Computing education is in enormous demand. Many students (both children and adult) are realizing that they will need programming in the future. I argue that they are not all going to use programming in the same way and for the same purposes. What do we mean when we talk about teaching *everyone* to program? Should we have the same goals as computer science education for professional software developers? How do we design computing education that works for everyone? I propose the use of a learner-centered design approach to create computing education for a broad audience. I review the history of the idea that programming isn’t just for the professional software developer, and present case studies to explore the idea that computer science for everyone requires us to re-think how we teach and what we teach.
Critiquing CS Assessment from a CS for All lens: Dagstuhl Seminar PosterMark Guzdial
Poster presented at the Dagstuhl Seminar "Assessing Learning in Introductory Computer Science" (http://www.dagstuhl.de/en/program/calendar/semhp/?semnr=16072). I argue that we have to consider what the learner wants to do and wants to be (i.e., their desired Community of Practice) when assessing learning. Different CoP, different outcomes, different assessments.
The Role of CS Departments in The US President’s “CS for All” Initiative: Pan...Mark Guzdial
In January 2016, US President Barack Obama started an initiative to provide CS for All – with the goal that all school students should have access to computing education. Computing departments in higher education have a particularly important role to play in this initiative. It’s in our best interest to get involved, since the effort can potentially improve the quality of our incoming students. CS Departments have unique insights as subject-matter experts to inform the development of standards. We can provide leadership to inform and influence education policy. In this session, we will present a variety of ways in which departments and faculty can support CS for All and will answer audience questions about the initiative. Our goal is to provide concrete positive actions for faculty.
Barbara Ericson spoke on influencing our incoming students and using outreach to improve the number and diversity of students and to improve the number and quality of teachers.
Rick Adrion spoke on CS faculty providing subject-matter expertise to standards efforts. A key role for CS faculty is to help teachers, administrators, and public policy makers to understand what CS is.
Megean Garvin spoke on how CS faculty can provide a leadership role. Faculty have a particular privileged position to draw together diverse stakeholders to advance CS Education.
VL/HCC 2015 Keynote: Requirements for a Computing Literate SocietyMark Guzdial
I. Our Job: The first computer scientists set the goal to achieve a Computing-Literate Society.
II. Challenges to Achieving a Computing-Literate Society
Access and Diversity
Inverse Lake Wobegon Effect
Unanswered research questions of policymakers
III. Inventing New Kinds of Computing Education
Story #1: Contextualized Computing Education.
Story #2: Understanding the Needs of High School CS Teachers.
We share a vision of a society that is able to express problems and ideas computationally. Andrea diSessa called that *computational literacy*, and he invented the Boxer Programming Environment to explore the media of computational literacy. Education has the job of making citizens *literate*. Education systems around the world are exploring the question of what should all citizens know about computing and how do we provide that knowledge. The questions being asked are about public policy, but also about what does it mean to be expressive with computation and what should computing users know. The answers to these questions have implications for the future of human-centric computing.
Presented at the CS4TX Statewide Meeting, October 19, 2016, in Houston, TX.
Presented by:
Carol Fletcher, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Center for STEM Education
The University of Texas at Austin
Critiquing CS Assessment from a CS for All lens: Dagstuhl Seminar PosterMark Guzdial
Poster presented at the Dagstuhl Seminar "Assessing Learning in Introductory Computer Science" (http://www.dagstuhl.de/en/program/calendar/semhp/?semnr=16072). I argue that we have to consider what the learner wants to do and wants to be (i.e., their desired Community of Practice) when assessing learning. Different CoP, different outcomes, different assessments.
The Role of CS Departments in The US President’s “CS for All” Initiative: Pan...Mark Guzdial
In January 2016, US President Barack Obama started an initiative to provide CS for All – with the goal that all school students should have access to computing education. Computing departments in higher education have a particularly important role to play in this initiative. It’s in our best interest to get involved, since the effort can potentially improve the quality of our incoming students. CS Departments have unique insights as subject-matter experts to inform the development of standards. We can provide leadership to inform and influence education policy. In this session, we will present a variety of ways in which departments and faculty can support CS for All and will answer audience questions about the initiative. Our goal is to provide concrete positive actions for faculty.
