Jean M Griffin

There is general agreement that people can learn from their own mistakes, but the idea of intentionally incorporating errors into curricula is controversial. Some think it will introduce misconceptions, while others think it could help students learn concepts, avoid common errors and misconceptions, and reduce anxiety about errors. This paper develops a theoretical framework that supports this technique, and reviews the experiences and experiments of over a dozen research teams that have employed it for mathematics and computer science education. It also reports on a 14-week study that investigates this issue, where undergraduates learning to program with Python solved web-based practice problems during weekly labs. Approximately 80% of the problems were the same for all students. For the remaining 20%, the treatment group got problems with carefully designed bugs in supplied code. The control group got similar problems without bugs. According to two pre/post measures, the treatment group learned as much as the control group, with no statistical difference in learning gains. Instructional designs, design principles, and future research plans are discussed.

This paper reports on an investigative, qualitative case study of the teaching practices of two public high school Computer Science teachers as they teach courses that are fully or partially aligned with the CS Principles framework. One teaches at an urban, high minority STEM school, the other at a middle class suburban school. Ethnographic methods were used to collect data via classroom observations and teacher interviews. Within-case and across-case analyses are presented which characterize the teachers' practices regarding pedagogy, curricula, creative activities, problem-solving activities, and management of social interactions. The findings provide detailed insights regarding the challenges these teachers face and the strategies they use, which may be useful to teachers in a variety of settings at both the high school and college/university levels.

Abstract This concept paper presents Deconstruction Kits as a means of creatively engaging learners in problem solving and critical thinking, skills that are applicable to all STEM disciplines. Deconstruction Kits, designed to promote learning while being taken apart, ...

Numerous studies document the value of worked examples in mathematics education and provide guidance regarding effective instructional design choices. The research described here draws on that body of work, research on learning from errors, and computer science education research, to study worked examples with errors for computer science education. I describe my prototype instructional designs using three programming languages and my two preliminary studies ' a quantitative study using worked examples in a college computer science class, and a qualitative study of a high school computing class. These innovations and experiments inform my doctoral research study.

This theoretical paper discusses several lines of research which support the premise that people learning to program can do so more effectively and efficiently if they spend as much time deconstructing code (reading, tracing, and debugging) as they do writing code. This work builds upon research in computing education on reading and tracing code, and in education psychology on learning from worked-examples and errors. A graphical model is included of cognitive science principles that scaffold the process of learning to solve problems. A sample learning progression is provided for teachers and instructional designers. The progression begins with low-stakes deconstructionist activities such as exploring, identifying, comparing, and debugging, before activities that require writing code. Deconstructionism is discussed as a pedagogy and learning theory complementary to Seymour Papert's Constructionism.

This study reports on the design, implementation, and evaluation of a service-learning course based on a cascading mentoring model linking together the faculty, administration, and undergraduates of an urban university\u27s computer science department with local high school students. We present findings from surveys and post-interviews that illustrate undergraduates\u27 and high school students\u27 experiences in the program and how their perceptions of computing and mentoring changed based upon the outreach. In our discussion, we focus on the institutional and conceptual challenges of implementing the community service course within the university\u27s computer science department, while also highlighting the learning opportunities for streamlining such a model for future iterations

There is general agreement that people can learn from their own mistakes, but the idea of intentionally incorporating errors into curricula is controversial. Some think it will introduce misconceptions, while others think it could help students learn concepts, avoid common errors and misconceptions, and reduce anxiety about errors. This paper develops a theoretical framework that supports this technique, and reviews the experiences and experiments of over a dozen research teams that have employed it for mathematics and computer science education. It also reports on a 14-week study that investigates this issue, where undergraduates learning to program with Python solved web-based practice problems during weekly labs. Approximately 80% of the problems were the same for all students. For the remaining 20%, the treatment group got problems with carefully designed bugs in supplied code. The control group got similar problems without bugs. According to two pre/post measures, the treatment...

ABSTRACT The goal of this panel is to continue (and to extend to other interested parties) a discussion of the certification practices and curricular standards for computing education in Pennsylvania. Specifically, we will present the current state of K-12 computing education (with particular emphasis at the secondary level), identify issues that distract or interfere with the proper delivery and transfer of knowledge in computing needed by students as they leave high school (and enter university), and list some of the options available to best prepare students for careers in the 21st century.

