research answers questions that are
unique to the domain. Mathematics education researchers help us determine what preschoolers ought to
know so they succeed later at multi-digit arithmetic (and how to remediate
missing skills early, before they impede
students’ progress). Physics education
researchers know why students have
trouble understanding velocity and acceleration, and they have identified the
visualizations and activities that can
enhance learning.
Computing education research is
necessary for us to improve our teaching of computer science. Researchers
in computing education can tell us
how students understand parallel algorithms, what kind of visualizations
help with understanding data structures (and how to use them), and how
to measure understanding about computing that goes beyond any single language. Computing education researchers help us understand why students
do not pursue computing as a career,
and how to recruit, engage, and motivate more (and more diverse) students.
But we are the new kids on the
school block. The National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics was founded
in 1920. The National Association for
Research in Science Teaching started
in 1928. In comparison, ACM’s Spe-
cial Interest Group in CS Education
(SIGCSE) is only 40 years old, and ACM
started the Computer Science Teach-
ers Association (CSTA) six years ago.
SIGCSE’s research conference, Inter-
national Computing Education Re-
search (ICER) Workshop, is only in its
fifth year.
Results of nsf “fastlane” abstracts summary analysis.
Program
itest
Grad teaching Fellows K– 12
Gender in sci/engineering
research and evaluation on
education in science and
engineering (reese)
dr K– 12 2%
robert noyce* teacher
scholarship Program
1%
math and science
Partnerships (msP)
0%
total 4%
cs participation rate number of cs hits number of Proposals
9% 18 202
6% 20 316
4% 8 187
3% 11 413
6
4
289
282
the state of computing education
Research funding in the u.s.
How about in the U.S.? Things are
much more dismal, particularly for
the K– 12 level. The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is primarily responsible for funding education research,a
which comes two directorates: Computer and Information Sciences and
Engineering (CISE) and Education
and Human Resources (EHR). We examine CISE first.
CISE has had two programs—CISE
Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH)
and Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC)—with a focus on education. However, as of this writing CISE
announced that it is combining these
programs into a broader program. This
new vision would look at the entire
pipeline but with special focus in two
areas:
˲ ˲ moving earlier into the pipeline
with specific engagements in middle/
high school to bring computational
thinking/computer science concepts
into this space; and
˲ ˲ widening the program to be inclusive for all populations, built around a
theme that “computing is for everyone.”
It would also add a specific education research component that would
seek to build education research capacity at the university level and to provide a greater understanding of how
children come to understand computing concepts. No one knows exactly
what this new program will look like
until the solicitation comes out, which
CISE is saying will happen in the summer of 2010. It is expected the new program will be funded at about $20 million, which is similar to the combined
amount for CPATH and BPC.
0
150
67
1839
* noyce is not a research program; rather it is a program that prepares K– 12 teachers in specific
stem disciplines. Computing may do poorly in this program because of serious teacher certification
issues for computer science teachers, which have been explored in a report by the Computer
science teachers association: http://csta.acm.org/ComputerscienceteacherCertification/sub/
teacherCertificationrequi.html
a We did not do a detailed review of grants from
the Department of Education’s research arm—
The Institute of Education Science—as this institute appears to be focused on general education research. A cursory review did not find any
grants focused specifically on computing research. Further, other programs run by the Department of Education are primarily focused
on funding state and local education agencies
to put resources directly into the schools.