An Examination of the Correlation of Exploring Computer Science Course Performance and the Development of Programming Expertise

This study investigated patterns in the development of computational thinking and programming expertise in the context of the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program, a high school introductory CS course and professional development program designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around CS concepts. Prior research on programming expertise has identified three general areas of development --- program comprehension, program planning, and program generation. The pedagogical practices in ECS are consistent with problem solving approaches that support the development of programming expertise. The study took place in a large urban district during the 2016--17 school year with 28 ECS teachers and 1,931 students. A validated external assessment was used to measure the development of programming expertise. The results indicate that there were medium-sized, statistically significant increases from pretest to posttest, and there were no statistically significant differences by gender or race/ethnicity. After controlling for prior academic achievement, performance in the ECS course correlated with performance on the posttest. With respect to specific programming concepts, the results also provide evidence on the progression of the development of programming expertise. Students seem to develop comprehension and planning expertise prior to expertise in program generation. In addition, students seem to develop expertise with concrete tasks prior to abstract tasks

Factors for the development of computational thinking in undergraduate students

El pensamiento computacional, asociado con disciplinas de ingeniería e informática, puede promoverse en otras áreas, ya que excede el fomentar las habilidades propias de la computación y abarca procesos de pensamientos crítico, lateral y creativo. Se partió de la pregunta ¿Cuáles son las diferencias en las dimensiones del pensamiento computacional entre áreas disciplinares de estudiantes de pregrado? Se trabajó con un diseño de estudio transversal y de muestreo por conveniencia, con una escala de 29 ítems para evaluar el pensamiento computacional en 95 estudiantes de pregrado, que estudian diversas disciplinas en dos universidades mexicanas. Los resultados ubicaron que si había diferencias con los estudiantes de ingeniería que tienen mayor pensamiento crítico, algorítmico, solución de problemas. En cooperación y creatividad no se ubicaron diferencias significativas entre estudiantes de psicología, informática administrativa e ingeniería. Este artículo pretende ser de valor para la comunidad académica interesada en escenarios que promuevan resolución de problemasComputational thinking, commonly associated with engineering and computer science disciplines, can be analyzed in other areas, since this process exceeds the fostering of computing skills and encompasses critical, lateral and creative thinking processes. This article was based on the question: What are the differences in the dimensions of computational thinking among disciplinary areas of undergraduate students? We worked with a cross-sectional study design and convenience sampling, with a 29-item scale to evaluate computational thinking in 95 undergraduate students studying various disciplines in two Mexican universities. The results showed that there were differences with engineering students who have greater critical, algorithmic and problem-solving thinking. In cooperativity and creativity, no significant differences were found between psychology, administrative informatics and engineering students. This article is intended to be of value to researchers, academics, students and decision makers interested in creating scenarios that promote problem solvin

INVESTIGATING FACTORS PREDICTING EFFECTIVE LEARNING IN A CS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR K-12 TEACHERS

The demand for K-12 Computer Science (CS) education is growing and there is not an adequate number of educators to match the demand. Comprehensive research was carried out to investigate and understand the influence of a summer two-week professional development (PD) program on teachers’ CS content and pedagogical knowledge, their confidence in such knowledge, their interest in and perceived value of CS, and the factors influencing such impacts. Two courses designed to train K-12 teachers to teach CS, focusing on both concepts and pedagogy skills were taught over two separate summers to two separate cohorts of teachers. Statistical and SWOT analyses were then performed using measures such as attitudinal surveys and knowledge assessments. Findings showed the PD program had a significant impact on the teachers, there was a positive correlation between teachers’ pre-program confidence and knowledge, and additional insights on how to deliver such PD programs more effectively. Results will help inform K-12 CS PD program design. Advisor: Leen-Kiat So