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This paper articulates an approach to incorporating instructor feedback in design-based research. Throughout the process of designing and implementing curriculum to support middle school students' debugging practices in a summer computer science workshop, our research and practice team utilized instructor-generated conjecture maps as boundary objects, providing insight into the instructors' reflections on their classroom teaching. We develop an analytic tool for categorizing instructors' reflections on their conjecture maps, attending specifically to how instructors push back on design choices, whether by envisioning new mediating processes, introducing new connections, discussing new design features, articulating confusion/uncertainty, and/or presenting hopes and predictions. The tool is then applied to seven instructors' daily reflections over the course of four weeks of instruction, focused on three conjecture maps. Overall, the paper documents a range of tensions that instructors encounter when aiming to provide sustained debugging support to students and introduces a tool for understanding the detailed ways that instructors critique design conjectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The words "Programming is the second literacy" were coined more than 40 years ago [13], but never came to life. The paper develops and details that old slogan by proposing that the mainstream mathematics education in schools should merge with education in computer science/programming. Of course, this means a deep structural reform of school mathematics education. We are not talking about adapting the 20th century mathematics to the 21st century—as it outlined in [10, 19], we mean the 21st century mathematics education for the 21st century mathematics. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is perhaps the first known attempt to start a proper feasibility study for this reform. The scope of the paper does not allow us to touch the delicate socio-political (and financial) sides of the reform, we are looking only at general curricular and didactic aspects and possible directions of the reform. In particular, we indicate approaches to development of a Domain Specifiic Language (DSL) as a basis for all programming aspects of a new course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer programming is a skill of increasing importance in scientific and technological fields. However, in introductory computer science (CS1) courses in higher education, approximately one in every three students fails. A common reason is that students are overwhelmed by an accelerated and inflexible pace of learning that jeopardizes success. Accordingly, in the computer science education literature it has been suggested that the pedagogical philosophy of 'mastery learning,' which supports students progressing at their own pace, can improve academic outcomes of CS1 courses. Nevertheless, few extended mastery learning implementations in CS1 have been documented in the literature, and there is a lack of guidance and best practices to foster its adoption. In this paper, we present a four-year action research study in which a modular mastery-based CS1 course was designed, evaluated and improved in successive iterations with cohorts of engineering freshmen in a Latin American research university (N = 959). In the first year of the intervention, only 19.3% of students passed the course in their first semester attempting it. In successive iterations, the instructional design, teaching and learning activities, course content, and course management were iteratively improved such that by the fourth year of offering 77.1% of students passed the course in their first semester. Over this period, course attrition was reduced from 25.0% to 3.8% of the cohort, and students' mean time spent in the course decreased from 23.2 weeks (SD = 7.38) to 14.9 (SD = 3.64). Results indicate that modularization for mastery learning is a viable approach for improving academic results in a CS1 course. Practical considerations towards successful implementation of this approach are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interdisciplinary nature of Computer Science Education as a field of study is a complicating factor when authors are choosing appropriate journals and conferences for publishing research results. This paper reports a survey of 42 such publications in order to identify the types of paper frequently accepted for publication in each. We review existing taxonomies developed for the general fields of Computer Science and Education, and from this starting point, we develop a novel faceted taxonomy, specifically aimed to help new researchers in the field understand what types of papers are published and where they appear. Our results confirm previous studies indicating the predominance of practice-based, technology-driven reports. We also observe certain differences in educational themes between those found in publications grounded in the Computer Science Education corpus and those emerging from more general Higher Education literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a method for the construction and evaluation of cognitive models to support students in their problem-solving skills during robotics in school, aiming to build a basis for an implementation of a tutoring system in the future. Two Wizard-of-Oz studies were conducted, one in the classroom and one in the lab. Based on the cognitive model, the human wizards gave support to 20 students working in pairs. The studies were video recorded and a qualitative analysis was conducted. This qualitative research approach is described in detail. The evaluation of the studies showed that students reacted mostly positively to the wizards. We also uncovered ways in which students' problem-solving skills could be improved. Based on the evaluation and observations of the Wizard-of-Oz studies, the paper proposes a design for a future robotics skills tutoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the guest editors talk about the topics discussed in the special section of the issue including the need to balance computer science (CS) and information and communication technologies (ICT), overview of CS curriculum development, and use of ICT to support teaching and learning.