This paper reports on an investigative, qualitative case study of the teaching practices of two public high school Computer Science teachers as they teach courses that are fully or partially aligned with the CS Principles framework. One teaches at an urban, high minority STEM school, the other at a middle class suburban school. Ethnographic methods were used to collect data via classroom observations and teacher interviews. Within-case and across-case analyses are presented which characterize the teachers' practices regarding pedagogy, curricula, creative activities, problem-solving activities, and management of social interactions. The findings provide detailed insights regarding the challenges these teachers face and the strategies they use, which may be useful to teachers in a variety of settings at both the high school and college/university levels.

This paper presents a mixed methods case study of a middle school mixed-gender team participating in an after-school environmental engineering workshop. The curriculum was part of a STEM program in which youth were engaged in a studio approach to design-based engineering. Data includes video of a girl-boy team working together (both 6th graders) tasked with creating a working model of a solar car. Additional data was provided through interview transcripts of the girl and boy, along with pre- and posttest results of their learning of key scientific concepts. Discourse and observational analyses based on videotape documentation reveal power imbalances in the working relationship of the pair favoring the boy. These imbalances are most apparent in the amount of time that each spends handling the engineering equipment and in the nature of the dialogue, which is characterized in large part by directives rather than by constructive collaboration. These imbalances appear to reflect longstanding societal gender norms and may provide clues as to how females may feel excluded from engineering activities and why so few females enter the field of engineering. Recommendations for facilitation, instructional designs, and assessments are made with the goal of fostering equitable and harmonious mixed-gender collaborations in engineering activities.

There is general agreement that people can learn from their own mistakes, but the idea of intentionally incorporating errors into curricula is controversial. Some think it will introduce misconceptions, while others think it could help students learn concepts, avoid common errors and misconceptions, and reduce anxiety about errors. This paper develops a theoretical framework that supports this technique, and reviews the experiences and experiments of over a dozen research teams that have employed it for mathematics and computer science education. It also reports on a 14-week study that investigates this issue, where undergraduates learning to program with Python solved web-based practice problems during weekly labs. Approximately 80% of the problems were the same for all students. For the remaining 20%, the treatment group got problems with carefully designed bugs in supplied code. The control group got similar problems without bugs. According to two pre/post measures , the treatment group learned as much as the control group, with no statistical difference in learning gains. Instructional designs, design principles, and future research plans are discussed.

> Context • Constructionism, Papert's pedagogy and learning theory, involves experiential learning where students engage in exploration, create things that are personally meaningful, and share them with others. This approach is quite motivating, evidenced by the popularity of maker spaces, hackathons, and educational technologies that promote creative computing. With constructionism, the learner's choice is important. This means that learning is often serendipitous. It also means that people often abandon their designs when obstacles arise. This is problematic in learning environments where coverage of key concepts is necessary, practice to develop skills is essential, and persistence with troubleshooting errors is required. > Problem • How can teachers and instructional designers complement a constructionist approach with one that addresses its limitations? I introduce de-construction-ism, a pedagogy and learning theory that emphasizes learning from taking things apart. It is inspired by reverse engineering, cognitive load theory, practice theory, and theories of learning from errors and negative knowledge. This approach is applicable to computer science, as described here, and other disciplines. > Method • I report on a design-based research experiment, where university students interacted with Python practice problems during weekly labs. The designs of the individual problems, and series of problem sets, were based on a model for de-construction developed by the author. > Results • The experiment serves as a successful proof of concept for implementing practice problems designed with a de-constructionist approach. Few technical difficulties arose, and the students enjoyed the learning experience. A few revisions to the model for de-construction were warranted. > Implications • I provide teachers and instructional designers with a simple, practical way to think about instruction , in terms of construction and de-construction. The de-constructionist approach involves ample, effective practice with taking apart well-built examples, some with intentional bugs. > Constructivist content • I propose a pedagogy that is opposite yet complementary to constructionism. >

This theoretical paper discusses several lines of research which support the premise that people learning to program can do so more effectively and efficiently if they spend as much time deconstructing code (reading, tracing, and debugging) as they do writing code. This work builds upon research in computing education on reading and tracing code, and in education psychology on learning from worked-examples and errors. A graphical model is included of cognitive science principles that scaffold the process of learning to solve problems. A sample learning progression is provided for teachers and instructional designers. The progression begins with low-stakes deconstructionist activities such as exploring, identifying, comparing, and debugging, before activities that require writing code. Deconstructionism is discussed as a pedagogy and learning theory complementary to Seymour Papert's Constructionism.

