Writing In-Code Comments to Self-Explain in Computational Science and Engineering Education

Purpose of research. The purpose of the paper is to describe the possibilities of including tasks for the design, development, use and experimental evaluation of “inverted” educational resources in the professional training of future teachers of mathematics and computer science for the development of their subject-methodical readiness. The formation and development of subject-methodical readiness is the main goal of professional training of future lecturers at a pedagogical university. The process of creating “inverted” educational resources requires from their author quite serious subject and methodological training. Potentially, the inclusion of tasks for the design, development, expertise, practical use and evaluation of “inverted” educational resources in the professional training of future teachers of mathematics and computer science can create conditions conducive to the formation of competencies of future teachers to create a comprehensive educational process in a digital environment. Since, on the one hand, in such didactic means, the educational content should be presented systematized and structured, have logic and hierarchical connections. On the other hand, the problematic issues included in the resources should reflect specific subject educational results in accordance with a given taxonomic model in the curriculum.Materials and methods. Based on the analysis of theoretical and methodological sources, the article substantiates the relevance of the problem of finding new ways and means of implementing additional subject training in mathematics and computer science for both schoolchildren and future teachers in the context of digitalization of education. The analysis of examples of “inverted” educational resources, which are the results of the implementation of project tasks by undergraduate students of the Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University named after V.P. Astafiev, is presented. Through theoretical and methodological substantiation, the main possibilities of including tasks for working with such resources at different stages of professional training of future teachers of mathematics and computer science at a pedagogical university are synthesized.Results. In this study, the problems related to the possibility of including “inverted” educational resources as digital didactic tools in the training programs of future teachers of mathematics and computer science were updated. The authors’ position on the issue of the purpose of such teaching tools in the context of the digitalization of education is presented and substantiated. Examples of the results of the implementation of project tasks by senior students during the 2021-2022 academic year were demonstrated. The key didactic and information technology features, possible tools for creating “inverted” educational resources are given. The definition of the subject-methodical readiness of the future teacher of mathematics and computer science as an essential component of professional readiness is concretized. The possibilities of strengthening subject-methodical training by including tasks for work with “inverted” educational resources are described: analytical – in junior courses when mastering disciplines related to the use of digital technologies in education; project – in the middle courses when mastering methodological disciplines; experimental and expert - in the senior courses when passing industrial (pedagogical) practice and mastering the final disciplines of the professional educational program of higher pedagogical education.Conclusion. On a final note, the results and conclusions obtained in the paper are summarized; the key positions of the authors on the inclusion of “inverted” educational resources in the professional training of future teachers of mathematics and computer science are given. The materials of the article may be of interest to lecturers of pedagogical universities who train future teachers, representatives of schools cooperating with organizations of higher pedagogical education, researchers in the field of digitalization and digital transformation of education.

This study focuses on gender issues in terms of participation, achievement and duration of studies at the Tertiary level of education in Computer Science and Engineering (CS&E). For this reason, 1957 degrees earned by Computer Engineers were studied. These diplomas cover a 21 year period of graduation at the Computer Engineering and Informatics Department (CEID), University of Patras, Greece. The analysis of the data shows that: a) male graduate students outnumbered the female ones by three to one, b) in terms of achievement, no significant differences exist between male and female graduate computer engineers, and c) female students complete their studies earlier than their male counterparts.

Results from a recent reassessment of the state of computational materials science and engineering (CMSE) education are reported. Surveys were distributed to the chairs and heads of materials programs, faculty members engaged in computational research, and employers of materials scientists and engineers, mainly in the United States. The data was compiled to assess current course offerings related to CMSE, the general climate for introducing computational methods in MSE curricula, and the requirements from the employers’ viewpoint. Furthermore, the available educational resources and their utilization by the community are examined. The surveys show a general support for integrating computational content into MSE education. However, they also reflect remaining issues with implementation, as well as a gap between the tools being taught in courses and those that are used by employers. Overall, the results suggest the necessity for a comprehensively developed vision and plans to further the integration of computational methods into MSE curricula.

Little is known about how K-12 Computer Science (CS) teachers use technology and problem-based learning (PBL) to teach CS content in the context of CS Principles curricula. Significantly, little qualitative research has been conducted in these areas in computer science education, so we lack an in-depth understanding of the complicated realities of CS teachers' experiences. This paper describes the practices and experiences of six teachers' use of technology that was implemented to support PBL in the context of a dual enrollment CS Principles course.