Barbara Ericson spoke on influencing our incoming students and using outreach to improve the number and diversity of students and to improve the number and quality of teachers.
Rick Adrion spoke on CS faculty providing subject-matter expertise to standards efforts. A key role for CS faculty is to help teachers, administrators, and public policy makers to understand what CS is.
Megean Garvin spoke on how CS faculty can provide a leadership role. Faculty have a particular privileged position to draw together diverse stakeholders to advance CS Education.
VL/HCC 2015 Keynote: Requirements for a Computing Literate SocietyMark Guzdial
I. Our Job: The first computer scientists set the goal to achieve a Computing-Literate Society.
II. Challenges to Achieving a Computing-Literate Society
Access and Diversity
Inverse Lake Wobegon Effect
Unanswered research questions of policymakers
III. Inventing New Kinds of Computing Education
Story #1: Contextualized Computing Education.
Story #2: Understanding the Needs of High School CS Teachers.
We share a vision of a society that is able to express problems and ideas computationally. Andrea diSessa called that *computational literacy*, and he invented the Boxer Programming Environment to explore the media of computational literacy. Education has the job of making citizens *literate*. Education systems around the world are exploring the question of what should all citizens know about computing and how do we provide that knowledge. The questions being asked are about public policy, but also about what does it mean to be expressive with computation and what should computing users know. The answers to these questions have implications for the future of human-centric computing.
Presented at the CS4TX Statewide Meeting, October 19, 2016, in Houston, TX.
Presented by:
Carol Fletcher, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Center for STEM Education
The University of Texas at Austin
Curriculum Integration Ideas for Tech and the CCSSRae Fearing
Technology integration to support the Common Core State Standards. This presentation covers ideas for effectively integrating technology to help students conquer the common core. Created by Rae Fearing with inspiration from Martin Cisneros.
This Top Ten List is a digest of key findings from the Speak Up 2007 Student Surveys. For more information about the Speak Up National Research Project, data findings from our parent, teacher and administrator surveys, and information about our upcoming release of our Speak Up 2008 data findings, visit us at www.tomorrow.org.
EDU DAY Guatemala: Using 3D Virtual Worlds in EducationDavid W. Deeds
EDU DAY Guatemala (Featuring Google) presentation by David W. Deeds: "Using 3D Virtual Worlds in Education." Covers Second Life and OpenSimulator, higher education and K-12. Proposes 3D Global Village of connected school grids to enable worldwide collaboration, language/cultural exchanges, etc.
Curriculum Integration Ideas for Tech and the CCSSRae Fearing
Technology integration to support the Common Core State Standards. This presentation covers ideas for effectively integrating technology to help students conquer the common core. Created by Rae Fearing with inspiration from Martin Cisneros.
This Top Ten List is a digest of key findings from the Speak Up 2007 Student Surveys. For more information about the Speak Up National Research Project, data findings from our parent, teacher and administrator surveys, and information about our upcoming release of our Speak Up 2008 data findings, visit us at www.tomorrow.org.
EDU DAY Guatemala: Using 3D Virtual Worlds in EducationDavid W. Deeds
EDU DAY Guatemala (Featuring Google) presentation by David W. Deeds: "Using 3D Virtual Worlds in Education." Covers Second Life and OpenSimulator, higher education and K-12. Proposes 3D Global Village of connected school grids to enable worldwide collaboration, language/cultural exchanges, etc.
Scope's Communication & Inclusion Resource Centre offers products for people to use who
- have a communication difficulty
- has an aquired injury
- has English as a second language
Harvard Graduate School Education: teaching cs to teachersMark Guzdial
CS Teacher Ed Requires different goals and methods than CS Major (software professional developer) education. Talks about (a) what successful teachers know, (b) student misconceptions, and (c) about MediaComp as a model of non-major/non-developer intro CS.
This presentation was given by David Lucchino and Chris Loose, co-founders of Semprus BioSciences, Corp. It describes the process of how Lucchino and Loose grew Semprus BioSciences from their lab at MIT to what it is today! The presentation outlines certain rules and practices other startup founders can follow for finding funding and mentorship.