This article offers Ancestral Computing for Sustainability (ACS) to dismantle the logics of settler colonialism that affect accessibility, identities, and epistemologies of computer science education (CSE). ACS centers Indigenous epistemologies in researching CSE across four public universities in the United States. This paper describes Ancestral Computing for Sustainability and explores reflections of two students engaging as researchers in ACS inquiry. Drawing on Indigenous methodologies and Participatory Action Research, they share their reflections as co-researchers in ACS through storywork. These critical reflections include their relationship to computing, observations of the interdependent work within ACS, ethics and sustainability, and their experiences within the focus groups. The article ends with recommendations for furthering ACS as a decolonial approach that centers Indigenous epistemologies in CSE. Recommendations for CSE education include Ancestral Knowledge Systems and adding sustainability as a topic within computing education pathways and building student-faculty relationships based on trust is recommended to foster students' academic and personal growth within CSE education and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving code while preserving its functionality is a common task in the hi-tech industry. Yet students have difficulties improving an algorithm's run-time complexity by an order of magnitude. The paper focuses on assessing students' abilities in this area. We designed a Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy, using software quality factors, to assess students' cognitive ability while improving complexity. The research was conducted with college students studying for their bachelor's degree in engineering. We established a classification based on their solutions for a given task. Later, we used the same task to validate our classification with another group of engineering students. We then compared the previous average grades of the second group of students with their SOLO levels. The results show that the higher the students' previous average grades, the greater the probability that their solutions would be classified at higher taxonomic levels. These results indicate that our SOLO classification is indeed accurate. The paper presents our novel SOLO taxonomic levels for tasks improving run-time complexity and offers several suggestions to assist students and enhance the teaching process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasiveness of Computer Science (CS) in today's digital society and the extensive use of computational methods in other sciences call for its introduction in the school curriculum. Hence, Computer Science Education is becoming more and more relevant. In CS K-12 education, computational thinking (CT) is one of the abused buzzwords: different stakeholders (media, educators, politicians) give it different meanings, some more oriented to CS, others more linked to its interdisciplinary value. The expression was introduced by two leading researchers, Jeannette Wing (in 2006) and Seymour Papert (much early, in 1980), each of them stressing different aspects of a common theme. This paper will use a historical approach to review, discuss, and put in context these first two educational and epistemological approaches to CT. We will relate them to today's context and evaluate what aspects are still relevant for CS K-12 education. Of the two, particular interest is devoted to "Papert's CT," which is the lesser-known and the lesser-studied. We will conclude that "Wing's CT" and "Papert's CT," when correctly understood, are both relevant to today's computer science education. From Wing, we should retain computer science's centrality, CT being the (scientific and cultural) substratum of the technical competencies. Under this interpretation, CT is a lens and a set of categories for understanding the algorithmic fabric of today's world. From Papert, we should retain the constructionist idea that only a social and affective involvement of students into the technical content will make programming an interdisciplinary tool for learning (also) other disciplines. We will also discuss the often quoted (and often unverified) claim that CT automatically "transfers" to other broad 21st century skills. Our analysis will be relevant for educators and scholars to recognize and avoid misconceptions and build on the two core roots of CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper we report our experiences from a University outreach program with primary and secondary education teachers of various specialties. Our goal was to improve the coding abilities of teachers through Scratch activities. The participants can in turn teach their students, multiplying that way the benefitted population. To increase the participation and the completion percentage, the activities are designed as a course in Moodle realized in discrete runs with manageable groups, in a blended learning approach. The educational material was a combination of learning objects with specific objectives, video material and try-out activities. The course has been completed by 559 teachers from various Greek districts, mainly of regional areas, with a high completion rate of 65%. The participants found the experience highly satisfying, interesting and agreed that they had been supported effectively throughout the process. In the paper we describe the rational of our approach, the design and implementation phases of the project, the outcomes and the main findings of the evaluation of the user opinions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest of girls in computing drops early during primary and secondary education, with minimal recovery in later education stages. In combination with the growing shortage of qualified computer science personnel, this is becoming a major issue, and also a target of numerous studies that examine measures, interventions, and strategies to boost girls' commitment to computing. Yet, the results of existing studies are difficult to navigate, and hence are being very rarely employed in classrooms. In this paper, we summarize the existing body of knowledge on the effective interventions to recruit and retain girls in computer science education, intending to equip educators with a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate map of interventions recommended in the existing literature. To this end, we perform an aggregated umbrella literature review of 11 existing reviews on the topic, together accumulating joined knowledge from over 800 publications, and formulate the findings in a map of 22 concrete interventions structured in six groups according to their phase and purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe the design, development, and implementation of a curriculum based on teaching computer science using an industry-standard game-design software: Unity 3D. We discuss the theoretical underpinnings of our instructional design process and steps we have taken to introduce complexity and maintain student motivation. We discuss the challenges of this implementation and possible solutions and detail the additional steps related to teacher professional development, which is a key element for success of new and innovative curricular implementations such as ours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the authors analyzed data from a sample of thirty-two middle school students from an urban school district in the southeastern United States who used MIT's App Inventor to design, create, and remix mobile apps during an afterschool program for one school year. This paper focuses on computer science learning outcomes as measured by an assessment created by the authors. Findings indicated a linear relation between the number of apps a participant created during the given afterschool program and their level of accuracy on the assessment. Findings and discussion should be of interest to both researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for a knowledge-based society has