Transcript Document

Geeks welcome here:
Exploring the relationship
between student identities and
academic success in
undergraduate computer
science education
Peter Chalk, Faculty of Life Sciences & Computing,
London Metropolitan University (IPSE EdD)
Presentation for EdD Module, 24 Oct 2012
1
Introduction: A subject in crisis?
• Industry, profession and government putting the
spotlight on IT education in schools:
– Report titled ‘Running on empty: the failure to teach
K-12 computer science in the digital age’ (ACM/
CSTA, 2010):
– “policies... are deeply confused, conflicted or
inadequate” (ibid, p6)
• Michael Gove at BETT 2012 (Guardian 12.1.12, p9)
wants a:
– “more rigorous computer science curriculum... [to
meet] high standards of intellectual depth and
practical value”
2
A known problem in computer
science education in HE
• Failure, drop out, transfer: Reports include:
– Beaubouef, T. and Mason, J. (2005) ‘Why the high
attrition rate for computer science students: Some
thoughts and observations’, ACM SIGCSE Inroads
Bulletin, 37.2: 103–106.
• Research into CS as a subject includes:
– ‘Predictors of success in a first programming course’
(Simon, Fincher, S & Robins, A: ACE 2006)
– “We believe that learning to program is problematic”
- “Further exploration of possible diagnostic tasks is
required”
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Other indicators include
• Profile of applicants
– 38% working class compared to 30% in the
sector (CaSE report cited in THE 15.3.12)
– 17% women (NSF report cited in Ong, M:
CACM July 2011)
• NSS satisfaction scores (HEA 2012)
– e.g. Unistats for Kent,
– 80% for CS, 88% for uni
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Aim of research
• To develop an understanding of the
relationship between students' identities,
experiences and success in undergraduate
computer science education (CSE),...
• by exploring students' perceptions and
experiences, and...
• by examining the disciplinary/ institutional
cultures and practices, of CSE.
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Aim of this talk
• Present new primary data mainly in the
form of extracts from interview transcripts,
and...
• …propose approaches to analysing it.
• It is hoped that findings will contribute to
understandings of success, failure and
dropout in CSE, with implications for
policy and practice.
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Literature review: The
theoretical framework
• Develop Bourdieu's concepts of habitus*, capitals,
field and practice,...
• as applied to understanding relationships between
student identities and the field of CSE.
• For example, a post-Bourdieuan framework
suggested by the work of Lousie Archer and others.
* ‘internalised structures, schemes of perception,
conception and action common to all members of
the same group’ (Outline of a theory of practice,
1977, p86)
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Louise Archer (2010) on habitus
• “... the notion of family (science) habitus is
being deployed as a tool to examine the
extent to which families construct a
collective relationship with science sense
through their everyday attitudes and
practices and the extent to which this is
shaped by their possession of particular
sorts of economic, social and cultural
capital.” (BERA paper) [my emphasis]
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Research methodology
• Qualititative based on open-question interviews:
– student life history narrative, motivation &
expectations, ambitions & aspirations,
– student biographical data,
– staff on CS identity, how subject constructed and what
they look for in student interviews,
– Plus documents/ observations from universities visited.
• Diverse mix (purposive sample) but NOT intended to be
‘representative’ in any way – this research is not
attempting to draw conclusions based on sampling in any
form. It is looking at constructions of identities through
authentic narratives. A grounded analysis approach.
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Interviews completed
• Students (20 in total)
– 6 at pre-92 (2 female) and 14 at post-92 (3
female)
– Most Computer Science first years
– At ‘Downtown’, ‘City Centre’ & ‘Castletown’
post-92,
– And ‘Uptown’ & ‘Central’ inner-city pre-92
• CS staff (four) one pre-92, three post-92 (all 4
male) from unis where most students were
interviewed.
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Example questions in student
interview schedule
•
•
•
•
Why did you choose computer science?
What are your expectations of the course?
What have been your interests, or hobbies?
Were there any influences over your choice
of study, interests or ambition?
• What aspect of computers interests you?
• Some students find computing difficult,
why do you think this is?
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Responses coded in NVivo for ‘Why
choose Computer Science?’
• <Internals\Interviews - Students\Alon Castletown> - § 2
references coded [6.09% Coverage] Reference 1 - 4.62%
Coverage
• I suppose I really like informatics but not just that, informatics, maths
and physics. I was unsure what to choose, between something in
computing or aerospace engineering. But at the moment it seems like
computing is more right for me.
• Reference 2 - 1.47% Coverage
• Computing, in itself, I really liked it and I really want to be good at it.
• <Internals\Interviews - Students\Asif Castletown> - § 1 reference
coded [1.14% Coverage]
• Reference 1 - 1.14% Coverage
• As a child I liked, loved, computers, I was just fascinated by them. So
that’s why I chose computer science.
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Coding
fragments
to free
nodes:
letting the
data
speak for
itself:
answers
to
question
‘why
choose
CS?’
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Early Life: ‘Matt’, ‘Asif’ and ‘Rupert’
(Castletown Uni) on family
• [Matt’s grandfather] “is quite into hardware stuff, he’s an
electrician, and I got some stuff from him, and I was always
interested in how stuff works. You can’t understand how it
works without taking it apart” [my emphasis]
• Asif’s brother is 6 years older and “works for a computer
company. He brings new hardware into the house, hard
drives and motherboards and everything and I was just like
to learn [sic], what’s going on with them.”