Flash Talk for the ECEP Alliance from the NSF BPC Community MeetingMark Guzdial
The Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance (an NSF Broadening Participation in Computing alliance) helps states broaden participation in computing education and improve their computing education. This five minute (20 slides, 15 seconds per slide) talk introduces ECEP and offers a model for how states can get started with improving and broadening their computing education.
Right Click, is a young Saudi company with international standards that is specialized in Creative Communications, with a strength and passion for digital PR & Marketing. We may not be the first to join the Saudi market but we aspire to be your first choice as a creative partner. With the help of our creative conceptualizes, communicators, marketing specialists and genius programmers, we help our clients reach better and to be heard, in the right voice.
Talk on Ebooks at the NSF BPC/CE21/STEM-C Community MeetingMark Guzdial
Why we should use ebooks (rather than MOOCs) for CS learning opportunities for high school teachers. We use educational psychology principles to design our book. The talk presents data from our first three studies: usability, log file analysis, and learnability
Lessons from the Learning Sciences for Cyber Security Education. Cyber Security Education requires thinking about “how computing works.”
For programmers, why some practices create holes/opportunities.
For end-users, why some activities compromise security.
We need everyone to learn about cyber security.
What can learning sciences tell us about encouraging that kind of learning?
Lesson #1: Context matters.
The Story of Computing for All at Georgia Tech.
Lesson #2: Identity matters.
“Teaching” Graphics Designers who reject CS about CS.
Lesson #3: Structure matters.
Subgoal Labels can Dramatically Improve Learning
A K-20 Creative Design Approach to Addressing Problems of Practice in a Futur...Anita Zijdemans Boudreau
Presented at the EdTech Teacher Summit, San Diego February 2016 & ORATE, WOU February 26, 2016
Learning teams work at their best when diverse perspectives, expertise, and skill sets from across all levels of the educational community unite to imagine creative ways for tackling authentic, context-specific challenges. This session describes a K-20 collaborative partnership approach to identifying and addressing problems of practice related to technology integration in schools. A creative design team—comprised of in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, a university faculty instructor, school administrator, and library & information technology teacher (LITT)—was developed to help advance the school's Future Ready mission to "maximize digital learning opportunities and help school districts move quickly toward preparing students for success in college, a career, and citizenship" (see: http://futureready.org/). Iterative design thinking was used to:
• establish a common understanding of specific challenges faced by teachers in the school;
• research, generate insights, and ideate solutions for how to address the problems using technology;
• develop and implement prototypes across different classrooms; and
• evaluate what worked and share the outcomes with the broader school community.
Some project outcomes included exploring apps for differentiating instruction, creating an open educational resource (oer) for digital citizenship, and organizing an 'hour of code' event school wide.
Today's learners deserve and need...Authentic opportunities to do meaningful work. Today’s tools to get real work done. Opportunities every day, throughout the day to work on personally engaging tasks. Space and resources to work collaboratively, think critically & create. Learning that is enjoyable and yes, fun! The Maker Movement provides all of this and more.
A presentation to the Academic staff of SISTC (Sydney International School of Technology and Commerce) on different techniques to adopt to work with Generative AI, such as ChatGPT and to consider different forms of assessment.
Software development is not exactly the same as computer programming. When it comes to a career, development for productization introduces many more things than simply coding. It is important to learn how to accomplish tasks, sharpen skills, develop the career and enjoy it. And last but not the least, how to start?
MIT Program on Information Science Talk -- Julia Flanders on Jobs, Roles, Ski...Micah Altman
Julia Flanders, who is the Director of the Digital Scholarship Group in the Northeastern University Library, and a Professor of Practice in Northeastern's English Department gave a talk on Jobs, Roles, Skills, Tools: Working in the Digital Academy as part of the Program on Information Science Brown Bag Series.
In the talk, illustrated by the slides below, Julia discusses the evolving landscape of digital humanities (and digital scholarship more broadly) and considers the relationship between technology, tool development, and professional roles.
For more see: http://informatics.mit.edu/event/brown-bag-jobs-roles-skills-tools-working-digital-academy-julia-flanders
Kirsty Tonks Director of e-Learning at Collegiate Academy Trust, shows how Apps for Good fits into the Year 9 ICT and Design and Technology Curriculum Design.
