problem-based learning (PBL) courses to address them. We discuss the particular problems we were keen to overcome: the purely technical focus of many courses; the problems of individual learning and the need to establish foundations in a range of areas which are important for computer science graduates. We then outline our course design, showing how we have created problem-based learning courses. The paper reports our evaluation of the approach. This has two parts: assessment of a trial, with a three-year longitudinal follow-up of the students; reports of student learning improve-ment after we had become experienced in full implementation of PBL. We conclude with a summary of our experience over three years of PBL teaching and discuss some of the pragmatic issues around introducing the radical change in teaching, maintaining staff suppo...
- Published
- 2000
49. Java Facilities for Automating Analysis, Feedback and Assessment of Laboratory Work
- Author
-
Cara MacNish
- Subjects
General Computer Science ,Java ,Computer science ,business.industry ,Information technology ,Education ,Incentive ,Software ,Work (electrical) ,University teaching ,business ,Software engineering ,computer ,computer.programming_language - Abstract
The current educational climate provides both incentives and pressures to extend the use of information technology in university teaching. The computer science discipline is ideally placed to take a leading role in the development of technology-based teaching tools. In recent times the technological resources available for such initiatives have also taken a leap forward, not least with the release of the rapidly developing Java language. This paper reports on one such initiative—the development of a system for providing automatic feedback on computer science laboratory work and monitoring student progress. The paper outlines the goals of the system and shows that the collection of facilities afforded by the Java language provides a strong foundation for the development of software for securely analyzing student code.
- Published
- 2000
50. Teaching Information Systems Management Skills: Using Integrated Projects and Case Studies
- Author
-
B. X. Jackson, Richard J. Whiddett, and Jocelyn Handy
- Subjects
Knowledge management ,General Computer Science ,business.industry ,Computer science ,Context (language use) ,Education ,Term (time) ,Skills management ,Unit (housing) ,Management information systems ,Order (exchange) ,Concept learning ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Information system ,business - Abstract
University courses in Computer Science (CS) and Information Systems (IS) are often criticized by industry for concentrating on conceptual learning while failing to provide their students with experience and grounding in managerial skills. This paper describes and discusses an innovative course In this paper the term “course” will be used to refer to a single integrated unit of study. In New Zealand such units are often referred to as “papers”. These courses can be combined together, according to various rules, to form a “course of study” which will lead to a qualification. At Massey University, a degree is comprised of 24 such courses.structure which has been developed in order to ground the teaching of IS management theory in its local context by interlinking practical projects and case studies in local organizations. The student projects are used to generate a large “cross-sectional” case study which describes several IS management problems that are occurring simultaneously in the same organization. Stu...
- Published
- 2000
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