{"title":"Understanding Collaborative Computational Thinking","authors":"Bushra Chowdhury","doi":"10.1145/2787622.2787736","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2787622.2787736","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper I discuss my doctoral research which aims to better understand collaborative computational thinking (CT). In order to be successful in the 21st century, skills such CT (understanding and applying computational concepts) are indispensable for people across all ages and disciplines. One can learn computational concepts by taking a traditional course offered in a school or by self-guided learning through an online platform. Whatever the form of learning, computational concepts can be difficult to fully comprehend for novices. Collaborative learning has been considered effective in reducing learner's anxiety and in helping struggling learners overcome common learning difficulties. The proposed dissertation study aims to investigate how collaboration impacts learning of CT across both classroom setting and in an online learning community. This paper briefly describes the motivation and outline of my proposed dissertation study, the overarching research questions, the data currently collected, and my data analysis methodologies.","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126036900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Session details: Papers: Alternative Approaches","authors":"J. Sheard","doi":"10.1145/3253904","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3253904","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127733288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Learning Together: Expanding the One-To-One ITS Model for Computer Science Education","authors":"Rachel Harsley","doi":"10.1145/2787622.2787742","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2787622.2787742","url":null,"abstract":"The standard paradigm of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) affords one-on-one learning between a student and a computer tutor. My work shifts this paradigm to accommodate multiple-student computer-mediated learning. The work is grounded in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, ITS, and the emerging computing industry standard of peer programming. My current research is motivated by my personal experience as an underrepresented student in the field with a strong desire to be connected to others as I learn Computer Science (CS). CS is a discipline not known for collaborative exercises at the introductory level, however, there are promising opportunities for advancement.","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"23 2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129815989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Session details: Keynote Address","authors":"Brian Dorn","doi":"10.1145/3253895","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3253895","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127630638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What Are We Teaching?: Automated Evaluation of CS Curricula Content Using Topic Modeling","authors":"J. Rouly, H. Rangwala, A. Johri","doi":"10.1145/2787622.2787723","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2787622.2787723","url":null,"abstract":"Identifying the concepts covered in a university course based on a high level description is a necessary step in the evaluation of a university's program of study. To this end, data describing university courses is readily available on the Internet in vast quantities. However, understanding natural language course descriptions requires manual inspection and, often, implicit knowledge of the subject area. Additionally, a holistic approach to curricular evaluation involves analysis of the prerequisite structure within a department, specifically the conceptual overlap between courses in a prerequisite chain. In this work we apply existing topic modeling techniques to sets of course descriptions extracted from publicly available university course catalogs. The inferred topic models correspond to concepts taught in the described courses. The inference process is unsupervised and generates topics without the need for manual inspection. We present an application framework for data ingestion and processing, along with a user-facing web-based application for inferred topic presentation. The software provides tools to view the inferred topics for a university's courses, quickly compare departments by their topic composition, and visually analyze conceptual overlap in departmental prerequisite structures. The tool is available online at http://edmine.cs.gmu.edu.","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116914772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Session details: Papers: Compilation Behavior Metrics","authors":"Leigh Ann Delyser","doi":"10.1145/3253900","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3253900","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121317581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Session details: Papers: Understanding and Informing Policy","authors":"W. Doane","doi":"10.1145/3253898","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3253898","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121637918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Empirical Study of In-Class Laboratories on Student Learning of Linear Data Structures","authors":"S. Heckman","doi":"10.1145/2787622.2787713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2787622.2787713","url":null,"abstract":"Active learning increases student learning through collaborative engagement with materials during class time. A CS1.5 course at NC State, CSC216, uses active learning lectures involving short simplified think-pair-share in-class exercises to engage students with course materials. However, students still struggle with the course materials and several students do not successfully complete the course on their first attempt. To increase student learning and engagement, we conducted a quasi-experimental study incorporating in-class labs into two sections of CSC216 during the linear data structures unit in the Fall 2014 semester. Both sections completed in-class labs on the Java Collections Framework and iterators. One section completed in-class labs on array-based lists; the other section completed in-class labs on linked lists, in a counter-balanced study design. The active learning lecture delivery was used for the control section and an Exam was administered between the array-based list and linked list topics. Overall, we found no significant difference in student learning on array-based and linked lists as measured by the final exam. Students displayed half as much disengaged behavior during in-class labs and were five times more likely to ask for help from the teaching staff during in-class labs.","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121765427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatial Skills Training in Introductory Computing","authors":"S. Cooper, Karen D. Wang, Maya Israni, S. Sorby","doi":"10.1145/2787622.2787728","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2787622.2787728","url":null,"abstract":"This paper explores the question as to whether there is a relationship between a student's spatial abilities and her achievement in learning to program. After noting that there does seem to be a correlation, the paper explores the impact of trying to improve a student's spatial abilities. The paper reports on a preliminary study involving high school students. The study results suggest a correlation exists between receiving training in spatial skills and improved student performance in introductory computing. While the sample size in the study is small, this improvement appears to occur for students of different races/ethnicities and across different socio-economic statuses.","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130370848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Briana B. Morrison, Lauren E. Margulieux, M. Guzdial
{"title":"Subgoals, Context, and Worked Examples in Learning Computing Problem Solving","authors":"Briana B. Morrison, Lauren E. Margulieux, M. Guzdial","doi":"10.1145/2787622.2787733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2787622.2787733","url":null,"abstract":"Recent empirical results suggest that the instructional material used to teach computing may actually overload students' cognitive abilities. Better designed materials may enhance learning by reducing unnecessary load. Subgoal labels have been shown to be effective at reducing the cognitive load during problem solving in both mathematics and science. Until now, subgoal labels have been given to students to learn passively. We report on a study to determine if giving learners subgoal labels is more or less effective than asking learners to generate subgoal labels within an introductory CS programming task. The answers are mixed and depend on other features of the instructional materials. We found that student performance gains did not replicate as expected in the introductory CS task for those who were given subgoal labels. Computer science may require different kinds of problem-solving or may generate different cognitive demands than mathematics or science.","PeriodicalId":394643,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133996460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}