perpetuated an increasing demand for higher education around the globe. Recently, there has been an increase in the demand for Computer Science professionals due to the rise in the use of ICT in the business, health and education sector. The enrollment numbers in Computer Science undergraduate programmes are usually high, but unfortunately, many of these students drop out from or abscond these programmes, leading to a shortage of Computer Science professionals in the job market. One way to diminish if not completely eradicate this problem is to identify students who are at risk of dropping out and provide them with special intervention programmes that will help them to remain in their programmes till graduation. In this paper, data mining techniques were used to build predictive models that can identify student dropout in Computer Science programmes, more specifically focusing on freshmen attrition since a significant number of dropout occurs in the first year of university studies. The predictive models were built for three stages of the first academic year using five classification algorithms which were Random Forest, Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, Logistic Regression, and K-Nearest Neighbour. The models used past five years of institutional data stored in university's repositories. Results show that the Naïve Bayes model performed better in stage 1 with an AUC of 0.6132 but in stages 2 and 3, the overall performance of the Logsitic Regression models were better with an AUC of 0.7523 and 0.8902, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culturally-relevant computing has been discussed as a way to promote K-12 Computer Science education and address ongoing challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. What is not well understood about the practice of culturally-relevant computing, however, is how to bring together existing cultural frameworks and Computer Science curricula effectively. To help address this area, focus group interviews were conducted with ten (n = 10) in-service Computer Science teachers working in the multicultural context of Hawai'i. The focus group sessions were designed to reveal teachers' perceptions of the principles and processes involved in designing and implementing culturally-relevant CS lessons and resources. Results revealed a number of key themes, including important variations in the practitioners' philosophical and operational approaches to culturally-relevant computing. The paper ends with a detailed discussion of the findings and their implications for designers, practitioners, and researchers working in Computer Science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing computer science education in an elementary classroom is at the forefront of computing education. Nevertheless, the literature on K-12 Computer Science (CS) education offers limited guidance for developing elementary CS curricula that lead to multiple career paths through project-based learning. Particularly, more research is needed on culturally responsive elementary school computing that leverages students' cultural references to create a more equitable CS education that acknowledges one's identity, culture, or background in the curriculum planning. This paper offers an approach for designing culturally responsive computing for upper elementary students from a highly diverse, low socio-economic school district using a research-practice approach. The approach can be adapted for other schools that face unique diversity and curricular challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research surrounding online computer science education emphasizes the need for high-quality professional development opportunities. However, there is a gap in research in the inclusion of online computer science educators to identify needs and strategies that make the online computer science courses effective. Through a Research-to-Practice Partnership (RPP), this paper examines the instructional strategies and recommendations from online Computer Science teachers. This study seeks to better understand (1) What design, facilitation, and assessment strategies do teachers use to teach programming online? and (2) What recommendations do teachers have for those interested in teaching programming online? The feedback teachers provided during the study assisted in identifying the current needs in online AP Computer Science. The participants suggested additional ways the RPP could support teachers in strengthening their practice, which has assisted in the production of high-quality professional development to support novice teachers entering the field of Computer Science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work underscores how CS education necessitates a I two-pronged approach i , where new CS teachers are trained from the existing in-service teaching population while also designing and deploying effective teacher education programmes that will suitably and effectively prepare the next generations of teachers ab initio in CS education. Crucial to ensuring that CS education develops and grows in a foundationally inclusive way, where diversity is represented throughout the design of CS education will be to empower underrepresented groups to engage with Computer Science. In 2024, this innovative teacher education programme will graduate Ireland's first cohort of teachers who have completed a 4-year honours, denominated undergraduate teacher education degree to teach the Computer Science specification. [Extracted from the article]

The subject of computer science (CS) and computer science education (CSE) has relatively recently arisen as a subject for inclusion within the compulsory school curriculum. Up to this present time, a major focus of technologies in the school curriculum has in many countries been on applications of existing technologies into subject practice (both software such as office applications, and hardware such as robots and sensors). Through uses of these applications, information and communications technologies (ICT) have focused on activities to support subject and topic learning (across wide age and subject ranges). Very recently, discussions for including computers in the curriculum have shifted to a much greater focus on computing and CS, more concerned with uses of and development of programming, together with fundamental principles of problem-solving and creativity. This paper takes a policy analysis approach; it considers evidence of current implementation of CSE in school curricula, the six main arguments for wider-scale introduction of the subject, the implications for researchers, schools, teachers and learners, the state of current discussions in a range of countries, and evidence of outcomes of CSE in compulsory curricula. The paper concludes by raising key questions for the future from a policy analysis perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we have examined the position and roles of Computer Science in curricula in the light of recent calls for curriculum change and we have proposed principles and issues to consider in curriculum design as well as identifying priority areas for further research. The paper is based on discussions