| 1. |
- McCartney, Robert, et al.
(författare)
-
Why computing students learn on their own : motivation for self-directed learning of computing
- 2016
-
Ingår i: ACM Transactions on Computing Education. - New York, NY, USA : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 1946-6226. ; 16:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article, we address the question of why computing students choose to learn computing topics on their own. A better understanding of why some students choose to learn on their own may help us to motivate other students to develop this important skill. In addition, it may help in curriculum design; if we need to leave some topics out of our expanding curriculum, a good choice might be those topics that students readily learn on their own.Based on a thematic analysis of 17 semistructured interviews, we found that computing students’ motivations for self-directed learning fall into four general themes: projects, social and peer interactions, joy of learning, and fear. Under these, we describe several more specific subthemes, illustrated in the words of the students.The project-related and social motivations are quite prominent. Although these motivations appear in theliterature, they received greater emphasis from our interviewees. Perhaps most characteristic of computingis the motivation to learn to complete some project, both projects done for fun and projects required for schoolor work.
|
|
| 2. |
- Sanders, Kate, et al.
(författare)
-
Threshold concepts and threshold skills in computing
- 2012
-
Ingår i: ICER '12. - New York, NY, USA : ACM Digital Library. - 9781450316040 ; , s. 23-30
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Threshold concepts can be used to both organize disciplinary knowledge and explain why students have difficulties at certain points in the curriculum. Threshold concepts transform a student's view of the discipline; before being learned, they can block a student's progress. In this paper, we propose that in computing, skills, in addition to concepts, can sometimes be thresholds. Some students report finding skills more difficult than concepts. We discuss some computing skills that may be thresholds and compare threshold skills and threshold concepts.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Boustedt, Jonas, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Students' perceptions of the differences between formal and informal learning
- 2011
-
Ingår i: ICER '11 Proceedings of the seventh international workshop on Computing education research. - New York, USA : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9781450308298 ; , s. 61-68
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research has shown that most learning in the workplace takes place outside of formal training and, given the swiftly changing nature of the field, computer science graduates more than most workers, need to be able to learn computing topics outside of organized classes.In this paper we discuss students' perceptions of the difference between formal and informal learning of computing topics, based on three datasets: essays collected from a technical writing course at a single university; the results of a brainstorming exercise conducted in the same course; and semi-structured interviews conducted at six institutions in three countries.The students report strengths and weaknesses in informal learning. On the one hand, they are motivated, can choose their level of learning, can be more flexible about how they learn, and often retain the material better. On the other hand, they perceive that they may miss important aspects of a topic, learn in an ad hoc way, and have difficulty assessing their learning.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- McCartney, Robert, et al.
(författare)
-
Computing students learning computing informally
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Koli Calling '10. - New York, NY, USA : ACM Digital Library. - 9781450305204 ; , s. 43-48
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper we present background and early results from an investigation of how computing students learn computer science topics through informal means, that is, outside of organized classes. We provide some overall perspective by discussing the variety of research areas that fall under the general \informal learning" name. From there we propose specific research questions that concern what the students learn, what resources they bring to bear, what strategies they employ, and how they evaluate their progress. Preliminary results indicate that students primarily learn specific technologies, and that both their motivation and evaluation are closely tied to projects (at school, work, or home).
|
|
| 7. |
- McCartney, Robert, et al.
(författare)
-
Liminal Spaces and Learning Computing
- 2009
-
Ingår i: European Journal of Engineering Education. - Abingdon : Taylor & Francis. - 0304-3797 .- 1469-5898. ; 34:4, s. 383-391
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- “Threshold concepts” are concepts that, among other things, transform the way a student looks at a discipline. Although the term “threshold” might suggest that the transformation occurs at a specific point in time, an “aha” moment, it seems more common (at least in computing) that a longer time period is required. This time period is referred to as the “liminal space.” In this paper, we summarise our findings concerning how computing students experience the liminal space and discuss how this might affect teaching. Most of our findings so far relate to software engineering. As similar liminal spaces likely occur in other engineering disciplines, these findings have relevance across engineering education.
|
|
| 8. |
- Moström, Jan-Erik, et al.
(författare)
-
Computer Science Student Transformations : Changes and Causes
- 2009
-
Ingår i: ITiCSE'09. - New York : ACM. ; , s. 181-185
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examine the transformations experienced by students during their study of computing. These transformations led to changes in the students’ perception of computing and in their behavior, confidence, and sense of identity as computing professionals. We discuss these transformations, their causes, and implications for the learning and teaching of computer science.
|
|
| 9. |
- Moström, Jan Erik, et al.
(författare)
-
Computer Science Student Transformations : Changes and Causes
- 2009
-
Ingår i: SIGCSE Bulletin inroads. - : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 0097-8418. ; 41:3, s. 181-185
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examine the transformations experienced by students during their study of computing. These transformations led to changes in the students' perceptions of computer science, in their sense of identity as computer scientists, their behavior and their confidence. The changes are caused by learning or using particular concepts, and often associated with writing computer programs, learning new programming languages, or interacting with peers.
|
|
| 10. |
- Moström, Jan Erik, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
-
Concrete examples of abstraction as manifested in students’ transformative experiences
- 2008
-
Ingår i: ICER '08. - New York : ACM. - 9781605582160 ; , s. 125-136
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper examines transformational learning experiences of computing students as a way to better understand threshold concepts in computing. From empirical evidence we found that students often describe transformative experiences as learning situations in which they were led to use various kinds of abstraction, for example modularity, data abstraction, inheritance, polymorphism, reuse, design patterns, and complexity. Some students describe an abstract concept as coming first, and then needing to be made concrete though application; others describe transformations in which they learn the advantages of these abstract concepts from their experience of not using them.Abstraction is certainly of central importance in computer science. It appears, however, from our students’ descriptions of transformative experiences, that abstraction per se is not a threshold, but that particular concepts in which abstraction is paramount exhibit the characteristics of threshold concepts.
|
|