Digital Reading Strategies
A Faculty Learning Community Presentation
Dawn Hawley, Librarian/eLearning; Judi Wise, Faculty;
Traci Taylor, Librarian; and Stoo Sepp, Director of eLearning
Bellingham Technical College
CS Education for All. A new wave of opportunityPeter Donaldson
Computing education in Scotland has undergone big changes recently with improvements to the National Qualifications, interesting National Progress Awards and the revision of the Technologies Experiences and Outcomes and new benchmarks for 1st to 3rd year pupils. With increased understanding of how to teach CS effectively and an exciting and progressive curriculum there has never been a better time to consider becoming a Computing Teacher.
These slides explain the changes and bust some myths about teaching as a career and were used as part of a series of face to face workshops for final year Computing students in Universities around Scotland in 2017.
Similar to LaTICE 2016: Learner-Centered Design of Computing Education for All (20)
Computing Education as a Foundation for 21st Century LiteracyMark Guzdial
Keynote from SIGCSE 2019. Teaching programming as a way to express ideas, communicate with others, and understand our world is one of the oldest goals for computing education. The inventor of the term ``computer science'' saw it as the third leg of STEM literacy. In this talk, I lay out the history of the idea of universal computational literacy, some of what it will take to get there, and how our field will be different when we do.
Priming the Computer Science Teacher Pump Report: Finding a Home for Computer...Mark Guzdial
This report focuses on Schools of Education (rather than Departments or Colleges of Computer Science/Computing) for creating pathways for CS teacher education.
We challenge US teacher education programs to innovate and integrate a new discipline into their programs. What we propose is nothing less than a change to the American Education canon. Such enormous change will require innovating in different ways, using different models and strategies, before we find models that work. The report, Priming the Pump, will highlight examples of integration from across the United States, and provide concrete recommendations for discussion.
With the expansion of computing education in mainstream K-12 schools, the current training mechanisms for teachers quickly will fall short of supporting a sustainable pipeline of teachers for the scale many cities and states have committed to.
Using Learning Sciences Research to Improve Computing Teaching: Predictions, ...Mark Guzdial
Invited talk at Computing at School 2017.
Researchers still understand too little about the cognitive difficulties of learning programming, but we now have several new methods that draw on lessons from across learning sciences. In this talk, I describe three examples of ways to teach computing that are just starting to appear in computer science classes. We can use prediction to help students retain knowledge from in-class live coding. We can improve learning and transfer by using subgoal labeling. We can use Parsons Problems to provide more flexible and efficient ways to learn programming.
Links:
http://computinged.wordpress.com - Mark’s Blog
http://home.cc.gatech.edu/csl - Group web page
http://tinyurl.com/StudentCSP - link to ebook using Parsons Problems
Media Computation using Blocks-Based Language, GP: http://home.cc.gatech.edu/gpblocks
Providing learning and reflection opportunities to develop in-service CS teac...Mark Guzdial
Meeting the Challenges of Growing CS Teaching:
How we provide opportunities to in-service teachers for reflection with feedback?
Disciplinary Commons for Computing Education provides one model with an emphasis on community.
How do we influence the development of CS teacher identity?
The important factors we can influence are (a) a teacher community and (b) clear definitions of what is CS.
How do we provide Computer Science and Computer Science PCK learning opportunities in-service?
We are building and testing an ebook to meet teachers’ needs.
Teaching linked lists data structures using MIDIMark Guzdial
I teach linked lists in my Media Computation data structures class by putting MIDI inside the nodes. Now, walking a list is playing music. Repeating a node is recapitulating a motif.
Rutgers Invited Talk: Creative Expression to Motivate Interest in ComputingMark Guzdial
Efforts in the US to promote learning about computer science and computational thinking emphasize the vocational benefits. Research on end-user programming suggests that for every professional software developer in the United States, there are four more professionals who program as part of doing their job. Efforts in other countries (UK, Denmark, New Zealand) instead emphasize the value of computing as a rigorous discipline providing insight into our world. We offer a third motivation: computing as a powerful medium for creative expression. We have used computational media to motivate children to study computing, to go beyond thinking about “geeks” in computing. We use media computation to encourage teachers and introductory students at college. The approach draws in a different audience than we normally get in computer science The BS in Computational Media at Georgia Tech is the most gender-balanced, ABET-accredited undergraduate computing degree in the United States. We use these examples to paint a picture of using creative expression to motivate interest in computing.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
3. • A software engineer who
builds applications for end-
users.
