Computer science in context: pathways to computer science

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Computer science in context: pathways to computer science

Computer science in context: pathways to computer science

Maria Knobelsdorf¹, Carsten Schulte¹•Institutions (1)

15 Nov 2007-pp 65-76

TL;DR: This project investigates students' computing experiences in order to understand how students' interests, motivation, and requirements for computing develop and how computing influences their understanding of CS.

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Abstract: In order to increase participation in Computer Science (CS), contextual approaches are often suggested for teaching. Although these approaches are quite promising, we do not know what exactly context means and how CS teaching should implement these approaches. In the broadest sense CS in context means that CS is linked to subject areas outside CS, helping students to perceive CS as a meaningful, useful, and helpful subject that is established in outside arenas. The study we present in this paper explores the characteristics of CS in context that form possible pathways into the field. For this purpose, we analyse the computing experiences of students majoring in CS-related fields. The study is part of our research project about computing processes. In this project, we investigate students' computing experiences in order to understand how students' interests, motivation, and requirements for computing develop and how computing influences their understanding of CS. In the current study, we examine general qualitative aspects of CS in context, especially activities and habits that sharpen and stabilize students' self-image and world-image. Because we find surprisingly few examples of specific contexts (such as subject areas) that are related to students' subject choice, we finish this paper with a discussion about possible reasons and conclusions for further studies.

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Proceedings Article•DOI•

Creativity as a pathway to computer science

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Maria Knobelsdorf¹, Ralf Romeike²•Institutions (2)

Free University of Berlin¹, University of Potsdam²

30 Jun 2008

TL;DR: Analysis of computing experiences of students majoring in CS and Bioinformatics finds characteristics of creativity and the question whether creativity forms a possible pathway into the field of Computer Science (CS).

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Abstract: The study presented in this paper explores characteristics of creativity and the question whether creativity forms a possible pathway into the field of Computer Science (CS). For this purpose, we analyze computing experiences of students majoring in CS and Bioinformatics. The study is part of two research projects exploring creativity in CS Education and students' pathways to CS.

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42 citations

Cites background or methods from "Computer science in context: pathwa..."

...Since computing and CS are closely related (especially for novices), computer biographies reveal information about students understanding and beliefs of CS [ 6 ]....
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...In this study, we examine 135 computer biographies that had already been analyzed in two previous studies [ 6 , 20]....
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...creative? Students’ computing activities develop through the biography, as examined in our recent study [ 6 ]....
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Proceedings Article•DOI•

Exploring Gender Diversity in CS at a Large Public R1 Research University

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Monica Babes-Vroman¹, Isabel Juniewicz¹, Bruno Lucarelli¹, Nicole Fox¹, Thu D. Nguyen¹, Andrew Tjang¹, Georgiana Haldeman¹, Ashni Mehta¹, Risham Chokshi¹ - Show less +5 more•Institutions (1)

Rutgers University¹

08 Mar 2017

TL;DR: The gender gap in CS at Rutgers University is explored using three data sets that span thousands of students across 3.5 academic years, and it is found that a large percentage of women taking the Introductory CS1 course for majors do not intend to major in CS, which contributes to a large increase in the gender gap immediately after CS1.

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Abstract: With the number of Computer Science (CS) jobs on the rise, there is a greater need for Computer Science graduates than ever. At the same time, most CS departments across the country are only seeing 25-30% of female students in their classes, meaning that we are failing to draw interest from a large portion of the population. In this work, we explore the gender gap in CS at Rutgers University using three data sets that span thousands of students across 3.5 academic years. By combining these data sets, we can explore interesting issues such as retention, as students progress through the CS major. For example, we find that a large percentage of women taking the Introductory CS1 course for majors do not intend to major in CS, which contributes to a large increase in the gender gap immediately after CS1. This finding implies that a large part of the retention task is attracting these women to further explore the major. We correlate our findings with initiatives that some CS programs across the country have taken to significantly improve their gender diversity, and identify initiatives that we can start with in our effort to increase the diversity in our program. These findings may also be applicable to the computing programs at other large public research universities.

