This dissertation focuses on strategies and techniques to enhance code comprehension skills among students enrolled in introductory computer science courses (CS1 and CS2). We propose a novel tutoring system, "DeepCodeTutor," designed to improve the code comprehension abilities of novices. DeepCodeTutor employs scaffolded self-explanation…

Introductory computer programming (i.e. CS1) is the entry point into the computer science major at higher education institutions worldwide. It introduces foundational concepts to students that are then built upon in future courses. Computer science as a whole has struggled to attract and retain students in the major, particularly women and…

This qualitative research used the tenants of phenomenological research to structure a study that begins to identify faculty coordinator's decision processes in selecting a general education mathematics course. In this study, I examined the question if a faculty member's experiences or beliefs had any influence on the decision process. The…

With ongoing concerns in undergraduate computer science education like growing enrollment and broadening participation, there is a need for reform. While there are many stakeholder perspectives to consider in reforms, students deserve to be prioritized because they face a variety of environmental challenges that lead to negative outcomes like…

To realize more equitable technology futures, it is not enough to simply adapt technology to be more inclusive "after" it is created. We will also need to equip technology creators with the skills they need to critically reflect upon bias and exclusion "during" the technology design process. The question of how to best to…

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…

The software industry spends a tremendous amount of effort and resources on software testing and maintenance to improve the quality of software. However, a large portion of the cost may be saved by training high-quality software developers with better Computer Science education. Skilled software developers can not only produce code of fewer bugs…

All engineering careers require some level of programming proficiency. However, beginning programming classes are challenging for many students. Difficulties have been well-documented and contribute to high drop-out rates which prevent students from pursuing engineering. While many approaches have been tried to improve the performance of students…

Introductory programming courses typically focus on building generalizable programming knowledge by focusing on a language's syntax and semantics. Assignments often involve "code tracing" problems, where students perform close tracking of code's execution, typically in the context of 'toy' problems. "Reading-first" approaches…

In computer science education, introductory computer programming courses tend to be the most challenging for novices, with higher dropout rates than other computer science courses. Recruitment and retention of students in computer science fields is an important area of focus in computer science education research, and previous research has…

All students studying Computer Science (CS) deserve to have their basic psychological need for belonging satisfied. In this dissertation, I present two studies of belonging among CS students at the University of Washington-Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. In the first study, my collaborators implemented a resubmission…

This dissertation was a comparative study of computer science in secondary schools in both Ireland and the United States. Computer science was a new subject compared to more established subjects in both Ireland and the United States. This dissertation looked at how this subject could be accessed by students in both countries. I used a document…

Distributed self-assessments and reflections empower learners to take the lead on their knowledge gaining evaluation. Both provide essential elements for practice and self-regulation in learning settings. Nowadays, many sources for practice opportunities are made available to the learners, especially in the Computer Science (CS) and programming…

Tensions between enrollment growth, faculty shortages, and persistent inequity characterize the current landscape of postsecondary computing education. As individuals who pursue graduate studies in computing are likely future leaders in the tech industry and academic computing spaces, colleges and universities need to restructure mechanisms of…

With the high influx of computer science enrollment in universities in the last decade, there is increasing value and wide-reaching effects in improving pedagogy in the field. This improvement is especially useful in introductory computer science courses (CS1). Student experience in the first programming course is known to heavily influence…