within and beyond the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) Education Community since 2012 as well as an analysis of curriculum developments in five different countries. Emerging themes have been discussed with reference to important perspectives from curriculum theory including 'powerful knowledge' as a key element of entitlement and management of the growth of expertise. Based on this analysis we have identified areas of consensus as well as constraints, risks and issues that are still subject to controversy. There is an emerging consensus of the importance of Computer Science and the nature of its 'powerful knowledge'. Furthermore current understanding of the opportunities and benefits for starting to learn Computer Science early in primary schools has identified this early start as an entitlement and equity issue. There is a strong consensus that teacher professional development in Computer Science Education is critical for supporting curriculum change and is currently a major challenge in many countries. Other key issues include understanding how the growth of expertise affects potential structure and sequencing in the curriculum and the balance of content. Further considerations include how new technological opportunities interact with pedagogical approaches and can provide new potential for the growth of expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent focus on computational thinking as a key 21st century skill for all students has led to a number of curriculum initiatives to embed it in K-12 classrooms. In this paper, we discuss the key computational thinking constructs, including algorithms, abstraction, and automation. We further discuss how these ideas are related to current educational reforms, such as Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and provide specific means that would allow teachers to embed these ideas in their K-12 classrooms, including recommendations for instructional technologists and professional development experts for infusing computational thinking into other subjects. In conclusion, we suggest that computational thinking ideas outlined in this paper are key to moving students from merely being technology-literate to using computational tools to solve problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a game-design workshop built around a digital art installation featuring video games displayed over a real-world skyscraper to stimulate students' interest in computer science and a study testing its short-term effects on improving middle school students' computational thinking (CT) skills and attitudes towards computing. Following a STEAM approach, the workshop aimed to engage participants in age-appropriate activities that focus on CT skills through the lens of creating their own game. A web-based game design interface that allows students to code and play games as simulated on a skyscraper was developed to support the workshop's core activities. The web environment also featured step-by-step tutorials and fully functional games to promote the accessibility of the learning materials for a diverse body of students and educators around the globe. The results of the study indicated that the workshop helped students improve their CT skills and differentially influence their attitudes towards computing. In particular, the workshop experience led students from underserved community districts to lower their attitude ratings, whereas the reverse pattern was observed for students from more affluent districts. The workshop reportedly informed students' perception of computing as a profession and their appreciation of the analytical effort required for developing functional games. Qualitative analysis of artifact-based interviews indicated that students could begin to make abstractions and devise algorithms by associating variables through conditional statements while solving problems related to game development. Interview analysis also revealed that students took pride in the effort that they made during the workshop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unplugged activities as a low-cost solution to foster computational thinking (CT) skills seem to be a trend in recent years. However, current evidence of the effectiveness of unplugged activities in promoting students' CT skills has been inconsistent. To understand the potential of unplugged activities on computational thinking skills, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Our review of 49 studies examined the influence of unplugged activities to improve students' CT skills in K–12 education between 2006 and 2022. The literature review showed that studies on CT skills were mainly (81.64%) conducted in computer science and STEM education, with board and card games being the most common unplugged activities for fostering CT skills in K–12 education. CT diagnostic tools (36.37%) were frequently used as assessment tools. A follow-up meta-analysis of 13 studies with 16 effect sizes showed a generally large overall effect size (Hedges's g = 1.028, 95% CI [0.641, 1.415], p < 0.001) for the use of unplugged activities in promoting students' CT skills. The analysis of several moderator variables (i.e., grade level, class size, intervention duration, and learning tools) and their possible effects on CT skills indicated that unplugged activities are a promising instructional strategy for enhancing students' CT skills. Taken together, the results highlight the affordances of unplugged pedagogy for promoting CT skills in K–12 education. Recommendations for policies, practice, and research are provided accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important in the media environment (search engines, chatbots, home assistants, recommendation systems, etc.), the general audiences' knowledge of it remains limited, which biases their representations. To compensate for this, some governments show an interest in teaching it from an early age. It appears that educational resources related to AI literacy in schools are most often focused on technical skills. However, the challenges of such education are also ethical and societal, requiring an interdisciplinary and critical approach. This research aims at developing a 10–14 years old curriculum questioning the concept of intelligence in AI systems, and crossing computer science education and media literacy education. Through a role-playing game, the children discover the basic concepts of machine learning. Beyond their initial representations, which they become aware that they are largely fueled by the media, they can realize that an AI system is the result of design choices and that it only works within the framework that has been defined for it. Moreover, the possibility for teachers to teach the curriculum themselves in their classes is also evaluated. To this end, the curriculum was taught to 60 future trainee teachers, 70 middle school pupils, and 12 elementary pupils. Interviews were conducted also with 5 teachers who had either observed the curriculum taught by a researcher or attempted to teach it themselves. The results show that the children's representations have evolved towards representations that are more technically correct (although incomplete), but not very oriented towards aspects that open up critical questioning. The difficulties revealed in the implementation of the critical part are due in particular to the complexity of the IT concepts to be addressed, but also to the lack of teacher training. However, the data collected seems to confirm the interest and feasibility of crossing different disciplinary approaches to address certain aspects of AI. In conclusion, in addition to the curriculum, this paper describes a theoretical model of critical citizenship education in technology that integrates approaches to computer science education and media literacy education, and gives avenues for other designers and researchers to create AI critical educational experiences for K-12 learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to present an overview of a mobile game-based learning application, BaghLearn that develops and upskills programming and algorithmic knowledge by cross-curricular capabilities through a traditional world-based game. The focus of this research was to explore the learning effectiveness of BaghLearn on students. Mixed method research approach was applied to collect, process and analyze the research data in which undergraduate students who had some prior knowledge or had taken algorithm courses were instructed to test the mobile game learning application. This study exhibits the idea of integrating learning with contextual mobile game as an effective approach in understanding the influence of games towards cognitive achievements of students in computing education. In addition, there are no major requirements for the use of this application (can be maintained in resource-constrained contexts such as Nepal), which makes it expressively satisfying and useful for students who are relentlessly using mobile devices. Besides, this study evaluated the influence of BaghLearn towards learning of the design and analysis of algorithm course, which is a compulsory course for most undergraduate computing education program. Furthermore, the study findings can be used as a guideline for developing learning solutions and usability evaluation of such solutions, especially for infrastructure-constrained contexts. Students using the BaghLearn opined that the application is easy to use, supportive and lead to improved learning satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Hungary, K-12 informatics/computer science education focuses on mostly surface-based methods. This approach can be observed in the teaching of several topics in the subject, of which we focus on spreadsheet management. This is further emphasized by regulatory documents – the Hungarian National Core Curriculum and Hungarian Curriculum Frameworks –, where handling algorithms, calling schemata, and problem-solving in general are only assigned to the programming topic. In the process of fulfilling the requirements of the school curricula and the various tool-centered exams, students become familiar with the software interfaces and how to navigate them, instead of developing computational thinking skills and learning how to approach and solve real-world problems. Our educational system is based on a spiral teaching approach; therefore, spreadsheet management is taught throughout several grades in a small number of lessons. Prior research shows that students learning spreadsheet management with surface-approach methods do not build up a reliable knowledge structure. These students cannot solve problems in contexts differing to the ones in which they learned the topic and cannot use their surface navigation abilities in different software environments. Our research group focuses on spreadsheeting with an algorithm-building and problem-solving method at the center of the teaching-learning process. For this purpose, we have developed and introduced the Sprego (Spreadsheet Lego) methodology. Sprego is based on Pólya's four-step concept-based problem-solving approach, and its efficiency has already been proved compared to traditional low-mathability surface-approach methods. In the comparison of the low- and high-mathability approaches, several further questions arise, and amongst them one crucial aspect is how the different methods support the schema-construction and knowledge built up in long-term memory. In this paper we discuss this question using a delayed post-test that was carried out one year after the treatment period. We focused on the students' achievement both in the experimental (Sprego) and control (traditional surface-approaches) groups based on the methods used one year prior to the administration of the delayed post-test. The results show that students who learned the spreadsheet management topic with Sprego achieved significantly better scores on the delayed tests than those students who used low-mathability approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents research that aims to expose students' understanding of the this reference in object-oriented programming. The study was conducted with high school students (N = 86) and college engineering students (N = 77). Conceptualization of this reflects an understanding of objects in general and involves aspects of programming variants and programmers' preferences as well. To examine students' conceptions, perceptions, and misconceptions we developed a diagnostic tool that uses this in various contexts, such as in constructors, as a visible parameter, for calling an overloaded constructor in class, or while transiting a non-static method using this to a static one. The detailed analysis revealed difficulties, in both groups of participants, in conceptualizing the meaning of this as the current object and in its various uses in the code. The discussion presents students' conceptions of "what is this", nine misconceptions that we characterized, and answers to our research questions. The conclusion offers recommendations for teaching and learning processes in light of the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on evaluating a socio-cultural activity design (SCAD) model for using discussion-based social networking tools as a means to support the development of an online community of learners. Participants included 38 undergraduate students enrolled in a human-centered design course at a large, US university. The SCAD model includes concrete markers for identifying expected interactional, communication patterns for a community of learners. In order to examine the utility of our model we asked, (RQ1) to what extent do social network patterns coincide with expected outcomes for a community of learners; (RQ2) To what extent do students' cognitive activities in the environment match expected outcomes for a community of learners. To answer these questions, we conducted social network and content analysis of 503 posts in an online discussion-based social networking tool. We examined the overall sophistication of posts as well as changes in posting behavior over time. Findings suggest that use of the SCAD model facilitated processes associated with a community of learners, as students took over responsibility for the discussions over time, maintained strong connections with multiple peers, engaged