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28 citations

Cites background from "Computer science in context: pathwa..."

...In Computer Science specifically, many have asked the question why are there so few women majors [2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 14] and strategies to close the gender gap have been proposed [1, 4, 7, 8, 13, 17, 21, 24]....
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Proceedings Article•DOI•

Understanding computing stereotypes with self-categorization theory

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Michael Hewner¹, Maria Knobelsdorf²•Institutions (2)

Georgia Institute of Technology¹, Free University of Berlin²

13 Nov 2008

TL;DR: The study describes student autobiographical essays about computing, analyzed with particular attention to the ways in which students use computing stereotypes, and describes how self-categorization theory, taken from the psychology stereotype literature, might explain the essays.

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Abstract: The partly completed study presented in this paper explores characteristics of stereotypes in Computer Science. The study describes student autobiographical essays about computing, analyzed with particular attention to the ways in which students use computing stereotypes. We describe how self-categorization theory, taken from the psychology stereotype literature, might explain the essays we see and discuss potential implications of self-categorization theory on CS Education in general.

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19 citations

Cites background from "Computer science in context: pathwa..."

...For more information about data collecting see [5, 6]....
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...empirical studies [5, 6], we observed that students often mentioned computing stereotypes....
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Book Chapter•DOI•

Unplugged Activities in the Context of AI

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Annabel Lindner¹, Stefan Seegerer¹, Ralf Romeike²•Institutions (2)

University of Erlangen-Nuremberg¹, Free University of Berlin²

18 Nov 2019

TL;DR: A teaching sequence of unplugged activities about AI that shed light on important concepts of AI and make it possible to convey the central ideas of artificial intelligence to the students is presented.

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Abstract: Due to its great importance in the media, the start-up world and the political discussion, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly relevant as a topic for schools. Until now, approaches to making AI tangible for students without actually programming an AI system have been rare. To address this circumstance, a teaching sequence of unplugged activities about AI has been developed and is presented. AI Unplugged provides CS Unplugged activities that present the ideas and concepts of computer science without using computers. The activities shed light on important concepts of AI and make it possible to convey the central ideas of artificial intelligence to the students. In addition, they offer starting points for discussing social issues around AI. This article describes the activities and their theoretical background, outlines a possible course of instruction, and describes practical experiences with AI Unplugged.

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19 citations

Proceedings Article•DOI•

Different Perceptions of Computer Science

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Alexandra Funke, Marc Berges, Peter Hubwieser

01 Mar 2016

TL;DR: The qualitative analysis showed that young men and women do have different viewpoints on computer science, which might explain the problem of low enrollment rates in Computer Science and the decreasing number of students in core Computer Science in comparison to the more interdisciplinary courses of study.

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Abstract: This research project aims to investigate, how young men and women differ regarding (1) their perceptions of Computer Science (CS) as a scientific discipline respectively as a professional field and (2) the experiences that had influenced their choice of major subject. For that purpose, we conducted a biographical study of CS freshmen at university. In total, 217 students (54 female, 163 male) participated on the survey. The qualitative analysis showed that young men and women do have different viewpoints on computer science. While the male students tend to focus on technical aspects like hardware, mathematics, or logical issues, the female students are attracted rather by creativity, communication, or job opportunities. Furthermore, we investigated the differences between several courses of study. While students of core Computer Science are emphasizing technical issues and their personal experience with computers, the students of Games Engineering, Information Systems, or Bioinformatics mainly focus on the application fields and regard CS as a tool. All these differences seem to influence the selection of the major subject of the students. They might explain the problem of low enrollment rates in Computer Science and the decreasing number of students in core Computer Science in comparison to the more interdisciplinary courses of study.

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17 citations

Cites background from "Computer science in context: pathwa..."