• A mathematician who works in
Mathematica her whole life.
• A graphic designer who
programs in JavaScript to
automate Photoshop
processes.
• The data scientist who scrubs
data with Perl and analyzes in
R.
• A chemical engineer who
writes 20 new lines of
MATLAB code each day, then
throws them away.
• The office worker who builds
Excel macros weekly for co-
workers.
• The homeowner who writes
home automation scripts.
• The musician who codes live
in front of an audience.
Do all of these use the same
CS practices and knowledge?
4. Story
I. Our Job: The first computer scientists set a goal to achieve
a Computing-Literate Society.
II. Challenges to Achieving a Computing-Literate Society
• Access and the Inverse Lake Wobegon Effect
• Learner-Centered Design
III. Inventing New Kinds of Computing Education for
Different Communities of Practice
• Story #1: Providing Computing Education for Graphics Designers’
Community of Practice.
• Story #2: Understanding the Needs of High School CS Teachers.
7. Learn Programming
to Re-Think Process Everywhere
• Alan Perlis argued that
computer science should be
part of a liberal education.
• Explicitly, he argued that
all students should learn to
program.
• Why?
• Because Computer
Science is the study of
process.
• Automated execution of
process changes
everything
• Including how we think about
things we already know
8. Elias: Does it have to be programming?
• Licklider: Peter, I think the first apes who tried to talk with
one another decided that learning language was a
dreadful bore…But some people write poetry in the
language we speak.
• Perlis: The purpose of a course in programming is to
teach people how to construct and analyze processes…A
course in programming is concerned with abstraction: the
abstraction of constructing, analyzing, and describing
processes…The point is to make the students
construct complex processes out of simpler ones….A
properly designed programming course will develop
these abilities better than any other course.
8
9. “A handful of people, having
no relation to the will of
society, having no
communication with the rest
of society, will be taking
decisions in secret which
are going to affect our lives
in the deepest sense.”
The Power and Fear of Algorithms
• The Economist (Sept.,
2007) spoke to the
algorithms that control us,
yet we don’t understand.
• Credit Ratings, Adjustable
Rate Mortgages, Search
Rankings
• C.P. Snow foresaw this in
1961.
• Those who don’t understand
algorithms, can’t understand
how the decisions are made.
10. II. Challenges
• Access and Diversity: We aren’t reaching
everyone.
• Inverse Lake Wobegon Effect: We see
little of the problem.
• Learner-Centered Design: A strategy for
creating computing for everyone
13. Inverse Lake Wobegon Effect
• We only know the
top half.
• People who take
CS in
undergraduate are
above average.
• People who get
access to CS
education are
among the most
privileged in
14. Learner-Centered Design
• Learners are
different than experts
(Soloway, Guzdial, &
Hay 1994)
• Designing for
learners starts with
understanding
learners, their
learning needs, and
how they want to
learn.
15. III. Inventing New Kinds of
Computing Education
• Different Communities of Practice =>
Different Learning Objectives
• Story #1: Providing Computing Education
for Graphics Designers’ Community of
Practice
• Story #2: Understanding the Needs of
Secondary School Computing Teachers
16. CS for Everyone/All
• Efforts in many countries to
make computing education
available to all students.
• Do all students need or
want the same CS
education?
• Do they all need or want
the same expertise? To be
the same kind of
practitioner?
17. Sociocognitive Theories of
Learning
• Situated
Learning (Lave
& Wenger) says
that students
seek to join a
community of
practice.
• Students’ Goal:
To adopt the practices
and learn the values
of those at the center
of the community of
practice.
18. Beyond a Software
Development CoP
Most people
who program
are not part
of a software
developer
community of
practice
(CoP).
http://changetheequation.org/blog/hidden-
half
19. Student values based on
perceived CoP
Students who value
media development
want different kinds of
programming
languages than those
who want to be
programmers.
