Collaborative Research: Assessing Concept Knowledge and Attitudes in Introductory Computer Science Courses

这个项目正在开发两种评估工具来衡量学生在计算机入门课程中的学习结果和学生的态度。一种工具衡量学生在编程入门课程中的学习结果，另一种工具衡量学生对计算机和计算机科学的态度。每种方法都旨在衡量非特定于语言的基本概念。所产生的工具的有效性和可靠性正在通过广泛的测试得到证明。智力优点：该项目基于为计算机科学教育设计新的评估工具和更新已有20年历史的评估工具的需要。在计算技术的变化和可获得性对课堂教学和学生体验产生影响的动态领域，对新的和更新的评估工具的需要尤其重要。学习结果工具是基于IEEE/ACM计算课程2001为面向对象编程的第一门课程定义的内容域。广泛影响：许多计算机科学教育项目的主要目标是确定给定的教学干预对学生结果的影响程度。然而，目前还没有有效和可靠的评估工具来衡量不同平台的预期目标和结果。这个项目正在填补这一空白。在验证过程中，特别注意性别和族裔对所产生的文书有效性的影响。

This project is developing two assessment instruments to measure student learning outcomes and student attitudes in introductory computing courses. One instrument measures student learning outcomes for introductory programming courses and one measures students' attitudes towards computers and computer science. Each is designed to measure fundamental concepts that are not language specific. The validity and reliability of the resultant instruments is being demonstrated through extensive testing.Intellectual Merit: The project is based on the need to devise new assessment tools and to update two-decades-old assessment tools for computer science education. The need for new and updated assessment tools is particularly crucial in a dynamic field where changes in, and availability of, computing technology has reverberating effects on pedagogy and student experience in the classroom. The learning outcomes instrument is based on the content domain defined by the IEEE/ACM Computing Curriculum 2001 for a first course in object-oriented programming.Broader Impacts: A primary goal of many computer science education projects is to determine the extent to which a given instructional intervention has had an impact on student outcomes. However, valid and reliable assessment instruments that measure the desired goals and outcomes across different platforms are not currently available. This project is filling that gap. Careful attention is dedicated during the validation process to the impact that gender and ethnicity have on the validity of the resultant instruments.