This dissertation presents the results and outcomes of an effort to design educational tools and curriculum to improve student learning in introductory programming courses. The work was conducted at the University of California, Merced (UC Merced), situated in the Central Valley of California, and home to a diverse student population. The findings…

In this dissertation, I explore how researchers, teachers, and students can learn together across various contexts in K-12 computing education. These explorations are situated within the development and implementation of the Getting Unstuck curriculum, a set of educative curriculum materials (Davis et al., 2017) designed for upper elementary…

To meet the employment demands in the information technology industry, it is crucial for higher education institutions to design sustainable curricula to prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to enter and stay competitive in an ever-changing workforce. A review of one Mid-Atlantic University's information technology programs…

This study sought to address the gap in knowledge about the effect of UDL features on asynchronous online postsecondary learners' achievement, engagement, and self-efficacy. The study also described a process for redesigning an online course to incorporate UDL components and provided specific examples of the implemented UDL guidelines. The study…

The field of computer science has long been plagued by issues of diversity - in particular, attracting and retaining those historically marginalized in computing contexts. This is a great loss to the field, to the future of innovation, and to society. Perhaps most importantly, it is an incalculable loss to those populations excluded from pursuing…

This dissertation is a case study of State Public University (pseudonym), a large, public university in the United States, and the promising practice that improved student learning by redesigning an Information Technology course (pseudonym IT-101). The stakeholders were faculty who were involved in the redesign. As part of this qualitative study,…

The objective of this study was to survey IS curriculum in AACSB-accredited Information Systems programs across the United States, to evaluate current adherence to the IS 2010 Curriculum Guidelines, and to assess the number and type of career track developments initiated as a result of less stringent requirements in the new curriculum guidelines.…

Digital character production courses have traditionally been taught in art departments. The digital character production course at the University of Utah is centered, drawing uniformly from art and engineering disciplines. Its design has evolved to include a synergy of computer science, functional art and human anatomy. It gives students an…