ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTING EDUCATION (TOCE)（原名为 JERIC，JOURNAL ON EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN COMPUTING）涵盖了计算机教育的各个方面：传统计算机科学、计算机工程、信息技术和信息学；计算的新兴方面；以及计算在其他学科中的应用。这些论文的共同特点是学术性的教学方法、对教育从业者的广泛吸引力以及与学生学习的明确联系。

ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), formerly known as JERIC, JOURNAL ON EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN COMPUTING, covers all aspects of computing education, including traditional computer science, computer engineering, information technology, and informatics, as well as emerging areas of computing and its applications in other disciplines. The common features of these papers are their academic teaching methods, broad appeal to educators, and clear connections to student learning.

《ACM Transactions on Computing Education》（原名 JERIC，JOURNAL ON EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN COMPUTING）涵盖计算机教育的各个方面，包括传统的计算机科学、计算机工程、信息技术和信息学，以及计算的新兴领域和计算在其他学科中的应用。这些论文的共同特点是采用学术性的教学方法，广泛吸引教育从业者，并与学生的学习有明确的联系。

ACM Transactions on Computing Education

Context. With the introduction of Computer Science (CS) into curricula worldwide, teachers’ adoption of CS pedagogical content is essential to ensure the long-term success of reform initiatives. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs play a key role in this process. Unfortunately, adoption is seldom evaluated in CS-CPDs or CPDs in general. The result is a dearth of studies (i) modelling teachers’ adoption of CS pedagogical content or (ii) investigating factors influencing the uptake of this new discipline. Both aspects are crucial to design and characterize successful CPD programs. Objectives . We thus propose the Teachers’ Adoption of CS (TACS) model to investigate factors influencing the adoption of CS pedagogical content by teachers who are following a mandatory CS-CPD program. More specifically, the model proposes that contextual factors (e.g., age, gender, and general teaching experience), prior factors (e.g., experience, and CS perception), and acceptance factors (e.g., interest, and self-efficacy) may impact teachers’ adoption of CS pedagogical content. Methods. The study included 180 grades 5 and 6 teachers (students aged 9–11) that were following a mandatory CS-CPD program. The CS-CPD program involved participation in three-day-long sessions distributed over the 2019–2020 academic year. In between sessions, with the support of instructional coaches in the schools, teachers were encouraged, but not required, to adopt the CS pedagogical content. Therefore, during the CPD, and employing surveys based on the TACS model, we evaluated teachers’ adoption of the proposed content and investigated how the different factors influenced it. Results. At the PD-level, the results indicate that self-efficacy and interest queried during the CS-CPD are indicative of CS pedagogical content adoption. To shed more light on the relationship between these metrics, a more in-depth analysis was conducted with n = 92 teachers whose responses could be matched between sessions. While interest relates to how teachers adopt CS pedagogical content overall, both interest and self-efficacy are necessary to ensure the likelihood of a specific activity being adopted. Finally, individual teacher characteristics appear to impact adoption, with teachers with low experience with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) requiring onboarding, while middle-aged teachers require convincing to adopt CS pedagogical content. Conclusion. Three takeaways emerge from the study. First, the analyses confirm the foundation of the TACS model. Second, the findings establish the key role that interest plays in said model. Finally, the results support the relationship between the contextual, prior and acceptance factors on the adoption of primary school CS pedagogical content.

Laila El-Hamamsy

Barbara Bruno

Sunny Avry

Frédérique Chessel-Lazzarotto

Jessica Dehler Zufferey

Francesco Mondada

The TACS Model: Understanding Primary School Teachers’ Adoption of Computer Science Pedagogical Content

TACS模型：理解小学教师对计算机科学教学内容的采纳

Design is a distinct discipline with its own practices, tools, professions, and areas of scholarship. However, practitioners from other fields often leverage aspects of design in their own work, leading to subfields like engineering design and architecture design that are neither wholly design nor wholly the intersecting discipline. Similarly, design and computing are known to intersect in educational contexts. Unfortunately, we do not yet have a clear understanding of how to characterize the kinds of design that may accompany computing topics, resulting in challenges to teaching and learning. This gap is particularly prevalent in K-12 computing education, where design is often used to promote student engagement but rarely studied as its own disciplinary phenomenon. Toward the goal of better understanding the nature and role of design in computing education, this article motivates and describes two qualitative, exploratory analyses of how design skills manifest in popular K-12 computing education curricula and activities. We find evidence to suggest two types of design within existing computing education curricula and standards: nondisciplinary problem-space design , which deals with defining software requirements, and disciplinary program-space design , which deals with choosing how best to meet those requirements. We find that these two types of computing design may exist independently, but they often overlap, creating an intriguing intersection of discipline-specific computing design educational activity. Finally, we discuss the practical implications of proceeding with research and educational practice in light of these results, highlighting the need for further exploration into the unique overlap of design and computing education.

