Courses in Computer Science Education

This is the first of a two-course sequence, where students will be introduced to a variety of different conceptualizations and pedagogical approaches for computer science education for K-12. In this course, students will spend their time at the micro level, learning about the strategies for teaching computer science as well as components involved in developing lesson plans. In the subsequent course, students will shift to the macro-level, where they will learn how to develop entire units of instruction.

This is the second of a two-part sequence focused on computer science pedagogy in K-12 schools. In the previous course, students spent their time at the micro-level, learning how to develop isolated lesson plans. In this course, students will spend their time at the macro-level and learn how to develop entire units of instruction. Building on the first course, students will examine factors influencing teaching, learning, and assessment of robust computer science curriculum aligned to national and state standards. Emphasis is placed on developing computational thinking and reinforcing computer programming concepts.

This first course in a two-part series introduces the principles and practices of object-oriented (OO) programming and procedural programming, and the evolution of hardware, software, and networking technologies. Programming topics include traditional programming constructs (i.e., sequence, selection, and repetition); class definitions; class versus instance properties and methods; abstraction; encapsulation; inheritance and multiple inheritance; polymorphism; software design techniques; problem-solving; and introductory user interfaces. Additional topics cover current software, hardware, and network terminology and technologies. The concepts are utilized in numerous activities in the course. This course is targeted at in-service K-12 teachers who intend to teach computer science in their schools and school districts.

This second course in a two-part series introduces the principles and practices of software design, basic data structures, and the historical and social aspects of computer science. Programming topics include a review of foundational programming concepts covered in the first course, exception-handling, recursion, linked lists, stacks, queues, priority queues, binary trees, graphs, and advanced sorting algorithms. Special attention will be placed on efficient algorithm design and Big-O notation. Additional topics cover historical and social aspects of computer science with implications for the future. The concepts are utilized in numerous activities in the course. This course is targeted at in-service K-12 teachers who intend to teach computer science in their schools and school districts.

This course examines current and emerging issues and trends impacting computer science (CS) education. What do we know about teaching computer science? What assumptions does the CS education research field make about pedagogy, who belongs/doesn’t belong in CS education, and how to measure learning and engagement? Students in this course will become familiar with existing CS education research and will critically examine that research in light of historical trends, social implications, and the future of CS education. We will explore relevant educational theories as well as topics such as social justice, accessibility, and the varying roles of teachers and students in current CS educational approaches.

This course provides a culminating experience for the MAE in Computer Science Education. It allows students to integrate knowledge learned across the program into an investigation of a computer science (CS) education problem of practice. Each student will explore an advanced topic in CS education, define a question related to that advanced topic within their professional context, and develop a systematic way of investigating problem through practitioner inquiry.

This course introduces curriculum and instruction students to a variety of topics and issues in research design, including study planning, data collection strategies, research designs, issues of validity and reliability, basic descriptive and inferential statistics, ethics in research, socially responsible research, and research proposal development. Students complete several activities to master the learning outcomes. The course culminates with an authentic research proposal. All topics are explored with applications to research problems in computer science education.

This course will provide curriculum and instruction graduate students with methods for collecting and analyzing data for qualitative research in educational settings. Students will develop and engage with various techniques for coding, analyzing, and representing qualitative data effectively including interviews, observations, and video analysis. All techniques are explored with real-world datasets addressing research problems in computer science education.

This is an applied quantitative methods course focused on examining educational technology research examples and problems. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to apply appropriate statistical methods to datasets, interpret results from statistical analyses of the datasets, and write the results in a manner appropriate for scholarly publication. Topics include a review of basic descriptive statistics, the logic of hypothesis testing, assumptions of statistical tests, various forms of t-tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), factorial and repeated measures ANOVA, correlation, simple and multiple regression, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), reliability analysis, and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). All statistical techniques are explored with real-world datasets addressing research problems in computer science education.

This course is designed to equip students with the ability to leverage educational data collected from technology-enhanced learning environments. In addition to the basic concept and process of learning analytics, students will explore cutting-edge data mining techniques. Students will also have opportunities to process and analyze various types of real-world educational data to discover useful insights and knowledge. The ultimate goal of this course is to prepare students to be a successful educational researcher and practitioner who is able to use learning analytics in their specific subject area.

In this class we will explore the role of teachers as leaders for school change. We begin by studying recent thinking on educational change – why some school reforms “stick” and others do not. Then we will look at the historical evolution of the concept of “teacher leadership” as well as the current context in which teachers and principals play major roles in bringing about meaningful and lasting change. Students will examine their own role(s) in school change efforts or the role(s) of leaders with whom they work in order to gain a deeper understanding of how leadership and change theory translates into practice. Finally, students will synthesize learning from across course readings to produce an espoused platform of teacher leadership and a reflective action paper in order to chart a course for future actions related to reform efforts.

The purpose of this course is to explore the process of practitioner inquiry, also referred to as action research. Practitioner inquiry, or action research, refers to systematic, intentional study of one’s own educational practice. Throughout this course, students will engage in numerous readings, discussions, and activities to develop a clear understanding of each component of the inquiry process as well as a rationale for why classroom-based research is an important component of teacher leadership. In addition, students will apply their learning about the inquiry process to their own contexts through deep reflection on their current practice as the basis for the development of a plan for their own school-based inquiry.

This course is designed as an introduction to instructional coaching, a form of job-embedded professional development focused on improving teaching practice in order to improve student learning. It was designed for educators at all levels and in all roles – for current and aspiring coaches, for teachers who want to collaborate with a colleague in peer coaching structures, for principals and teacher leaders who want to understand the power of job-embedded coaching. Participants in this course will apply what they are learning about coaching by engaging in a mini coaching cycle with a colleague (either someone else in this class or someone from the same school/district who agrees to be observed).

Culturally Responsive Classroom Management (EDG 6415) is designed to help teachers create and maintain caring, respectful classroom communities in which learners feel safe, valued, cared about, respected, and empowered. The course includes a strong emphasis on developing knowledge about the culture and backgrounds of children and families in order to establish positive interactions within the classroom community. When teachers create these types of environments learners are academically engaged. The course addresses the challenges and opportunities in creating community in the increasingly diverse classrooms in U.S. public schools. Although original research in classroom management, conducted more than 30 years ago, continues to prove somewhat useful, creating inclusive, task-focused learning environments with a diverse student population requires more. In this course, we examine the role culture plays in teaching and learning. We consider what it means to be culturally responsive in order to establish a classroom in which all students can succeed academically and grow socially.

It has long been argued that teachers cannot create the conditions for student success unless similar conditions are put into place for teacher learning and teacher success (Sarason, 1972). Current educational reform hinges on improving teacher practice, which requires intense commitment to enhancing and transferring teacher knowledge and skills into the classroom and other educational contexts. In this course, we will critically examine theoretical and conceptual foundations of adult learning and professional development, essential elements of high-quality professional development, impact measures of professional development, and the variety of ways in which professional development is being enacted in district, state, and national contexts