in meaningful conversations about course content, and increased the sophistication of cognitive activity over time, even after instructor faded from the environment. However, findings also suggest more support is needed for online argumentation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many discussions of the ways in which abstraction is applied in computer science (CS), researchers and advocates of CS education argue that CS students should be taught to consciously and explicitly move among levels of abstraction (Armoni Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 32(3), 265–284, 2013; Kramer Communications of the ACM, 50(4), 37–42, 2007; Wing Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33–35, 2006). In this paper, we describe one way that attention to levels of abstraction could also support learning in mathematics. Specifically, we propose a framework for using abstraction in elementary mathematics based on Armoni's (2013) framework for teaching computational abstraction. We propose that such a framework could address an enduring challenge in mathematics for helping elementary students solve word problems with attention to context. In a discussion of implications, we propose that future research using the framework for instruction and teacher education could also explore ways that attention to levels of abstraction in elementary school mathematics may support later learning of mathematics and computer science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different sources of data about students, ranging from static demographics to dynamic behavior logs, can be harnessed from a variety sources at Higher Education Institutions. Combining these assembles a rich digital footprint for students, which can enable institutions to better understand student behaviour and to better prepare for guiding students towards reaching their academic potential. This paper presents a new research methodology to automatically detect students "at-risk" of failing an assignment in computer programming modules (courses) and to simultaneously support adaptive feedback. By leveraging historical student data, we built predictive models using students' offline (static) information including student characteristics and demographics, and online (dynamic) resources using programming and behaviour activity logs. Predictions are generated weekly during semester. Overall, the predictive and personalised feedback helped to reduce the gap between the lower and higher-performing students. Furthermore, students praised the prediction and the personalised feedback, conveying strong recommendations for future students to use the system. We also found that students who followed their personalised guidance and recommendations performed better in examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the debate about the extent to which secondary school Informatics curricula should include specifically vocational content, this paper explores the possibility that in Informatics teaching, there is value in adopting pedagogical approaches, rather than curriculum content, based on practice in industry and business settings. This paper reports research findings that raise questions about the widely held assumption that students will gain their programming knowledge and skills predominantly from classroom activities undertaken at the instigation of the Informatics teacher. Investigation of sources of students' information about programming skills and knowledge indicates that such an assumption is not well founded, and leads to the suggestion that innovative approaches to pedagogy in this area should be explored. Two studies, each a part of a larger project, are reported here. The first showed that a group of Grade 5 students, skilled programmers in the MicroWorlds multimedia programming environment, sought and acquired programming skills and techniques from a wide variety of sources, many of which were not classroom based. The second reports a formalisation of this model of student initiated seeking among a range of resource people for immediately needed expert advice. This was observed in a deliberately constructionist learning environment in an after-school Computer Clubhouse where students are supported by mentors with different specialist areas of expertise as well as by a teacher. The importance of these issues for Informatics teaching, assessment, course design and evaluation, and for the preparation of Informatics teachers is considered, and the need for further research in this area is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The final issue of TechTrends for 2023 features two columns and ten original papers that focus on the use of educational technologies to enhance teaching and learning. The articles cover topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, personalized learning, and broadening access to computer science education. One paper discusses a virtual librarian chatbot that uses IBM Watson to provide customized assistance to library users, while another explores an automated classroom analytics system called TEACHActive. The issue showcases emerging AI technologies and their potential applications in education, as well as learner-focused approaches enabled by education technology. The findings presented in this issue have implications for the design of responsive learning environments that prepare all students for future success. [Extracted from the article]

In this article, we present a conceptual framework for teaching computer science (CS) to address the unique challenges faced by marginalized groups. The framework is grounded in feminist standpoint theory and describes three key practitioner-focused areas aimed at broadening participation and increasing participation in CS education (CSEd). These principles are 1) Creating dialogic and dialectical relationships with the CS community, 2) Embracing intersectionality in CSEd, and 3) Framing CS education as a lived experience. It also offers a distinct perspective in that it is concerned with how both sides of the dialogue (i.e., the oppressed and the oppressor) grow and change in relation to one another. The strategies, along with the framework detailed in this paper, provide scholars and educators with new avenues for unpacking underrepresentation in CSEd and potential methods to address it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy emphases on early childhood and elementary computer science education have led to the development of many developmentally appropriate computer science and robotics tools, pedagogies, and high-quality curricula. One example is the integrated Coding as Another Language pedagogy for coding, literacy, and social and emotional learning. The pedagogy was initially developed for students in kindergarten and early elementary school and has not previously been aligned to prekindergarten learning frameworks or used in the prekindergarten setting. In this paper, we describe a pilot program if the CAL pedagogy could be successfully used for the prekindergarten setting. The study used a design-based method to adapt the Coding as Another Language curriculum for the prekindergarten setting and a mixed-methods