(DiSalvo, 2015)
Authenticity
matters. (Shaffer &
Resnick, 1999)
20. Story #1: Computing Education
for Graphics Designers’ Community of Practice
Significant
amount of
programming
from designers
who reject the
identity of
“programmer.”
21. Fitting into existing practice:
Graphics designers who program
• Brian Dorn conducted a
series of interviews and
assessment activities.
• Found that these subjects
want more computer
science, but don’t find
courses (and most other
resources) adequate (Dorn
& Guzdial, ICER 2010)
• P10: So, that was a
really long way of
saying yes, I think
that an academic
study would make
me a better
programmer, but not
by a whole lot.
22. Where are they getting their
CS knowledge?
• Mostly on-line:
• FAQs and other
documentation
• Books (when
applicable)
• Lots of examples and
networking.
• Not so much classes
22
Dorn & Guzdial, CHI
2010
23. Rejection of programming CoP
• They reject, and feel rejected in return, by
programmers:
• P9: “I met a guy who programs ATM machines, and he
busted me for calling myself a coder. He says, well no,
you’re a scripter. And the coders you know, they’re down
there in the dirty behind the scenes playing with the
rendering buffers and you know, moving bits of memory
back and forth.”
• P2: “I went to a meeting for some kind of programmers,
something or other. And they were old, and they were
nerdy, and they were boring! And I’m like, this is not my
personality. Like I can’t work with people like that.”
24. What do software engineers do?
Answer: The Boring Stuff.
• P2: I was able to take different samples from different
places and instead of just being let's say an MIS major, or
computer science major, you know it's—you're not going
to be front-end anything with computer science.
You're going to be back-end everything.
• P4: I think as a front-end developer, you focus more on
the design and the usability, and you're focusing more on
the audience. And then on the back-end I think you're
focused on more, these are like the software developers.
And they're programming something, and they don't
really see what it's gonna look like; they're just making
it work.
25. They are not afraid of coding
• “What interests you about web design?”
• P12: The coding! I don't like to code. But the
things that the code can do is amazing, like you
can come up with this and voila, you know, it's
there. Javascript for one. The plugins and stuff. I
think that's very interesting, intriguing and stuff.
Because I mean like the code is just, there's
so much you can do with code and stuff. It's
just like wow.
26. They’re Inefficient without
Initial Knowledge
• Learning less than they might because of a lack of
deep knowledge.
• For example: Exploring code by searching Google for
function and variable names.
• Learning about Java when programming in JavaScript
• Brian’s experiment: Given a case library with
conceptual information vs. a code repository
alone, what gets learned, used, and liked? (ICER
2011)
28. Bottomline: Cases work
• They like the cases.
• They coded the problems the same.
• Case-users learn the concepts, while
repository users do not.
• Graphic designers won’t take classes “for
programmers.”
• So, we provide learning opportunities where
they are looking for them.
28
29. Story #2: Understanding
CS Teacher’s Needs
To be successful, CS teachers need:
1. A sense of identity
• Where does that sense of identity come from?
• Confidence in their ability to teach
• For US CS teachers, from community and role models. (Lijun
Ni, 2011)
2. More professional learning: CK and PCK
30. Teachers need their Communities
“I’m a better Math teacher, just because I’ve
had so much support. Whenever I have
problems, I can talk with the people that I work
with, most of who have taught for many years
in Math.…Every day, I’m eating lunch with
Math teachers.
With Computer Science, I’ve got nobody to
talk to.”
From Lijun Ni’s 2011 thesis
on CS teacher identity
31. Disciplinary Commons
Group of educators from diverse
institutions who teach within the same
subject area meeting monthly over an
academic year.
In monthly increments, the
participants prepare a course portfolio.
Goals
1. To document and share knowledge about student
learning in Computer Science classrooms.
2. To establish practices for the scholarship of
teaching by making it public, peer-reviewed, and
amenable for future use and development by
other educators. [1]
[1] Tenenberg, J. and Fincher, S. Opening the door of the computer science classroom: the
Disciplinary Commons. SIGCSE Bull., 39, 1 2007, 514-518.