Alannah Oleson

Brett Wortzman

Amy J. Ko

On the Role of Design in K-12 Computing Education

设计在K-12计算教育中的作用

Context Introducing Computer Science (CS) into formal education can be challenging, notably when considering the numerous stakeholders involved which include the students, teachers, schools, and policy makers. We believe these perspectives should be considered conjointly, which is possible within Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) . RPPs look to bridge research-practice gaps and have seen an increase in the field of education and CS-education. Unfortunately, RPPs are considered to be under-researched, in addition to presenting their own challenges. Objectives To the purpose of assessing how RPPs may support the successful introduction of CS into formal education, we investigate three perspectives (students, teachers, and RPP stakeholders) and their interplay within the context of a multi-institution RPP conducting a pilot program to introduce CS to secondary school students. Methods A mixed methods analysis was employed to triangulate data in a concurrent triangulation design. The data included (i) three surveys distributed over the semester to 106 grade 9 students (ages 12-14), (ii) four teacher-journals, (iii) two interviews and four focus groups with the teachers and representatives of the partner institutions. Findings From the students’ perspective , while their self-efficacy increased, their motivation decreased throughout the semester due to a miss-match between their expectations and the course. The findings also indicate that gender biases and heterogeneity are already present in grade 9. From the teachers’ perspective , co-constructing the study plan, having access to regular support and collaborating within a community of practice when starting to teach CS all facilitated the teachers’ experience. Finally, from the RPP’s perspective the collaboration between stakeholders and having researchers evaluate the program were considered to be key elements in the pilot program. However, there appears to be a research-practice gap, in large part due to limited interactions between researchers and curriculum designers, and researchers and the teachers in the field. Conclusions From the students’ perspective it appears relevant to introduce CS (i) prior to secondary school to address motivation and bias-related issues early on, and (ii) to all students to avoid participation being motivation-, stereotype-, or belief-driven, and risk broadening the gap between students, (iii) all the while being attentive to course format and content to ensure that the course meets students’ expectations and fosters autonomous motivation. From the teachers’ perspective , while the support provided met the teachers’ needs, it is essential to find means of scaling such approaches when looking to deploy CS-curricular reforms to entire administrative regions. Finally, from the RPP’s perspective (i) teachers’ should be given a voice in the RPP to better align with the field, and (ii) researchers’ roles should be reconsidered to move beyond being only evaluators, and towards having a more co-constructive role in setting up the curricular reform. Recommendations are provided for researchers and practitioners involved in CS curricular reforms.

Jean-Philippe Pellet

Matthew Roberts

Helena Kovacs

A Research-Practice Partnership to Introduce Computer Science in Secondary School: Lessons from a Pilot Program

中学计算机科学引入的研究-实践合作：试点项目的经验教训

In learning to program and understanding how a programming language controls a computer, learners develop both insights and misconceptions whilst their mental models are gradually refined. It is important that the learner is able to distinguish the different elements and roles of a computer (compiler, interpreter, memory, etc.), which novice programmers may find difficult to comprehend. Forming accurate mental models is one of the potential sources of difficulty inextricably linked to mastering computing concepts and processes, and for learning computer programming. It is common to use some form of representation (e.g., an abstract machine or a Computational Agent (CA)) to support technical or pedagogic explanations. The Notional Machine (NM) is a pedagogical device that entails one or more computational concepts, originally described as an idealised computer operating with the constructs of a particular programming language. It can be used to support specific or general learning goals and will typically have some concrete representation that can be referred to. Computational Thinking (CT), which is defined as a way of thinking that is used for [computational] problem solving, is often presented as using a CA to carry out information processing presented by a solution. In CT, where the typical goal is to produce an algorithm or a computer program, the CA seemingly serves a purpose very similar to an NM. Although it changes through the different stages of development (of the learner and of the curriculum), the roles of CAs and NMs can be seen as versatile tools that connect a learner’s mental model with the conceptual model of a program. In this article, we look at this relationship between CAs and NMs, and indicate how they would look at different stages of learning. We traverse the range of definitions and usages of these concepts, and articulate models that clarify how these are viewed in the literature. This includes exploring the nature of machines and agents, and how historical views of these relate to modern pedagogy for computation. We argue that the CA can be seen as an abstract, simplified variant of an NM that provides a useful perspective to the learner to support them to form robust mental models of NMs more efficiently and effectively. We propose that teaching programming should make use of the idea of a CA at different stages of learning, as a link that connects a learner’s mental model to a full NM.

