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

OpenPath项目将通过在计算课程中开发一条学习途径来改善本科计算教育，这将有助于通过学生接触和参与人道主义自由与开放源码软件(HFOSS)项目来应对计算教育的关键挑战。HFOSS是一种开源软件，可改善人类状况，满足医疗保健、灾害管理、教育、经济发展和可获得性等领域的需求。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人数较少的少数族裔和妇女从事计算机职业。因此，OpenPath项目将改善学生的学习和内容保留，并将帮助学生发展专业技能和个人属性。OpenPath将整合现有的两项研究计划：参与HFOSS和面向过程的计算机科学指导性研究性学习(CS-POGIL)。在CS-POGIL中，学生们在自我管理的小组中工作，使用专门设计的材料来构建他们自己的知识。在这个项目中，CS-POGIL将被用来搭建早期学习的脚手架，并帮助学生发展团队和过程技能。这一早期学习将支持在HFOSS环境中过渡到更独立的学习。在HFOSS项目中工作为学生提供了所需的技能和专业经验，以确保顺利进入计算机专业。多种类型的评估将使研究团队能够跟踪项目的进展，确定创建的模型的合法性及其与课程的映射，了解教职员工和学生活动的影响，并确定通过参与HFOSS项目而发生的学生学习。

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.