protocol to evaluate the program at a preschool site serving children experiencing homelessness in classrooms that are part of the local school district’s universal prekindergarten program. Students were assessed using the Coding Stages Assessment of coding knowledge and the TechCheck-PreK assessment of computational thinking. Teachers completed semi-structured interviews over the course of the project. Teachers reported overall positive experiences teaching the curriculum including for English language learners, although some reported challenges integrating the curricula in their bilingual classrooms. Children participating in the program significantly improved on their coding knowledge by 4.60 points on the Coding Stages Assessment, p < .0001. These findings suggest that the Coding as Another Language pedagogy can be successfully integrated with preschool learning frameworks and implemented in preschool classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software-intensive systems are ubiquitous in the industrialized world. The reliability of software has implications for how we understand scientific knowledge produced using software-intensive systems and for our understanding of the ethical and political status of technology. The reliability of a software system is largely determined by the distribution of errors and by the consequences of those errors in the usage of that system. We select a taxonomy of software error types from the literature on empirically observed software errors and compare that taxonomy to Giuseppe Primiero's Minds and Machines 24: 249–273, (2014) taxonomy of error in information systems. Because Primiero's taxonomy is articulated in terms of a coherent, explicit model of computation and is more fine-grained than the empirical taxonomy we select, we might expect Primiero's taxonomy to provide insights into how to reduce the frequency of software error better than the empirical taxonomy. Whether using one software error taxonomy can help to reduce the frequency of software errors better than another taxonomy is ultimately an empirical question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid advances in E-learning systems, personalisation and adaptability have now become important features in the education technology. In this paper, we describe the development of an architecture for A Personalised and Adaptable E-Learning System (APELS) that attempts to contribute to advancements in this field. APELS aims to provide a personalised and adaptable learning environment to users from the freely available resources on the Web. An ontology was employed to model a specific learning subject and to extract the relevant learning resources from the Web based on a learner's model (the learners background, needs and learning styles). The APELS system uses natural language processing techniques to evaluate the content extracted from relevant resources against a set of learning outcomes as defined by standard curricula to enable the appropriate learning of the subject. An application in the computer science field is used to illustrate the working mechanisms of the APELS system and its evaluation based on the ACM/IEEE computing curriculum. An experimental evaluation was conducted with domain experts to evaluate whether APELS can produce the right learning material that suits the learning needs of a learner. The results show that the produced content by APELS is of a good quality and satisfies the learning outcomes for teaching purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer education in secondary schools aims to equip students with a creative problem solving ability (CPSA) and to enhance information literacy needed in the information age. One of the most popular instructional tools for computer education is to use textbooks. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a quantitative analysis model of CPSA in computer textbooks by analyzing the exploration procedure, the problem solving process, and the content analysis in textbooks, focusing on CPSA. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to propose a technique to analyze how much CPSA is presented in computer textbooks. Finally, the validity of the proposed analysis techniques in CPSA are verified by conducting construct and content validity, a confirmatory factor analysis, and a path analysis. The experiments were verified by 153 experts, who have teaching experiences of computer education in secondary schools. The data was analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and Amos 20.0 software tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every aspect of our daily lives has been touched by the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices. We have experienced an exponential growth of mobile computing-a trend that seems to have no limit. This paper provides a report on the findings of a recent offering of an iPhone Application Development course at Sheridan College, Ontario, Canada. It includes a report on the effectiveness of the course by assessing students' opinions of the course, and by analyzing student performance scores in relation to traditional programming courses. It also provides an overview of the development environment, an assessment of this new course including qualitative surveys, informal observations and quantitative analysis including student performance score results. Overall, it was found that students enjoyed the iPhone course and performed very well. The iPhone Group exceeded the performance of a Comparison Group: F(1,81) = 4.145, p < .05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational tools and methods have permeated multiple science and engineering disciplines, because they enable scientists and engineers to process large amounts of data, represent abstract phenomena, and to model and simulate complex concepts. In order to prepare future engineers with the ability to use computational tools in the context of their disciplines, some universities have started to integrate these tools within core courses. This paper evaluates the effect of introducing three computational modules within a thermodynamics course on student disciplinary learning and self-beliefs about computation. The results suggest that using worked examples paired to computer simulations to implement these modules have a positive effect on (1) student disciplinary learning, (2) student perceived ability to do scientific computing, and (3) student perceived ability to do computer programming. These effects were identified regardless of the students’ prior experiences with computer programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Python is gaining popularity in academia as the preferred language to teach novices serial programming. The syntax of Python is clean, easy, and simple to understand. At the same time, it is a high-level programming language that supports multi programming paradigms such as imperative, functional, and object-oriented. Therefore, by default, it is almost obvious to believe that Python is also the appropriate language for teaching parallel programming paradigms. This paper presents an in-depth study that examines to what extent Python language is suitable for