• Rupert: “I have a smaller sister, she’s 8 so she can’t help me,
but I helped her so now when she is on the computer she
uses the internet, Mozilla, she goes to games or paint, she
really likes it, I motivate her, she watched me how I work
and when I left it she came to use the computer. [animated]”
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Practical experience & interest: ‘Denise’
• Denise (NVQ car mechanics, ‘City Centre Uni’,
single parent, council estate, described her interviewer
as ‘giving her a chance’) exhibits both family and
‘how things work’ themes:
– “My granddad was an inventor... Probably once a
week but he used to take down to the… workshops
in his garden…
– “I was finding it quite hard to learn stuff that you
can’t touch. So I did car mechanics, obviously you
can take the engine apart.”
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Construction of student identity/
image (as geek?)
• “Q Do you help friends or family with their
computers?
– Rupert (Castletown): All the time [laugh] all the
time. I always succeed and they are happy, all the
time. In high school I had to do networking in my
informatics class. And when a computer crashed
and something went wrong I had to go and fix it.”
• “Q Do people ask you to help them?
– Alon (Castletown): Yes, sure, when they get a
virus, when someone intrudes, how can they
prevent that, when they want new windows
installed, things like that.”
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Section
of
nVivo
coding
tree for
Identity
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Why do students drop
out? Student view
• “Half the time there were only two of us [in our group] being
relied upon – when we were talking they were just oblivious to
what’s going on, they didn’t have the motivation and just chose
the course because they had no other option maybe.” (Asif,
Castletown)
• “I always thought that kids coming to uni at 18 are into
computer games, they like gadgets and electrical things and
want the coolest things so they think ‘I’ll do computing’. They
find it’s not what they expected, it’s a way of thinking that’s
completely alien to them, it’s a very, very strict, logical way of
thinking. They find it boring and they can’t cope with it and
they drop out.” (Calvin, Downtown).
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Wrong choice of course –
staff view
“...they apply for courses without a clear idea of
where they are going.” (‘Dennis’, staff, City
Centre Uni)
“... students have a limited understanding of what
computer science is.” (‘James’, staff, Uptown Uni)
- This raises the issue of how computer science is
constructed as a subject
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‘Computer science
identity’? Staff view
• Dennis (City Centre, post92) “...any sort of analytical
ability so anyone who has been interested in any way in
finding out how things work with a view to copying them
or improving them or making use of them.”
• James (Uptown, pre92) “blend of formal thinking and
mathematics and applying it to applications, and wanting
to do something useful.”
• Arthur (Castletown, post92) “you have to be a little bit
techy, you’ve got to be interested in how it all hangs
together and works... who can sequence things and have a
little bit of abstract thought”
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Imagined futures: ‘Want to work in computing’
• Alicia: “I’m looking forward to work in computing, a masters
and a PhD in software engineering. I’m really looking forward
to that... I’m thinking of working for google, on new software,
maybe at Microsoft, developing games, databases, new
graphical movies, maybe I end up doing that, at Hollywood, 3d
movies.”
• Asif: “Freelance programmer, maybe for a company such as
Microsoft or Sony, or IBM, Intel, working with those kind of
major companies, making programs for them. In my sandwich
year I’m hoping to work for a company local, then from there,
once I’ve finished my degree, go on to a different country and
work for a company over there.”
• Calvin: “I’d rather be a coder, I’d enjoy being a junior
programmer because I like the coding aspect a lot. I’d like to be
a higher level software engineer and design at a higher level.”
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Discussion: Beyond Bourdieu?
Alternative model of science identity
• From Carlone & Johnson (2007) on women of colour in
science education (cite Wenger on community of practice):
– “She is competent; she demonstrates meaningful
knowledge and understanding of science content and is
motivated to understand the world scientifically. She
also has the requisite skills to perform for others her
competence with scientific practices (e.g., uses of
scientific tools, fluency with all forms of scientific talk
and ways of acting, and interacting in various formal
and informal scientific settings). Further, she recognizes
herself, and gets recognized by others, as a ‘science
person’.”
– Model helps to identify/ organise themes in the data?22
“Q Do you help others with
computing?
Sarthi : Yes, my friends when they
don’t have a computer science
background and they find it difficult
to do their presentations, or install or
reinstall their laptops.
Q Do they see you as their technical
adviser?
Sarthi : Yes, it feels great, that you
know something that is used
everywhere and which some people
are not aware of, and to be good at it.”
Competence,
Performance,
Recognition
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Conclusions no;
questions yes!
• Are Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital,
habitus etc useful?
• Can they be extended beyond his ideas about
class?
–
–
–
–
eg ‘institutional habitus’ (applying to field of CSE)
eg ‘family habitus’ (Archer)
eg ‘computer science habitus’
Does the data support any of the above?
• Other models of identity a better fit?
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References not in text
• Archer, L (2010) ‘Science is not for me?’:
exploring children’s and families’ engagement
with science through the lens of identity’, BERA
1st-4th September, University of Warwick.
• Carlone, H B & Johnson, A (2007)
‘Understanding the Science Experiences of
Successful Women of Color: Science Identity as
an Analytic Lens’, Journal of Research in Science
Teaching, VOL. 44, NO. 8, PP. 1187–1218.
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