First-Year Computer Science Students: Pathways and Perceptions in Introductory Computer Science Courses

This study examined student perceptions and experiences of an introductory Computer Science course at the University of Maine; COS 125: Introduction to Problem Solving Using Computer Programs. It also explored the pathways that students pursue after taking COS 125, depending on their success in the course, and their motivation to persist. Through characterizing student populations and their performance in their first semester in the Computer Science program, they can be placed into one of three categories that explain their path; a “continuer” (passed COS 125 and decided to stay in the major), a “persister” (did not pass COS 125 and decided to stay in the major), or a “withdrawer” (left the major regardless of their grade). After categorizing student populations based on their characteristics and chosen pathway, identifying behaviors of successful students will assist in making suggestions for future students to ensure their success. While there are current obstacles in the Computer Science field that affect student success (e.g. lack of preparation, self-efficacy, and family background), the creation of a model will help to predict student pathways and assist in the success and retention of future cohorts. Based on the findings, suggestions are provided to assess the actions and characteristics of students helps to create suggestions for students who need support in their pursuit to achieve a Computer Science degree

What Emotions do Pre-university Students Feel when Engaged in Computational Thinking Activities?

Emotions affect how we acquire knowledge, being one of the causes of the demotivation generated at the time of studying a new field. Computer Science does not always pique the interest of young people, so we carry out an analysis of emotions that are present in primary and secondary school students, around 8-9 years old and 12-13 years old, who engage in Computational Thinking activities, considering the educational level, gender, and type of intervention, to understand why this lack of interest. The sessions were based on 1 hour of face-to-face class in which activities related to Computational Thinking were carried out. The instrument used to measure emotions was the Developmental Channels Questionnaire which includes 13 different emotions that students must answer using the Likert scale from 0 to 10. The emotions felt have been mostly positive and ambiguous, while negative emotions have a low intensity, particularly in primary education. Regarding the educational level, there are differences between girls and boys only in the secondary education, while in the primary they are no significant. Also, girls show an evolution when carrying out this type of activity, while boys do not change

D-STEM: a Design led approach to STEM innovation

Advances in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) disciplines offer opportunities for designers to propose and make products with advanced, enhanced and engineered properties and functionalities. In turn, these advanced characteristics are becoming increasingly necessary as resources become ever more strained through 21st century demands, such as ageing populations, connected communities, depleting raw materials, waste management and energy supply. We need to make things that are smarter, make our lives easier, better and simpler. The products of tomorrow need to do more with less. It is recognised that STEM subjects need Design to translate and realise their full value to the economy and that Design’s role is greater than being a creator of objects. The issue is how to maximize the potential for exploiting opportunities offered by STEM developments and how best to enable designers to strengthen their position within the innovation ecosystem as active agents of change. As a society, we need designers able to navigate emerging developments from the STEM community to a level that enables understanding and knowledge of the new material properties, the skill set to facilitate absorption into the design ‘toolbox’ and the agility to identify, manage, contextualise and influence innovation opportunities emerging from STEM developments. This paper proposes the blueprint for a new design led approach to STEM innovation that begins to redefine studio culture for the 21st Century