Generative AI (GenAI) is advancing rapidly, and the literature in computing education is expanding almost as quickly. Initial responses to GenAI tools were mixed between panic and utopian optimism. Many were fast to point out the opportunities and challenges of GenAI. Researchers reported that these new tools are capable of solving most introductory programming tasks and are causing disruptions throughout the curriculum. These tools can write and explain code, enhance error messages, create resources for instructors, and even provide feedback and help for students like a traditional teaching assistant. In 2024, new research started to emerge on the effects of GenAI usage in the computing classroom. These new data involve the use of GenAI to support classroom instruction at scale and to teach students how to code with GenAI. In support of the former, a new class of tools is emerging that can provide personalized feedback to students on their programming assignments or teach both programming and prompting skills at the same time. With the literature expanding so rapidly, this report aims to summarize and explain what is happening on the ground in computing classrooms. We provide a systematic literature review; a survey of educators and industry professionals; and interviews with educators using GenAI in their courses, educators studying GenAI, and researchers who create GenAI tools to support computing education. The triangulation of these methods and data sources expands the understanding of GenAI usage and perceptions at this critical moment for our community. 
                        more » 
                        « less   
                    
                            
                            The why, when, and how of computing in biology classrooms
                        
                    
    
            Many biologists are interested in teaching computing skills or using computing in the classroom, despite not being formally trained in these skills themselves. Thus biologists may find themselves researching how to teach these skills, and therefore many individuals are individually attempting to discover resources and methods to do so. Recent years have seen an expansion of new technologies to assist in delivering course content interactively. Educational research provides insights into how learners absorb and process information during interactive learning. In this review, we discuss the value of teaching foundational computing skills to biologists, and strategies and tools to do so. Additionally, we review the literature on teaching practices to support the development of these skills. We pay special attention to meeting the needs of diverse learners, and consider how different ways of delivering course content can be leveraged to provide a more inclusive classroom experience. Our goal is to enable biologists to teach computational skills and use computing in the classroom successfully. 
        more » 
        « less   
        
    
                            - Award ID(s):
- 1656004
- PAR ID:
- 10159572
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- F1000Research
- Volume:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 2046-1402
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1854
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
- 
            
