In this paper we report our experiences from a University outreach program with primary and secondary education teachers of various specialties. Our goal was to improve the coding abilities of teachers through Scratch activities. The participants can in turn teach their students, multiplying that way the benefitted population. To increase the…

It is evident that the society in which we live will demand more and more qualified and specialized positions in the different branches of engineering. Now we are in a highly digitized world in which information is continuously transmitted through data communication networks with the expectation of security and confidentiality. Students who are in…

Scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. Still, enrolment rates in STEM degrees are low in many European countries and consequently there is a lack of adequately educated workforce in industries. We believe that this can…

Computer Science students need to acquire knowledge about both the hardware and software aspects of computing systems. It is necessary for them to understand how each layer interacts with one another. However, since Graphical User Interfaces have become ubiquitous, the opportunities to interact with the computer via a command prompt as part of…

This study focused on the relationships between knowledge mapping construction methods and learning performance. The different knowledge mapping methods (by experts vs. by self-learners) were assumed to achieve different learning performance levels. The results of this study show that neither different knowledge map construction methods nor…

In this study, it was aimed to determine the reflective thinking levels of prospective teachers and the change of their reflectivity levels within the teaching practicum process. For this purpose, the blog postings, which written by the prospective teachers at different themes, were analyzed. Within the scope of the study, reflective thinking…

Recursion is one of the most important and hardest topics in lower division computer science courses. As it is an advanced programming skill, the best way to learn it is through targeted practice exercises. But the best practice problems are time consuming to manually grade by an instructor. As a consequence, students historically have completed…

Professional identity, or the connection between individuals and their professional community of practice, begins forming as early as deciding a major for university studies. Development is supported or hindered by situated practices and experiences throughout undergraduate studies and across the transition from university to the workplace. To…

This paper presents a study which aims to provide an understanding of the impact of using the components of a digital mobile-based behavior change intervention (mBCI) to support critical thinking skills during university student research projects. The digital behavior change interventions are tools and techniques designed to induce behavior change…

Women remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. A lot of research has examined individual-level impacts of their absence, such as women's lack of interest in STEM, their lack of sense of belonging, and low math confidence. In this dissertation, I use Acker's theory of gendered organizations as a…

This exploratory case study examined the nature of problem solving in terms of the types of problems posed, instructional approaches and collaborative learning, in first-year and second-year post-secondary computing education. Participants included faculty across three computing programs. Instructional classroom and laboratory observations,…

This study explored to provide insight into perceptions of computer science implementation in K-2. The participants were K-2 teachers who have taught computer science a minimum of two years. Data was gathered through note taking and recording of one on one interviews that relied on participant responses sharing their experiences about teaching…

Providing opportunities for students to work on real-world software development projects for real customers is critical to prepare students for the IT industry. Such projects help students to understand what they will face in the industry and experience real customer interaction and challenges in collaborative work. To provide this opportunity in…

The Building Blocks of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Act was put in place to direct the National Science Foundation to support STEM education research focused on early childhood. The Act includes the following sections: (1) Short Title; (2) Findings; (3) Supporting Early Childhood and Elementary STEM Education Research;…

Merging the content of learning with the motivation of games can be a successful combination, if done properly and supported by the appropriate tool. Towards this goal, we developed Diagram[character omitted]atic an environment used to gamify the in-classroom activity of designing diagrams during a lecture. Using Diagram[character omitted]atic the…