Computer science is increasingly becoming an essential 21st century skill. As school systems around the world recognize the importance of computer science, demand for teachers who have the knowledge and skills to deliver computer science instruction is rapidly growing. Yet a number of recent studies indicate that teachers report low confidence and limited understanding of computer science, frequently confusing basic computer literacy skills with computer science. This is true for both teachers at the K-8 level as well as secondary education teachers who frequently transition to computer science from other content areas, such as mathematics. As computer science is not yet included in most teacher preparation programs, professional development is a critical step in efforts to prepare in-service teachers to deliver high-quality computer science instruction. To date, however, research on best practices in computer science professional development has been severely lacking in the literature, making it difficult for researchers and practitioners alike to examine effective in-service preparation models.This book provide examples of professional development approaches that help teachers integrate aspects of computing in existing curricula at the K-8 level or deliver stand-alone computer science courses at the secondary school level. Further, this book identifies computational competencies for teachers, promising pedagogical strategies that advance teacher learning, as well as alternative pathways for ongoing learning including microcredentials. The primary audience of the book is graduate students and faculty in educational technology, educational or cognitive psychology, learning theory, curriculum and instruction, computer science, instructional systems and learning sciences. Additionally, the book will serve as a valuable addition to education practitioners and curriculum developers as well as policy makers looking to increase the number of teachers who are prepared to deliver computing education.

The World Wide Web (WWW) on the Internet has been recognized as an effective environment to create new distributed applications that have the potential to bring instruction beyond the bounds of the classroom. The availability of browsers (e.g. Mosaic, Netscape, Hot Java) has enormously simplified the access to the WWW, and there have been numerous initiatives to take advantage of this new technology for teaching. This work will illustrate recent developments of tools for engineering education and technology transfer which take advantage of WWW browsers, Java applets, and virtual reality. We have developed modules based on WWW browsers incorporating educational and research software, including advanced visualization, which find use for multimedia classroom presentations accessible by Internet users, and which can also improve interaction among academic groups and industry. Therefore, the material is suitable for asynchronous distance learning and technology transfer. Examples of interactive WWW applications include device simulation, semiconductor band structure calculation, numerical techniques, and electromagnetics.

K-12 computer science education utilizes a variety of tools and resources that make significant contributions. Tools such as unplugged computer science tools, block-based computer science tools, text-based computer science tools, physical computer science tools, robotic kits, artificial intelligence, etc. have an important place in K-12 computer science education. It is crucial to incorporate computer science instruction into the basic courses of K-12 students, as well as to incorporate these tools into the curriculum. Worldwide resources have a significant impact on the enrichment and dissemination of K-12 computer science education. The content and resources created by platforms like Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), etc. contribute significantly to K-12 computer science education. Websites such as K-12 Computer Science, CS for ALL, Teach Computing, Code.org, Scratch, etc. are also important platforms that have become learning communities in computer science education.

Teaching formal methods in software construction has often been a concern of several computer science educators. In our opinion, the origin of most of the difficulties in learning formal methods in computer science and software engineering does not lie in computer science courses but in the mathematical background of the students. Moreover, there are numerous obstacles to learning basic concepts noted by both computer science and mathematics educators. To change this situation it is necessary to integrate the work of mathematics and computer science educators. That is, the main focus should be the creation of new educational approachs nourished by two components: a theoretical one (formally introducing discrete mathematics concepts) and an experimental one (implementing those concepts in a suitable programming language). In this paper, using examples from a discrete mathematics course for high school teachers, we describe the main characteristics of our approach.

Abstract: Owing to the entry of COVID-19, starting from the year 2000, India managed online education well for more than a year and a half. Now, the question is to understand whether the online mode of education is as effective as the face-to-face classes. This study intends to focus on identifying the challenges and finding the opportunities to enhance the quality of online engineering education with respect to Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) branch. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire involving the chosen 2nd year, 3rd year, and 4th year students of CSE department, Velammal College of Engineering & Technology, Madurai (VCET), who have had the experience of acquiring knowledge through both offline and online modes. The spreadsheet software was used to filter, organize as well as visualize quantitative data, and descriptive methodology was adopted for the data analysis. The result of the study will lay a scope to understand the existing gaps in online CSE education and the proposed ideas to fill the same enhancing the resources. Further, this study may play a pivotal role in making effective online CSE education at par with face-to-face classes completely possible and preferable. Keywords: COVID-19; CSE; digital skills; online education; Velammal College of Engineering & Technology.

Background & Context Continuously developing teachers’ knowledge, practice, and professional identity is one of the key standards for effective computer science (CS) teachers. Objective This study aims to understand the landscape of CS teachers in the United States, the professional identity they hold, and how their background and teaching context are associated with their CS teacher identity. Method Using data of 3540 teachers, we performed a two-step cluster analysis to reveal homogeneous subgroups of CS teachers. The relationship between teachers’ backgrounds and their CS teacher identity was also assessed. Findings This study identified four profiles of CS teachers based on their professional identity. . CS teacher identity is strongly associated with teachers’ Computer Science Teachers Association membership, teaching responsibility, teaching experience, and their exposure to CS coursework. Implications More professional support is needed for CS teachers, especially for early-career CS teachers, elementary school teachers, and teachers with multiple responsibilities and little CS background.