teaching parallel programming to inexperienced students. The findings show that Python has stumbling blocks that prevent it from preserving its advantages when shifting from serial programming to parallel programming. Therefore, choosing Python as the first language for teaching parallel programming calls for strong justifications, especially when better solutions exist in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we argue that the traditional syllabus of logic courses for computer science is outdated and missing its purposes, therefore contributing to the gradual relegation of logic from the computing curricula. We further provide some practical recommendations and directions that need to be considered in the adaptation of the logic course syllabi to the needs of modern computing practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dilemma of sustaining civilization's continued growth while improving the quality of life becomes increasingly pressing as the population rises and its demands and aspirations expand. Engineers are needed worldwide to find ways to put knowledge into practice in order to solve the problem of sustainability. Even if their curriculum is already overburdened, it is critical to introduce sustainability themes into material science lectures. This paper focuses on how easy it is to teach materials sustainability in material science classrooms using the sustainability component of SolidWorks, a computer-aided design program. The study presents the software capabilities and the settings that have to be done for sustainability analysis and the results shown by the software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of university-level education depends on the quality of underlying school education and any deficiency therein may be detrimental to a student's career. This may be more glaring with Computer Science education, given its mercurial nature. In the developing countries, the Computer Science school curricula are usually stuffed with obsolete, unnecessary and dry contents. The problem is multiplied by the lack of qualified school teachers and separate media of instruction at the school and the university. In this paper we are focusing on the computer Science pedagogy at schools, with a possibility of introducing approaches, like Alice. The latter may on one hand be appealing to both the students and teachers and on the other hand may require a lot less training. With that in view, an experiment was designed to teach Alice, to sampled K-12 students, and study the ensued effects. The outcomes were realized in two ways. One, the attendees were required to furnish a small project/task in order to judge their understanding of Alice. Two, the students were surveyed for their views on Alice and possible inclusion of such approaches in their course. Given the brief contact time, the results were found to be promising as most of the respondents were in favor of a change in the approach Computer Science teaching. The tasks were well received by the respondents and most of them carried out the tasks assigned to them, enthusiastically. English language Comprehension was the single largest problem and that's why the students demonstrated reluctance in adding dialogues on part of the characters. As far as the responses to the questionnaire were concerned, an overwhelming majority had a favorable opinion of the approach. They found it easy to use, understand, comprehend and considered it useful in initiating a novice to programming. They even rated it superior to their current syllabus. Some questions were chosen from the futuristic point of view and the responses were more than expected as the students felt motivated towards studying IT after coming across Alice. The only thing the respondents insisted was the inclusion Arabic language support in the future versions of Alice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the issue of effective content-delivery of Computer Science subjects taking advantage of a university intranet. The proposal described herein for teaching a subject like Combinatorics and Graph Theory (CGT) is to supplement lectures with a moderated online forum against an associated intranet portal, which is referred to as a CGT-portal. The contents of a CGT-portal in a university intranet is required to be assembled by moderators and students during the progress of the CGT course. When completed at the end of a CGT course, a CGT-portal may be seen as a restricted view of the Online Encyclopaedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS: see -the restriction can be with respect to sequences in OEIS that are directly relevant to say CGT). In the context of OEIS, an integer- sequence enthusiast experiences this cycle: understand a page in OEIS-ponder over the contents-read afresh/refresh related content-suggest new additions to OEIS-wait for approval or rejection- repeat this cycle. This experience can be imparted to students of a CGT course with the help of a CGT-portal. For organizing a CGT course, a first task is to partially create a miniature OEIS-like instructor-moderated CGT-portal in a university intranet. During the course of lectures and tutorials in CGT, students are asked to explore/contribute to the CGT-portal and these may be critically augmented/approved by instructors suitably, to find a place in the portal. Moderation also includes feedbacks (in many sense, a form of guidance) to students using/contributing to, the portal. By this, many concepts can be conveyed to the students in an interesting way with the desired results. It is pointed out that the dynamic nature of a CGT-portal promotes active learning philosophy, the success of which depends on understanding the background and psychology of the student population. Some design guidelines associated with the building-up of a CGT-portal e.g., grouping of prerequisites of a logical page, knowledge-representation related observations, useful interfaces to the portal are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study explores one secondary school's approach towards implementing a one computer to one student (1:1) program, which commenced in 2011. Prior to 2011, the school was not very technologically advanced, mainly due to financial constraints which impacted on infrastructure, procurement of hardware and software, the availability of computers to students and learning and teaching. This study considers the perceptions of student and teachers about the integration of the 1:1 program across the School. A mixed methodology was employed comprising qualitative interview data and questionnaires to provide quantitative responses. This enabled an exploration of the effect of the 1:1 program as reported by teachers and the students themselves, as well as the examination of a range of related issues, such as the use of the devices, as well as issues about the implementation of the program. The findings are presented in a thematic style and provide insight into how the 1:1 program was deployed each year through the lens of students and teachers. The paper concludes with recommendations for the successful implementation of a 1:1 program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]