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

Resource type
Authors/contributors
Title
Learning Computer Science: Dimensions of Variation Within What Chinese Students Learn
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.
Publication
ACM Transactions on Computing Education
Volume
16
Issue
3
Pages
10:1–10:27
Date
May 20, 2016
Journal Abbr
ACM Trans. Comput. Educ.
Short Title
Learning Computer Science
Accessed
4/11/23, 12:47 PM
Library Catalog
ACM Digital Library
Citation
Thota, N., & Berglund, A. (2016). Learning Computer Science: Dimensions of Variation Within What Chinese Students Learn. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 16(3), 10:1-10:27. https://doi.org/10.1145/2853199