Collaborative Research: OpenPath - Improving Student Pathways to Computing Professions via Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software

OpenPath项目将通过开发一个贯穿计算课程的学习途径来改善本科生的计算教育，这将有助于通过学生接触和参与人道主义自由和开源软件（HFOSS）项目来解决计算教育的关键挑战。 HFOSS是一种开源软件，可以改善人类的生活条件，满足医疗保健、灾害管理、教育、经济发展和可访问性等领域的需求。 学生将有机会积极影响他们的社区或其他人，这将吸引和激励传统上代表性不足的少数民族和妇女追求计算机职业。 因此，OpenPath项目将改善学生的学习和内容保留，并帮助学生发展专业技能和个人品质。 OpenPath将整合两个现有的研究计划：参与HFOSS和计算机科学过程导向的指导探究学习（CS-POGIL）。 在CS-POGIL中，学生在小型自我管理团队中使用专门设计的材料来构建自己的知识。 在这个项目中，CS-POGIL将被用来支撑早期学习，帮助学生发展团队和过程技能。 这种早期学习将有助于过渡到在HFOSS环境中更独立的学习。 在HFOSS项目中工作为学生提供了确保顺利进入计算机专业所需的技能和专业经验。 多种类型的评估将使研究团队能够跟踪项目的进展，以确定所创建的模型及其映射到课程的合法性，了解教师和学生活动的影响，并确定通过参与HFOSS项目发生的学生学习。

The OpenPath project will improve undergraduate computing education by developing a learning pathway through the computing curriculum that will help address key challenges of computing education via student exposure to and participation in Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software (HFOSS) projects. HFOSS is open source software that improves the human condition, addressing needs in areas such as health care, disaster management, education, economic development, and accessibility. Students will be provided with opportunities to positively impact their communities or others, which will engage and motivate traditionally underrepresented minorities and women to pursue careers in computing. As a result, the OpenPath project will improve student learning and content retention, and will help students to develop professional skills and personal attributes. OpenPath will integrate two existing research initiatives: participation in HFOSS, and Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning in Computer Science (CS-POGIL). In CS-POGIL, students work in small self-managed teams using specifically designed materials to construct their own knowledge. In this project CS-POGIL will be used to scaffold early learning and help students develop team and process skills. This early learning will support a transition to more independent learning in HFOSS environments. Working in an HFOSS project provides students with the skills and professional experience needed to ensure a smooth pathway to the computing professions. Multiple types of evaluations will enable the research team to track the progress of the project, to determine the legitimacy of the model created and its mapping to the curriculum, to understand the impact of the faculty and student activities, and to identify the student learning that occurs through participation in an HFOSS project.