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Few studies of computational thinking (CT) integration in elementary curricula have yet focused on supporting early elementary educators with implementing and assessing their young students’ application of these practices to content area work. This paper summarizes a collaborative research project that engaged researchers, K-second grade teachers, and professional development (PD) providers in implementing a hybrid PD model to answer the following research questions: (1) What kind of PD and guidance do teachers need to identify and support emergent computational thinking development in young students’ language and work process? (2) What kind of PD and guidance do teachers need to identify emergent computational thinking development in young students’ work products? This project employed a mixed-methods research design that included pre- and post-surveys and interviews with teachers to measure and understand how growth in teachers’ confidence, knowledge, and self-efficacy with CT prepared them to identify and support these concepts with young learners. Additionally, analysis was able to identify the key formative assessment strategies these teachers employed to generate insight into students’ understanding and application of CT during problem-solving.
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Implementation and Evaluation of a Virtual Hackathon in an Urban HSI Community College during COVID-19
This paper shares the analysis of our quantitative findings regarding the impact of a virtual informal collaborative experiential learning activity on diverse students' computational thinking, critical thinking, and self-efficacy in STEM activities. Designed as part of an ongoing National Science Foundation sponsored project to provide underrepresented minority (URM) students from underserved economic backgrounds with real-world career preparation and technical education across disciplines through collaborative project activities using cutting-edge technologies, the Hackathon for Social Good was implemented during the COVID-19 shutdowns in a New York City community college in lower Manhattan. Students worked in teams to innovate practical solutions to global problems with mentor support from both academia and the tech industry. This intervention drew 36 students from Computer Science, Business, and Sociology classes, who worked with volunteers and alumni during a full-day event in the Fall of 2021, using AI and data science to design culturally sensitive data-driven solutions for real-world problems. The tracks covered the following topics: Zero Hunger, Clean Water, and Sanitation, Green Consumption, Racial Justice, Quality Education, Good Health, and Well Being. The two main objectives of this project are as follows: (1) Design a remote interdisciplinary one-day experiential collaborative learning environment to engage URM teams of students from a community college in applying computational thinking to develop solutions for social good. (2) Conduct research on our intervention to study its effect on students' self-efficacy, as well as their knowledge of, and comfort with, computational thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, and STEM. The evidence gathered from qualitative and quantitative data indicates that using these mechanisms to infuse CT into student learning across disciplines has several positive outcomes. Students reported increased leadership skills, comfort with teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking. A quantitative study specifically showed a positive impact on student confidence in their ability to do CT and improved their sense of efficacy in impacting the world outside of the hackathon.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2122690
- PAR ID:
- 10547076
- Publisher / Repository:
- Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of computing sciences in colleges
- Volume:
- 38
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 1937-4771
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 72-84
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Hackathon, Computer Science Education, Experiential Learning
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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The computer science education research community has thought deeply about how students learn computational thinking (CT) as it relates to other domains of computer science (CS; e.g. programming) and core content areas (STEM, humanities), but less work has examined the role of CT in pathways to computer science for K-5 teachers. This panel examines the experiences of practitioners – educators, administrators, and curriculum designers--who have both experienced and supported others in incorporating CT in elementary school settings as a pathway to or component of computer science education. All panelists have worked with teachers not previously trained to teach CS and have encountered the many opportunities and difficulties of bringing CS to in-service teachers. They will reflect on the multiple ways educators grapple with CT: as an entry point to computer science, as a way to enrich core disciplines, and as a way to support equitable practice – for example, several of the panelists have experiences leveraging CT and other domains of CS to support the expression and development of emergent bilingual students. The panel will explore ways in which CT and its associated language and strategies for problem solving may provide a particularly helpful onramp to CS generally, including integration with other disciplines and with language about academic skills more generally.more » « less
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