Computing education theories : what are they and how are they used?

In order to mature as a research field, computing education research (CER) seeks to build a better theoretical understanding of how students learn computing concepts and processes. Progress in this area depends on the development of computing-specific theories of learning to complement the general theoretical understanding of learning processes. In this paper we analyze the CER literature in three central publication venues -- ICER, ACM Transactions of Computing Education, and Computer Science Education -- over the period 2005--2015. Our findings identify new theoretical constructs of learning computing that have been published, and the research approaches that have been used in formulating these constructs. We identify 65 novel theoretical constructs in areas such as learning/understanding, learning behaviour/strategies, study choice/orientation, and performance/progression/retention. The most common research methods used to devise new constructs include grounded theory, phenomenography, and various statistical models. We further analyze how a number of these constructs, which arose in computing education, have been used in subsequent research, and present several examples to illustrate how theoretical constructs can guide and enrich further research. We discuss the implications for the whole field

Learning Sciences for Computing Education

his chapter discusses potential and current overlaps between the learning sciences and computing education research in their origins, theory, and methodology. After an introduction to learning sciences, the chapter describes how both learning sciences and computing education research developed as distinct fields from cognitive science. Despite common roots and common goals, the authors argue that the two fields are less integrated than they should be and recommend theories and methodologies from the learning sciences that could be used more widely in computing education research. The chapter selects for discussion one general learning theory from each of cognition (constructivism), instructional design (cognitive apprenticeship), social and environmental features of learning environments (sociocultural theory), and motivation (expectancy-value theory). Then the chapter describes methodology for design-based research to apply and test learning theories in authentic learning environments. The chapter emphasizes the alignment between design-based research and current research practices in computing education. Finally, the chapter discusses the four stages of learning sciences projects. Examples from computing education research are given for each stage to illustrate the shared goals and methods of the two fields and to argue for more integration between them

Jataí ACM SIGCSE Chapter: Um espaço de formação na educação em Computação

A Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) é a maior sociedade educacional e científica do mundo, possuindo membros profissionais e estudantes por todo o mundo. Uma das formas de a ACM materializar o seu propósito é por meio dos Grupos de Interesse Especial. O Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) é um dos Grupos de Interesse Especial mais antigos da ACM, focado especificamente na Educação em Computação. Ao redor do mundo, os principais objetivos dos capítulos locais do SIGCSE são: (i) promover o desejo de participar dos eventos do SIGCSE em uma determinada região; (ii) compartilhar ideias e problemas com colegas mais de uma vez ao ano; e (iii) ter uma organização local que encoraja boas práticas na Educação em Computação em universidades, escolas, empresas e organizações. Este trabalho apresenta um relato de experiência, no ano de 2018, sobre o Jataí ACM SIGCSE Chapter, o único capítulo da SIGCSE na América Latina. São apresentados o seu histórico, as suas parcerias e os resultados acadêmicos visíveis oriundos, direta ou indiretamente, da existência do capítulo na região. Constata-se que os objetivos supracitados foram satisfatoriamente alcançados no período mencionado.Palavras-chave: Educação. Computação. Formação

Review of Measurements Used in Computing Education Research and Suggestions for Increasing Standardization

The variables that researchers measure and how they measure them are central in any area of research. Which research questions can be asked and how they are answered depends on measurement. This paper describes a systematic review of the literature in computing education research to summarize the commonly used variables and measurements in 197 papers and to compare them to best practices in measurement for human-subjects research. Characteristics of the literature that are examined in the review include variables measured (including learner characteristics), measurements used, and type of data analysis. The review illuminates common practices related to each of these characteristics and their interactions with other characteristics. The paper lists standardized measurements that were used in the literature and highlights commonly used variables for which no standardized measures exist. To conclude, this review compares common practice in computing education to best practices in human-subjects research to make recommendations for increasing rigor