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References

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Book•

Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation

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Jeanne Lave, Etienne Wenger

01 Jan 1991

TL;DR: This work has shown that legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice is not confined to midwives, tailors, quartermasters, butchers, non-drinking alcoholics and the like.

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Abstract: In this important theoretical treatist, Jean Lave, anthropologist, and Etienne Wenger, computer scientist, push forward the notion of situated learning - that learning is fundamentally a social process. The authors maintain that learning viewed as situated activity has as its central defining characteristic a process they call legitimate peripheral participation (LPP). Learners participate in communities of practitioners, moving toward full participation in the sociocultural practices of a community. LPP provides a way to speak about crucial relations between newcomers and old-timers and about their activities, identities, artefacts, knowledge and practice. The communities discussed in the book are midwives, tailors, quartermasters, butchers, and recovering alcoholics, however, the process by which participants in those communities learn can be generalised to other social groups.

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43,846 citations

"Computer science in context: pathwa..." refers background in this paper

...Situated learning, as suggested by Lave and Wenger (1991), means that learning takes place within the community where the knowledge is used, as opposed to learning in conventional schools that “is predicated on claims that knowledge can be Decontextualized [....
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...Lave and Wenger (1991) addressed this question and developed a theory about situated learning, which we consider in the next paragraph....
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...Situated learning, as suggested by Lave and Wenger (1991), means that learning takes place within the community where the knowledge is used, as opposed to learning in conventional schools that “is predicated on claims that knowledge can be Decontextualized […]” (Lave and Wenger 1991, p. 40)....
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...Because the place of knowledge is within a community of practice, questions of learning must be addressed within the development cycles of that community […]” (Lave and Wenger 1991, p. 100)....
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Book•

Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing

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Allan L. Fisher¹, Jane Margolis²•Institutions (2)

Carnegie Mellon University¹, University of California, Los Angeles²

01 Dec 2001

TL;DR: Findings of the four-year study of gender issues in the undergraduate computer science program at Carnegie Mellon are recounted and recommendations for the most generally useful and effective actions departments can take to attract and retain female students are concluded.

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Abstract: We recount some of the most significant and colorful findings of our four-year study of gender issues in the undergraduate computer science program at Carnegie Mellon. We also discuss the subsequent dramatic increase in the number of women in the program. We conclude with recommendations for the most generally useful and effective actions departments can take to attract and retain female students.

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1,748 citations

"Computer science in context: pathwa..." refers background in this paper

...Research on broadening participation and interest in CS is often done from a gender perspective (Camp 2002, Cohoon and Aspray 2006, Margolis and Fisher 2002)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

On the Nature of “Context” in Chemical Education

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John K. Gilbert¹•Institutions (1)

University of Reading¹

14 Jul 2006-International Journal of Science Education

TL;DR: In this paper, four generic models of "context" are identified that are currently used or that may be used in some form within chemical education as the basis for curriculum design, and it is suggested that a model based on physical settings, together with their cultural justifications, and taught with a socio-cultural perspective on learning, is likely to meet those challenges most fully.

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Abstract: Some of the most pressing problems currently facing chemical education throughout the world are rehearsed. It is suggested that if the notion of "context" is to be used as the basis for an address to these problems, it must enable a number of challenges to be met. Four generic models of "context" are identified that are currently used or that may be used in some form within chemical education as the basis for curriculum design. It is suggested that a model based on physical settings, together with their cultural justifications, and taught with a socio-cultural perspective on learning, is likely to meet those challenges most fully. A number of reasons why the relative efficacies of these four models of approaches cannot be evaluated from the existing research literature are suggested. Finally, an established model for the representation of the development of curricula is used to discuss the development and evaluation of context-based chemical curricula.