Various technological, economic, and social developments may radically reshape engineering and computer science education in the next 20 to 30 years. Leaders in engineering education, such as IEEE, that play key roles must decide how they will innovate and support initiatives to improve engineering education. The IEEE's Curriculum and Pedagogical Committee (CPC), which is charged with helping IEEE forecast the future of engineering education and make decisions about IEEE's roles in preparing for and crafting that future, engaged in a scenario planning exercise to help understand how various influences and trajectories could influence engineering education. Scenario planning methodology has been used by many organizations making long-term investments. After considering influencers in the engineering education environment; important stakeholders and their roles; goals, constraints, and outcomes for key stakeholders; and potential uncertainties, the CPC identified two critical uncertainties over the next five years: (i) How will engineering programs innovate and adapt? (ii) What will be the values and competencies of engineering faculty? By considering two extremes for each of these uncertainties, the CPC crafted four scenarios, which are described in this paper, to characterize potential future trends and how different scenarios will influence the evolution of engineering education.

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Attracting and Retaining Women in Computer Science and Engineering: Evaluating the Results Abstract Computer science and engineering communities have been exploring a variety of activities and techniques to attract and retain more students, especially women and minorities, to computer science and computer engineering degree programs1. This paper briefly describes the efforts and results of a plan for actively recruiting young women into undergraduate computer engineering and computer science programs hosted by the University of North Texas (UNT). It also describes a series of activities aimed at improving the retention rate of students already in our programs, particularly during the freshman year. Such recruitment and retention efforts are critical to the country’s efforts to increase the number of engineering professionals, and are a priority for the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department at UNT. We initially designed a three-part plan to achieve our recruitment and retention goals: • Sponsorship of portable and mobile summer computer engineering robotics camps for middle and high-school women students, coordinating with the regional Girl Scouts councils and other organizations to help with the recruitment; • Creation of an Ambassador program using young women currently enrolled in the upper division of current computer science and computer engineering programs as a form of outreach to area high schools and junior colleges; and • Expansion of our successful undergraduate mentoring program by using the Ambassador cohort mentioned above as mentors for incoming freshman and first-year transfer women entering our programs. This paper will focus primarily on the summer camp program and present an analysis of the results we have seen to date after 2 years of camp activities. Results from student surveys and parent surveys will be presented. The paper concludes with recommended changes and improvements in the program, as well as a discussion of adaptations that would create programs suitable for implementation at other institutions as well as programs aimed at a different target population. The three phases previously enumerated each build upon currently accepted educational practices. The robotics summer camp in particular used problem-based learning approaches, similar to those described in The Power of Problem-Based Learning2. This study clearly demonstrates the significant benefits of teaching students how to think by using a problem-based approach. We also developed a mobile laboratory so that the summer camp can be held at several locations, thus broadening and expanding the reach of the camps to traditionally underserved populations and geographical regions. Similarly, both the ambassador and mentoring programs derive from research showing how the recruitment and retention of women in engineering- related fields can be increased by providing opportunities to develop student-to-student relationships3, 4.

This special-issue section of the IEEE T ransactions on E ducation (ToE) consists of three papers centered around the theme of Maker Learning in Computer Science and Engineering Education. It is being published in tandem with a special “sister” issue of the IEEE T ransactions on L earning T echnologies (TLT) on the topic of Learning Through Wearable Technologies and the Internet of Things [item 1) in the Appendix].

1. Summary Discussion regarding proposals and polices to improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in K-12 now span from local school boards up to the President of the United States [1]. It is no longer a question of whether STEM education will be a focus within K-12 education; it is how the United States and other nations are going to accomplish reform. Despite this attention, the computing education community still has important questions about whether STEM really includes all disciplines and whether the push toward “core” subjects [2] will leave sufficient room for rigorous and engaging computer science courses. This special session will present new research reflecting how computer science education is treated in each of the 50 states coupled with perspectives on the national education policy landscape and strategies for reform. It will connect the broad SIGCSE community to the policy issues by giving them new data and a call to action to help surface computer science within STEM in the discussions that are now happening around the country.

We describe our experiences with computational science and engineering (CS&E) education at the University of Colorado at Boulder in order to illustrate the difficulties associated with such a course of study. Our CS&E offerings began with a course on high-performance scientific computing (HPSC) developed under a CISE Educational Infrastructure grant from the National Science Foundation. The course was taught from 1991 through 1998 when various practical concerns ended its run. The course was revived in 2003 to meet the demands of several emerging programs in computational science. In this paper, we outline the rise, fall, and restoration of the HPSC course. We identify the technological developments that presently make such a course less labor intensive and more sustainable.