Bhagya Munasinghe

Tim Bell

Anthony Robins

Computational Thinking and Notional Machines: The Missing Link

计算思维与概念机：缺失的环节

Context: Programming courses are compulsory for most engineering degrees, but students’ performance on these courses is often not as good as expected. Programming is difficult for students to learn, given that it includes a lot of new, complex, and abstract topics. All of this has led experts to the conclusion that new teaching techniques are required if students are to be motivated and engaged in learning on programming courses. Gamification has come to be an effective technique in education in general, and is especially useful in programming courses. This motivated us to develop an open source gamified platform, called UDPiler, for use in a programming course. Objective: The main goal of this article is to obtain empirical evidence on the improvement of students’ learning performance when using UDPiler in comparison to a non-gamified compiler. Method: A quasi-experiment was performed with two groups of first-year engineering students at Diego Portales University in Chile, using a non-gamified compiler and a gamified platform, respectively. Results: The results reveal that the students obtained better marks when the gamified platform was used to learn C programming. In addition, there is statistical significance in favor of there being a positive effect on the learning performance of those students who used the gamified platform. Conclusions: The results allow us to conclude that gamification is an encouraging approach with which to teach C programming, a finding that is aligned with previous empirical studies concerning gamification on programming courses, carried out in academic contexts. Nonetheless, we are aware that further validation is also required to corroborate and strengthen the findings obtained and to investigate whether the kind of gamified elements (mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics) used have any influence on students’ performance, among other issues that deserve further investigation and that are explained throughout this article.

B. Marín

J. Frez

J. Cruz-Lemus

M. Genero

An Empirical Investigation on the Benefits of Gamification in Programming Courses

编程课程中游戏化益处的实证研究

Computer Science (CS) Unplugged activities are designed to engage students with CS concepts. It is an active learning approach combining physical interaction with visual representation. This research paper investigates the impact of CS Unplugged on students’ understanding of the bubble sort algorithm. Algorithm visualization, traditionally employed for active knowledge construction, serves as the foundation for this approach. The research was conducted as a quasi-experiment in middle and high schools in Split, Croatia, among 204 students. We divided the participants into two groups: experimental (CS Unplugged) and control (traditional teaching). The study included pre-test, mid-test, and post-test assessments. While CS Unplugged did not significantly affect students’ understanding of bubble sort, it positively influenced long-term retention of the algorithm. These results highlight the potential of CS Unplugged activities as an effective teaching approach for computer science concepts, specifically in promoting long-term retention of the bubble sort algorithm. The study also revealed misconceptions that included restarting comparisons after each swap, assuming the largest element reaches the end after one swap, and repeatedly swapping the largest element with its neighbor. Addressing these misconceptions through active learning activities like CS Unplugged can contribute to deeper understanding beyond memorization.

Monika Mladenović

Lucija Medak

Divna Krpan

Teaching the Bubble Sort Algorithm Using CS Unplugged Activities at the K-12 Level

在K-12阶段通过CS无插电活动教授冒泡排序算法

As initiatives on artificial intelligence (AI) education in K-12 learning contexts continues to evolve, researchers have developed curricula among other resources to promote AI across grade levels. Yet, there is a need for more effort regarding curriculum, tools, and pedagogy, as well as assessment techniques to popularize AI at the middle school level. Drawing on prior work, we created original curriculum activities with innovative use of existing technology, a new computational teaching tool, and a series of approaches and assessments to evaluate students’ engagement with the learning resources. Our curriculum called AI MyData comprises elements of ML and data science infused with ethical orientation. In this paper, we describe the novel AI curriculum and further discuss how we engaged students in learning and critiquing AI ethical dilemmas. We gathered data from two pilot studies conducted in the Northeast United States, one Artificial Intelligence Afterschool (AIA) program, and one virtual AI summer camp. The AIA program was carried out in a local public school with four middle school students aged 12 to 13; the program consisted of eleven two-hour sessions. The summer camp consisted of two-hour sessions over four consecutive days, with eighteen students aged 12 to 15. We facilitated both pilot programs with hands-on plugged and unplugged activities. The method of capturing data included artifact collection, structured interviews, written assessments, and a pre- to post-questionnaire tapping participants’ dispositions about AI and its societal implication. Participant artifacts, written assessments, survey, observation, and analysis of tasks completed revealed that the children improved in their knowledge of AI. In addition, the AI curriculum units and accompanying approaches developed for this study successfully engaged the participants, even without prior knowledge of related concepts. We also found an indication that introducing ethics of AI to adolescents will help their development as ethically responsive citizens. Our study results also indicate that lessons establishing links with students’ personal lives (e.g., letting students choose personally meaningful datasets) and societal implications using unplugged activities and interactive tools were particularly valuable for promoting AI and the integration of AI in middle school education across the subject domains and settings. Based on these results, we discuss our findings, identify their limitations, and propose future work.

Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi

Fred Martin

Ruizhe Ma

Joseph E. Gonzales

Vaishali Mahipal

Solomon Sunday Oyelere

Jarkko Suhonen

Markku Tukiainen

AI MyData: Fostering Middle School Students’ Engagement with Machine Learning through an Ethics-Infused AI Curriculum

AI MyData：通过融入伦理的AI课程促进中学生对机器学习的参与

This study focuses on the challenges encountered in online cybersecurity education. It adopts an exploratory research design using a mixed-methods approach to investigate the perceptions and experiences of postgraduate students enrolled in an online cybersecurity program. The collection of data is structured into two distinct phases. In the initial phase, qualitative insights are gathered through workshops with students and industry experts, followed by administering a questionnaire to delve deeper into students’ perceptions and challenges. Thematic analysis of the responses reveals significant interest in online cybersecurity programs but also highlights issues such as ineffective communication and poor engagement. The findings highlight the necessity for a standardized framework to improve communication, engagement, and overall effectiveness in virtual learning environments. By empowering instructors to design more interactive courses and leveraging technology efficiently, the framework aims to improve student motivation, satisfaction, and learning outcomes. Moreover, it serves as a valuable resource for institutions, fostering collaboration and innovation in cybersecurity education. Implementing this framework will create a more conducive learning environment, directly enhancing student preparation for success in the dynamic field of cybersecurity.

Maher Salem

Khalid Samara

Abdel-Karim Al-Tamimi

Navigating Challenges in Online Cybersecurity Education: Insights from Postgraduate Students and Prospects for a Standardized Framework

在线网络安全教育中的挑战导航：研究生见解与标准化框架展望

The belief that AI technology is on the cusp of causing a generalized social crisis became a popular one in 2023. While there was no doubt an element of hype and exaggeration to some of these accounts, they do reflect the fact that there are troubling ramifications to this technology stack. This conjunction of shared concerns about social, political, and personal futures presaged by current developments in artificial intelligence presents the academic discipline of computing with a renewed opportunity for self-examination and reconfiguration. This position paper endeavors to do so in four sections. The first explores what is at stake for computing in the narrative of an AI crisis. The second articulates possible educational responses to this crisis and advocates for a broader analytic focus on power relations. The third section presents a novel characterization of academic computing’s field of practice, one which includes not only the discipline’s usual instrumental forms of practice but reflexive practice as well. This reflexive dimension integrates both the critical and public functions of the discipline as equal intellectual partners and a necessary component of any contemporary academic field. The final section will advocate for a conceptual archetype–the Public Computer Intellectual and its less conspicuous but still essential cousin, the Almost-Public Computer Intellectual–as a way of practically imagining the expanded possibilities of academic practice in our discipline, one that provides both self-critique and an outward-facing orientation towards the public good. It will argue that the computer education research community can play a vital role in this regard. Recommendations for pedagogical change within computing to develop more reflexive capabilities are also provided.

Randy Connolly

Public Computing Intellectuals in the Age of AI Crisis

人工智能危机时代的公共计算知识分子

Like digital technologies themselves, programming education is embedded in the colonial matrix of power, and access to programming knowledge demands immersion in the epistemologies of the Global North. While there is a growing body of work exploring ways to decolonise programming education, far more needs to be done. Current research focuses on the language of instruction and contextual curricula; outward-facing engagements with decolonisation. However, to move toward digital-decoloniality involves scrutinising how programming knowledge is recontextualised within curricula. Part of the project should be equipping both educators and students with the tools to recontextualise programming itself. To dismantle the colonial logic embedded in programming education, attention must be given to the knowledge formation of the discipline to identify moments of disruption. One such moment is the difficulty students face when recontextualising their mental models of computing, from programming skills to programming concepts. This occurs at the moment of reading, tracing and writing code. Programming requires one to refocus computational thinking and engage with a specific semiotic system, translating the authors' intention into an executable computational process. Disrupting this moment using the strategies of critical literacies opens computer programming and its resulting code to critical examination, allowing an inward-facing decolonial engagement with the discipline.

Hanli Geyser

Decoloniality, Digital-coloniality and Computer Programming Education

去殖民性、数字殖民性与计算机编程教育

Abbreviation	ACM Trans. Comput. Educ.
Journal Impact	3.06
Quartiles(Global)	EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES(Q1)

ISSN	1946-6226
h-index	47

Publication Information	Publisher: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)，Publishing cycle: ，Journal Type: journal，Open Access Journals: No
Basic data	Year of publication: 2010，Proportion of original research papers: 89.80%，Self Citation Rate:6.20%， Gold OA Rate: 4.07%

ACM Transactions on Computing Education

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