32. DCCE in Georgia
Disciplinary Commons for Computing Educators
Adaptation – High School teachers AND
University
Goals
1. Creating community
2. Sharing resources and knowledge of how
things are taught in other contexts
AND…
3. Supporting student recruitment within the
high school environment
Work by Briana
Morrison, Lijun Ni, Ria
Galanos, & Allison Elliott
Tew
34. Improving Recruiting
• 302% increase in number of AP CS students in the year
following their participation in the DCCE
• Year of participation – 122 students enrolled
• Next year – 491 students pre-registered
• One teacher 700% increase (3 to 24 students)
• Reasons:
1. Venue to share recruitment ideas
2. Sense of community (keep up morale during
recruiting)
35. Teacher Confidence
“I think DCCE definitely did help [me feel
more confident]. I think it was just being a part
of a community of teachers that you can
actually talk with about teaching. That gives
you confidence when you don’t teach it in a
vacuum.”
36. How do you prepare your students
for the AP CS exam?
36
• “Everything in that class is more or less an
assessment. They’re supposed to read certain
sections in the book, and then they have quizzes
over the reading. After they do the reading
assignments, they have Gridworld case study
quizzes and also Gridworld case study segments
of code that they will go in and manipulate to
change to get the things in the Gridworld case
study to react different ways. Those are pretty
much graded as labs or programs or quizzes.”
37. How do you prepare your students
for the AP CS exam?
37
• “Everything in that class is more or less an
assessment. They’re supposed to read certain
sections in the book, and then they have quizzes
over the reading. After they do the reading
assignments, they have Gridworld case study
quizzes and also Gridworld case study segments
of code that they will go in and manipulate to
change to get the things in the Gridworld case
study to react different ways. Those are pretty
much graded as labs or programs or quizzes.”
38. How do you prepare your students
for the AP CS exam?
38
• And then if I read these [student quizzes], I can see any
misconceptions or gaps in what I’ve done. I get a picture
in my mind of where the current class is. Making them do
the explaining is new this year. I’m seeing them do a lot
better there. I‘ll do like little code (assignments) that
they’ll write once a week. They have to write it by hand
away from the computer, and I’ll read that and write them
comments on what they’re doing and help them grade it
with a rubric, and also pass them back after I’ve read
them for them to grade, too, and have them look at what
was catching it or where it didn’t quite get to it.
39. How do you prepare your students
for the AP CS exam?
39
• And then if I read these [student quizzes], I can see any
misconceptions or gaps in what I’ve done. I get a picture
in my mind of where the current class is. Making them do
the explaining is new this year. I’m seeing them do a lot
better there. I‘ll do like little code (assignments) that
they’ll write once a week. They have to write it by hand
away from the computer, and I’ll read that and write them
comments on what they’re doing and help them grade it
with a rubric, and also pass them back after I’ve read
them for them to grade, too, and have them look at what
was catching it or where it didn’t quite get to it.
40. A successful CS teacher…
40
• Writes assignments and comments, not code.
• Guides students through rubrics.
• Focus on learning activities (coding away from
the computer, explaining).
• Minimal focus on assessment.
…is not a Software Developer.
41. Teaching CS Teachers online
41
• Can we reach more potential CS teachers online?
• Emphasizing the skills and knowledge of successful CS
teachers.
• Providing more efficient learning than apprenticeship.
• Providing support for a sense of community
44. Findings on Ebook
Ericson, Guzdial, &
Morrison, ICER 2015
Teachers who
engaged in the
ebook increased
their confidence in
teaching CS Ericson, Moore,
Morrison, & Guzdial,
WiPSCE 2015
45. Conclusions
• It’s a foundational CS problem to develop a
computing-literate society.
• The challenges are enormous, including providing
for different communities of practice.
• A solution may be a learner-centered design process.
• Two lessons from our work:
1. Provide learning opportunities where the learners are, without the
identity of “programmer.”
2. Teachers don’t need to be software developers. They need
community, confidence, and more learning options beyond
apprenticeship.