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605 citations

"Computer science in context: pathwa..." refers background in this paper

...“[T]he educational model that embodies the meaning of ‘context’ must be such that it provides an effective answer to the associated curricula and social problems” (Gilbert 2006, p. 958)....
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...In his article On the Nature of “Context” 1 With the term computing we refer to all kinds of computer usage and interaction with the computer. in Chemical Education, Gilbert (2006) identifies a number of inter-related problems that chemical education has faced: content overload, learning of isolated facts, lack of transfer and relevance, and inadequate emphasis of the curriculum....
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...…On the Nature of “Context” 1 With the term computing we refer to all kinds of computer usage and interaction with the computer. in Chemical Education, Gilbert (2006) identifies a number of inter-related problems that chemical education has faced: content overload, learning of isolated facts, lack…...
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Journal Article•DOI•

Unlocking the clubhouse: the Carnegie Mellon experience

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Allan L. Fisher¹, Jane Margolis²•Institutions (2)

Carnegie Mellon University¹, University of California, Los Angeles²

01 Jun 2002

TL;DR: A brief history of the transformation at Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science, and the research project that lay behind it, to understand the experiences and choices of both men and women with respect to studying computer science, and to design interventions that would involve more women.

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Abstract: In the fall of 1995, just seven of 95 students entering the undergraduate program in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University were women. In 2000, 54 of 130, or 42%, were women. What happened? This article presents a brief history of the transformation at Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science, and the research project that lay behind it. A fuller discussion, set in an analysis of gender issues in computing from childhood through college, is found in our book, Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing [2].The story begins with a research study designed specifically to diagnose and find remedies for the gender gap in Carnegie Mellon's undergraduate computer science program. Female enrollment had hovered below 10% for a number of years, and the fraction of women leaving the program was approximately twice that for men. In 1995, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation funded our proposal for a two-year program, which was followed up two years later with a two-year extension. The goal was to understand the experiences and choices of both men and women with respect to studying computer science, and to design interventions that would involve more women.

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502 citations

"Computer science in context: pathwa..." refers background in this paper

...Fisher and Margolis argue too that “[s]ome of the elements of a more contextual approach include early experiences that situate the technology in realistic settings; curricula that exploit the connections between computer science and other disciplines; […]” (Fisher and Margolis 2002, p. 81)....
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...Fisher and Margolis argue too that “[s]ome of the elements of a more contextual approach include early experiences that situate the technology in realistic settings; curricula that exploit the connections between computer science and other disciplines; [...]” (Fisher and Margolis 2002, p. 81). The recommendations for CS teaching correspond to students’ observed requirements: teach CS with interdisciplinary contextual approaches in realistic settings. From a more theoretical perspective of CS Education we ask: what exactly does a contextual approach mean? Lave and Wenger (1991) addressed this question and developed a theory about situated learning, which we consider in the next paragraph....
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...Among our sample, more women than men link their interest in computer science to other arenas such as medicine, the arts, space exploration, etc.” (Fisher and Margolis 2002, p. 80)....
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...Fisher and Margolis (2002) argue that “[w]e need to establish the sense that there are multiple valid ways to ‘be in’ computer science” (Fisher and Margolis 2002, p. 81)....
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...Fisher and Margolis (2002) argue that “[w]e need to establish the sense that there are multiple valid ways to ‘be in’ computer science” (Fisher and Margolis 2002, p....
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Journal Article•DOI•

The incredible shrinking pipeline

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Tracy Camp¹•Institutions (1)

University of Alabama¹

01 Oct 1997-Communications of The ACM

429 citations

"Computer science in context: pathwa..." refers background in this paper

...Research on broadening participation and interest in CS is often done from a gender perspective (Camp 2002, Cohoon and Aspray 2006, Margolis and Fisher 2002). This work points out the idea of pathways and the importance of context. In the following paragraphs, we examine this aspect in further detail. For further reading about participation and interest in CS, see for example Carter (2006), Peckham, Harlow, Stuart, Silver, Mederer, and Stephenson (2007), Turner and Turner (2005), and Vegso (2005)....
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...Research on broadening participation and interest in CS is often done from a gender perspective (Camp 2002, Cohoon and Aspray 2006, Margolis and Fisher 2002)....
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