- 
            null (Ed.)To meet the rising demand for computer science (CS) courses, K-12 educators need to be prepared to teach introductory concepts and skills in courses such as Computer Science Principles (CSP), which takes a breadth-first approach to CS and includes topics beyond programming such as data, impacts of computing, and networks. Educators are now also being asked to teach more advanced concepts in courses such as the College Board's Advanced Placement Computer Science A (CSA) course, which focuses on advanced programming using Java and includes topics such as objects, inheritance, arrays, and recursion. Traditional CSA curricula have not used content or pedagogy designed to engage a broad range of learners and support their success. Unlike CSP, which is attracting more underrepresented students to computing as it was designed, CSA continues to enroll mostly male, white, and Asian students [College Board 2019, Ericson 2020, Sax 2020]. In order to expand CS education opportunities, it is crucial that students have an engaging experience in CSA similar to CSP. Well-designed differentiated professional development (PD) that focuses on content and pedagogy is necessary to meet individual teacher needs, to successfully build teacher skills and confidence to teach CSA, and to improve engagement with students [Darling-Hammond 2017]. It is critical that as more CS opportunities and courses are developed, teachers remain engaged with their own learning in order to build their content knowledge and refine their teaching practice [CSTA 2020]. CSAwesome, developed and piloted in 2019, offers a College Board endorsed AP CSA curriculum and PD focused on supporting the transition of teachers and students from CSP to CSA. This poster presents preliminary findings aimed at exploring the supports and challenges new-to-CSA high school level educators face when transitioning from teaching an introductory, breadth-first course such as CSP to teaching the more challenging, programming-focused CSA course. Five teachers who completed the online CSAwesome summer 2020 PD completed interviews in spring 2021. The project employed an inductive coding scheme to analyze interview transcriptions and qualitative notes from teachers about their experiences learning, teaching, and implementing CSP and CSA curricula. Initial findings suggest that teachers’ experience in the CSAwesome PD may improve their confidence in teaching CSA, ability to effectively use inclusive teaching practices, ability to empathize with their students, problem-solving skills, and motivation to persist when faced with challenges and difficulties. Teachers noted how the CSAwesome PD provided them with a student perspective and increased feelings of empathy. Participants spoke about the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on their own learning, student learning, and teaching style. Teachers enter the PD with many different backgrounds, CS experience levels, and strengths, however, new-to-CSA teachers require further PD on content and pedagogy to transition between CSP and CSA. Initial results suggest that the CSAwesome PD may have an impact on long-term teacher development as new-to-CSA teachers who participated indicated a positive impact on their teaching practices, ideologies, and pedagogies.more » « less
- 
            Baldwin, Amy; Danns, Donna; Howe, Chad (Ed.)In this presentation, we will analyze and explain how three university faculty designed an intensive 12-day science methods course for preservice teachers to learn about science. The course, which is part of the Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies in Science for English Language Learners project funded by the National Science Foundation, is focused on differentiating science and engineering content for emerging bilingual students (English/Spanish). After the course, teacher educators then implement this content with 4th - 8th grade students in the STEM Summer Scholars Institute, a 15-day academic enrichment program for emerging bilingual students. Not only will we explain how this differentiation toolkit is helping preservice teachers to build more inclusive and supporting environments in science in their current practice, but we also explore how other content, such asco-teaching models and science and engineering methodologies, shaped their teaching skills. The differentiation toolkit consists of the use of technology, hands-on materials, and multimodalities, and we examine how the preservice teacher-students interactions are structured following a culturally and linguistically relevant methodology for the classroom. Project faculty and teacher educators will discuss our experiences in implementing these methodologies (science and culturally and linguistically relevant practices) including areas of growth.more » « less
- 
            Introductory data science courses are appearing at colleges, universities, and high schools around the country and the world. What topics do we cover in these courses, and how and why are these decisions made? How do we consider the background knowledge of our students and how they hope to utilize their skills after this course (whether professionally, additional courses, or as an engaged citizen)? In addition, the course is being taught by computer scientists, statisticians, business analysts, mathematicians, journalists, etc. Each of these disciplines approaches the topics differently. What upskilling is required of instructors to prepare them to integrate material from academic disciplines in which they were not trained into the course? How much, if any, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and discussion occurs or should occur in designing this course? Participants in this birds-of-a-feather will share their decision processes and choices about introductory data science courses that they teach or are designing. This includes choices made about the content as well as whether and how upskilling occurs. They will review and refine a list of current data science topics created based on national surveys of data science instructors as well as a review of curriculum guidelines. Close attention will be paid to differing language between data science instructors from different academic backgrounds. We welcome new and experienced data science instructors, educators planning on or interested in teaching such a course.more » « less
- 
            This complete research paper details an investigation into the influence of instructors' pedagogical knowledge on their classroom practices in the context of teaching first-year engineering courses. Background and Motivation: First-year engineering courses serve as the foundational setting in which students are introduced to the field of engineering as well as the pedagogies specific to engineering teaching and learning. These courses are pivotal in equipping students with essential knowledge and skills, setting the stage for their success in more advanced engineering topics. Understanding how instructors' pedagogical knowledge affects their teaching practices is crucial. Pedagogical knowledge encompasses a wide range of techniques to effectively manage a classroom and engage students. This includes the use of instructional strategies that cater to diverse student needs, the design of impactful and engaging lesson plans, etc. There is, however, limited research on how instructors’ pedagogical knowledge influences their classroom practices in first-year engineering courses. Hence, it seems opportune and essential to conduct additional research on engineering instructors' classroom practices. Research Question: The central question driving this research is: How does instructors' pedagogical knowledge influence their pedagogical practices for first-year engineering courses? Method: For this study, we chose the model of teacher professional knowledge and skill (TPK&S) that includes pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The model recognizes the fundamental importance of pedagogical knowledge and contextualizes PCK within that framework, encompassing the intricate nature of teaching and learning. A descriptive case study was utilized as a methodology for this work to delve into the phenomenon. The context of the study was a first-year introductory engineering course offered at a large public research institution. This is a pilot study for an NSF-funded project (blinded for review), the study involved two instructors, Chandler and Joey (pseudonyms), chosen through purposive sampling, with varying levels of teaching experience. Data collection involved direct classroom observation using the Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol (TDOP) and semi-structured interviews conducted after the observations. The interviews were conducted after classroom observations, allowing the researcher to explore specific findings from the observations. Results: Thematic analysis was used to categorize the data based on the constructs of the theoretical framework. The analysis revealed three major themes: (a) Instructors' topic-specific professional knowledge significantly influences their pedagogical practices. Both instructors adapt their teaching methods based on their understanding of course material and students' difficulties. (b) The interaction between instructors' personal pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and the classroom context shapes their classroom practices. (c) Instructors' beliefs and prior knowledge act as amplifiers or filters based on the situation. They filter out their teaching practices that do not align with their beliefs and prior knowledge. Conclusion: The findings presented in this paper provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between instructors' pedagogical knowledge and their classroom practices. This work holds significant implications for current and future first-year instructors in that this paper will showcase how instructors use their understanding of the content and their students to teach, which is a critical aspect of helping students successfully integrate into engineering.more » « less
 An official website of the United States government
An official website of the United States government 
				
			 
					 
					
 
                                    