Modern software companies prioritize high-quality products for competitiveness, and Software Process Improvement (SPI) models help achieve this. In Brazil, the Brazilian Software Process Improvement Model ("MPS-SW" model) is widely used, but its complexity and extensive documentation make it challenging to teach in undergraduate courses.…

In today's world, having at least basic digital skills is essential in working, social, and family life. The present study uses grounded theory to explore ways in which people with little formal schooling engage with the digital world. Drawing on 54 semi-structured interviews, it describes how people with little IT experience from formal education…

The human aspects of cyber security are fundamental as these are interlinked with processes and technology in building resilience against an evolving and complex threat landscape. It is vital to teach future cyber security specialists sufficient knowledge about human aspects in order to strengthen the defences and defend against malicious actors.…

Understanding of code is critical for debugging computer programs. Chunking, breaking code into smaller parts, has been proven to be an effective strategy for analyzing code at various levels of abstraction. Novice debuggers struggle to comprehend code and recognize its underlying structure and components. They often debug code in an arbitrary and…

Machine learning methods can be used to reduce the manual workload in exam grading, making it possible for teachers to spend more time on other tasks. However, when it comes to grading exams, fully eliminating manual work is not yet possible even with very accurate automated grading, as any grading mistakes could have significant consequences for…

This study aims to develop a preliminary model for the content validation of serious games, specifically to assess two cybersecurity games designed for children aged 8-13 years as part of the Erasmus+ project "SuperCyberKids". Using a scoping review of databases from pedagogy, psychology, and computer science, we identified current…

Debugging (or troubleshooting) provides a rich context to foster problem-solving. Yet, while we know much about some problems and strategies that novices face in programming on-screen, we know far less about debugging and troubleshooting in the context of physical computing, where coding issues may overlap with materially embedded problems. In…

The ability to define, evaluate, and implement software architectures is a fundamental skill for software engineers. However, teaching software architecture can be challenging as it requires students to be involved in real-context projects with high degrees of complexity. This involves making trade-off decisions among several quality attributes.…

Whereas hackathons are widespread within and outside academia and have been argued to be a valid pedagogical method for teaching interdisciplinarity, no detailed frameworks or methods are available for conceptualizing and organizing educational hackathons, i.e., hackathons dedicated to best achieving pedagogic objectives. This paper is dedicated…

This paper undertakes a thorough evaluation of ChatGPT's code generation capabilities, contrasting them with those of human programmers from both educational and software engineering standpoints. The emphasis is placed on elucidating its importance in these intertwined domains. To facilitate a robust analysis, we curated a novel dataset comprising…

The current educational system relies heavily on manual grading, posing challenges such as delayed feedback and grading inaccuracies. Automated grading tools (AGTs) offer solutions but come with limitations. To address this, "GRAD-AI" is introduced, an advanced AGT that combines automation with teacher involvement for precise grading,…

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of the microlearning instructional approach in an online introductory database programming classroom. The ultimate goal of this study is to inform educators and instructional designers on the design and development of microlearning content that maximizes student learning. Grounded within the…

Automated assessment is well-established within computer science courses but largely absent from human--computer interaction courses. Automating the assessment of human--computer interaction (HCI) is challenging because the coursework tends not to be computational but rather highly creative, such as designing and implementing interactive…

STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) hackathons have been conducted to offer opportunities for diverse participants to work collaboratively and intensely on tasks within a short period. However, most literature about hackathons does not offer theoretical discussions on the affordances of such learning contexts for school students.…

As technology becomes more important in our daily lives, teaching computer science in schools is becoming a priority. In 2022, the Tennessee General Assembly passed PC 979, a law requiring all public and charter schools to teach computer science at every grade level including kindergarten classrooms (Tennessee Department of Education, 2024). While…