46. Thanks to colleagues and supporters
• Colleagues: Barbara Ericson, Tom McKlin, Rick
Adrion, Renee Fall, Brad Miller, Ria Galanos, Allison
Elliott Tew, Lijun Ni, & Briana Morrison
• Our Funders:
US National Science Foundation
• Statewide BPC Alliance: Project “Georgia Computes!”
http://www.gacomputes.org
• Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance,
http://expandingcomputing.org
• CCLI and CPATH Grants, and now CE21 and IUSE to produce ebooks
• Georgia’s Department of Education
• GVU Center, and Institute for People and Technology
(iPaT) at Georgia Tech
47. Thank you!
• http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~mark.guzdial
• Group pages: http://home.cc.gatech.edu/csl
• Ebook Access:
http://ebooks.cc.gatech.edu/TeachCSP-Python
• Media Computation:
http://mediacomputation.org
• Institute for Computing Education at Georgia Tech:
• http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/ice-gt
• Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP):
• http://ecepalliance.org
49. They want to know more
• P1: So I mean technology changes. So what I am ideally
looking to focus on are like the foundation. The things that
change less, you know what I'm saying? Like computer
science um, theory, you know I'm saying I mean? That
kind of like, it's applicable to what I do, and it's not so
constantly shifting.
• P10: I was the kind of programmer that could make stuff
work. But I didn't really have solid understandings. At one
point I picked up a book on design patterns and I looked
at it, and I was like that's really, that's really
interesting…So I was like well I wanna keep doing that
because it made me a better programmer. And it was
more fun to program, and it was more thought 49
50. Does it have to be programming?
• Elias: If the computers, together with sufficiently
ingenious languages and programming systems, are
capable of doing everything that Professor Perlis
describes—and I believe they are (and more)—then
they should be ingenious enough to do it without
the human symbiote being obliged to perform the
mechanical chores which are a huge part of current
programming effort, and which are a large part of
what must now be taught in the introductory course
that he proposes.
50
51. Richard Dawkins on
Biology as Computer Science
• On US National Public Radio in April 2007:
• GROSS: You close your book saying, "I am thrilled to be
alive at a time when humanity is pushing against the limits
of understanding." How do you think that's happening in
your field of evolutionary biology?
• Mr. DAWKINS: Well, it's the most exciting time to be a
biologist… Since Watson and Crick in 1953, biology
has become a sort of branch of computer science.
I mean, genes are just long computer tapes, and they use a
code which is just another kind of computer code. It's
quaternary rather than binary, but it's read in a sequential
way just like a computer tape. It's transcribed. It's copied
and pasted. All the familiar metaphors from
computer science fit.
52. Creating DCCE
Mtg Month Original DC Topic DCCE Schedule
1 Oct
Institutional Context &
personal trajectory into
teaching
Personal trajectory into
teaching
2 Nov Curricular Context
Institutional Context,
Recruiting
3 Dec Course Content
Curricular Context,
Course Content
4 Jan Instructional Design Instructional Design
5 Feb Student Assessment
Teaching Philosophy,
Reflection Log
6 Mar Evaluation
Student Assessment,
Grading Rubrics
7 Apr
Delivery (including
debrief of peer
observation)
Peer Observation Debrief
8 May
Complete “first draft”
overview
Student Feedback
9 June Portfolio Presentations Portfolio Presentations
GA specific:
GA university
computing
curricula, HS
competitions,
field trip
possibilities
53. Year 3
• HS teachers only
• Outside GAMtg Month Portfolio Section
1 Sept Personal trajectory into teaching, Selection Structures
2 Oct Institutional & Curricular Context, Repetition Structures
3 Nov Instructional Design, Recruiting, Teaching Classes
4 Jan Teaching Philosophy, Reflection Log, Arrays and Sorting
5 Feb Student Assessment, Grading Rubrics, Recursion
6 Mar Student Feedback, Inheritance / Polymorphism
7 Apr Peer Observation Debrief
8 May Portfolio Presentations
• Discipline specific content area
• Mini-conference to bring in
University teachers
54. Histogram of who took
AP CS 2012 in US States
% female
exam-takers
# Black
exam-takers
# Hispanic
exam-takers
Ericson, Guzdial, SIGCSE