This concept paper presents Deconstruction Kits as a means of creatively engaging learners in problem solving and critical thinking, skills that are applicable to all STEM disciplines. Deconstruction Kits, designed to promote learning while being taken apart, use reverse engineering and debugging to enhance creativity in science, computer science, and engineering curriculum. Deconstruction Kits effectively complement Constructionist (learning-by-building) technologies such as Scratch, electronic textiles, Processing, and App Inventor for Android (referred to collectively in this paper as Construction Kits). Although Construction Kits appear to be effective in engaging novices in computing and electronics through personal and participatory expression, many teachers of AP and undergraduate computer science (CS) courses and engineering (EE) courses underestimate their value. Meanwhile on the K-12 level, opportunities to learn about computing and electronics are rare. Deconstruction Kits offer successful solutions to these concerns.

This paper reports on an investigative, qualitative case study of the teaching practices of two public high school Computer Science teachers as they teach courses that are fully or partially aligned with the CS Principles framework. One teaches at an urban, high minority STEM school, the other at a middle class suburban school. Ethnographic methods were used to collect data via classroom observations and teacher interviews. Within-case and across-case analyses are presented which characterize the teachers' practices regarding pedagogy, curricula, creative activities, problem-solving activities, and management of social interactions. The findings provide detailed insights regarding the challenges these teachers face and the strategies they use, which may be useful to teachers in a variety of settings at both the high school and college/university levels.

Over the past decade, the digital revolution has fundamentally altered both personal and professional modes of productivity and communication in the United States. Unfortunately, the culture that underlies the creation of digital technologies is markedly inequitable. There is a pronounced lack of diversity in computing careers and courses, and disturbing patterns of social interactions in these domains. John Dewey stated in his Pedagogic Creed that through education society should " shape itself with definiteness and economy in the direction in which it wishes to move " lest it develop in a " haphazard and chance way " (Dewey, 1897, Article Five). Regarding equity and civility in computing cultures, America to date has largely developed in a haphazard way with unfortunate consequences. The Computer Science Principles (CS Principles) project is a large-scale effort to broaden participation in computing. CS Principles is a framework for courses designed to appeal to diverse populations at the high school and college/university levels. It addresses technical and analytical topics as well as the social and ethical dimensions of computing. This paper reports on a qualitative study of the practice of one high school teacher of CS Principles. It considers if and how the ideals expressed in Dewey's Pedagogic Creed can be advanced through CS Principles courses. Purpose of Study Reform is needed to achieve equity, diversity, and civil norms of discourse in computing cultures and digital spaces. Compounding the diversity issues, problems such as cyber-bullying, inflammatory postings by Internet trolls, and harassment such as that found in the Gamergate controversy are commonplace in the United States. It stands to reason that schools should prepare youth not just intellectually but socially for appropriate participation in computing-related domains. The purpose of this study is to provide a close look at how one experienced teacher implemented CS Principles. It examines her choices not only with respect to technologies and testing, but regarding pedagogies that establish norms of discourse, collaboration, and online communications. These choices are examined using the lens of Dewey's Pedagogic Creed. This study provides useful information for teachers making choices about how to teach CS Principles, and for providers of teacher professional development. Theoretical Framework Two perspectives provide the foundation for this work. The first is a critical one that examines the causes of the lack of diversity in computing. Stuck in the Shallow End (Margolis, Estrella, Goode, & Nao, 2008) reports on the vast differences in computing courses offered at high schools in Los Angeles. This reflects a national trend where schools in lower income areas with higher percentages of students of color tend to have computing classes that focus only on low-level skills such as office applications and Internet searches. Affluent schools are more likely to have courses in CS as an academic discipline, which prepare students for intellectually engaging and high-income careers. This work and others also report on gender inequities related to CS in high school (Goode, Estrella, & Margolis, 2006) and a tinkering gap evident as early as middle school (Griffin, Brandt, Bickel, Schnittka, & Schnittka, 2015). These inequities are not corrected at the college/university or professional levels. Only a small percentage of computing

Abstract Community service courses are often where undergraduates make connections between academic content and practical computer science applications, build bridges between the university and the community, and ultimately increase access to technology ...