Learning Computer Science: Dimensions of Variation within What Chinese Students Learn

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  • Author(s): Thota, Neena; Berglund, Anders
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    ACM Transactions on Computing Education. Jun 2016 16(3).
  • Publication Date:
    2016
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Association for Computing Machinery. 2 Penn Plaza Suite 701, New York, NY 10121. Tel: 800-342-6626; Tel: 212-626-0500; Fax: 212-944-1318; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://toce.acm.org/
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      27
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Computer Science Education; Asians; Foreign Countries; Graduate Students; Masters Programs; Correlation; Learning Processes; Student Characteristics; Context Effect; Educational Experience; Student Attitudes; Individual Development; Teaching Methods; Course Content; Outcomes of Education; Universities; Foreign Students; Course Selection (Students)
    • Subject Terms:
      Sweden
    • Accession Number:
      10.1145/2853199
    • ISSN:
      1946-6226
    • Abstract:
      We know from research that there is an intimate relationship between student learning and the context of learning. What is not known or understood well enough is the relationship of the students' background and previous studies to the understanding and learning of the subject area--here, computer science (CS). To show the contextual influences on learning CS, we present empirical data from a qualitative investigation of the experiences of Chinese students studying for a master degree at Sweden's Uppsala University. Data were collected of the students' understanding and learning of CS, their experience of the teaching and their own studies, and of their personal development in Sweden. Using an analysis framework grounded in phenomenography, we analytically separated the "what and how" aspects of learning. In this article, we describe the "what," or the content of the students' learning, and identify dimensions of variation in the experiences of students. These dimensions relate to the foci of the CS programs, the learning outcomes, and the impact of the studies. The findings from the analyses indicate pedagogical and pragmatic implications for teaching and learning CS in higher education institutions. The study extends the traditional use of phenomenography through the discussion of the dimensions of variation in the experiences and the values within the dimensions. It opens the way for understanding the relational nature of learning in computing education.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2020
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1252410