My study is focused on women in graduate Computer Science programs at two universities in Ontario, Canada. My research problem emerges from earlier feminist research addressing the low numbers of women in university Computer Science programs, particularly at the graduate level. After over twenty years of active feminist representation of this problem, mostly through large survey-based studies, there has been little change. I argue that rather than continuing to focus on the rising and falling numbers of women studying Computer Science, it is critical to analyze the specific socio-economic and socio-cultural conditions which produce gendered and racialized exclusion in the field. Informed by Institutional Ethnography – a method of inquiry developed by Dorothy Smith – and by Foucault’s work on governmentality, I examine how specific institutional processes shape the everyday lives of women students. Through on-site observation and interviews with women in graduate Computer Science studies, Computer Science professors and university administrators, I investigate how the participants’ everyday institutional work is coordinated through external textual practices such as evaluation, reporting and accounting. I argue that the university’s institutional practices produce ‘women in computing’ as a ‘problem’ group in ways that re-inscribe women’s outsider status in the field. At the same time, I show that professionalized feminist educational projects may contradict their progressive and inclusive intentions, contributing to the ‘institutional capture’ (Smith) of women as an administrative ‘problem’. Through ethnographic research that follows women students through a range of experiences, I demonstrate how they variously endorse, subvert and exploit the contradictory subject positions produced for them. I illustrate how a North American-based institutional feminist representation of ‘women in computing’ ignores the everyday experiences of ethnoculturally diverse female student participants in graduate Computer Science studies. I argue that rather than accepting the organization of universal characteristics which reproduce conditions of exclusion, North American feminist scholars need to consider the specificity of social relations and forms of knowledge transnationally. Finally, I revisit how women in the study engage with ‘women in computing’ discourse through their lived experiences. I suggest the need for ongoing analysis of the gender effects and changing socio-cultural conditions of new technologies.

This study was motivated by a desire to address the challenges of introductory programming courses. Ethiopian universities teach such courses in large classes (80+ students) and students complain about the difficulty of the courses and teaching variation of instructors. The study was set to explore optimum course and learning environment design approaches. The research question raised was: how can a blended learning approach be used to improve large class teaching of programming? In an action design research approach, the study was initiated with redesigning two consecutive courses and a supportive blended learning environment on the basis of existing learning theories and educational design frameworks. Two cycles of action research were conducted for a dual goal of refinement and evaluation of the intervention. The action research was conducted during the 2012/13 academic year with 240 students at the beginning. A predominantly quantitative first cycle of action research produced a mixed outcome. The students’ marks from assessment activities were fairly close to results from two other international universities. A pre- and post-implementation survey of students’ approach to learning showed a slight class level change towards the deep learning approach. Conversely, some students were found at-risk (not progressing well) and certain technologies, particularly program visualisation tools, were found underutilised. The second action research cycle aimed to explain the result from the first round. A grounded action research evaluation of data from focus group discussions, interviews and participants’ memos identified plausible factors for meaningful programming learning in a large class. These factors were use of collaborative and pair programming; alignment of learning and assignment activities; integrated use of e-learning; and use of large class strategies like student mentors and team teaching. A critical realist interpretation of the result of the action research suggested that students can learn programming in large classes, 200+ in this study, with a course and learning environment design that keeps them engaged in learning and assessment activities. The study concludes that improved learning of programming can be possible with the use of students as mentors and changed role-dynamics of instructors, which presupposes adaptation of suitable pedagogical approaches and use of technologies. / School of Computing / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Systems)

This thesis describes a research project aimed at improving the tracing skills of first-year programming students enrolled for an introductory C++ course at an open distance learning institution by means of a tutorial in the form of a program visualization tool to teach the students to draw variable diagrams. The research was based on the findings from the BRACElet project (Clear, Whalley, Robbins, Philpott, Eckerdal, Laakso & Lister, 2011). A design-based research methodology was followed. To guide the process of developing the tutorial, a framework of 26 guidelines for developing and using visualization tools to teach programming was synthesized from the literature on computing education research CER, educational psychology and computer graphics. Guidelines were supplemented with reasons or explanations for their recommendation and considerations to be taken into account when using a guideline. The framework was enhanced by lessons learnt during the development and testing of the tutorial. The tutorial was tested and refined during two implementation cycles. Both cycles included quantitative and qualitative investigations. All students registered for the introductory module received the tool with their study material. For the quantitative investigations, students completed a questionnaire after using the tutorial. Through the questionnaire biographical data was acquired, the manner in which students used the tutorial and how they experienced using it. The responses to the questionnaires were statistically analysed in combination with respondents’ final marks. The statistical modelling indicated that the students’ biographical properties (a combination of level of programming experience, marks obtained for Mathematics and English in matric and first-time registration for COS1511 or not), had the biggest impact on their final marks by far. During the qualitative investigations students were eye tracked in a Human-Computer Interaction laboratory. The gaze replays in both cycles revealed that students’ reading skills impacted largely on their success, connecting with the findings from the quantitative investigations. Reflections on why the tutorial did not achieve its purpose; and why poor reading skills may have such a strong effect on learning to program, contribute some theoretical understanding as to how novices learn to program. / Computer Science / D. Phil. (Computer Science)

Les micromondes de programmation sont des environnements restreints et interactifs, dans lesquels l’apprenant apprend en interagissant avec des entités visuelles ou tangibles, sémantiquement liées à des concepts de programmation formels. Ils favorisent l’assimilation de connaissances et la compréhension de concepts abstraits de programmation au moyen de métaphores visuelles et d’expériences ludiques. Cette thèse tente d’apporter des avancées théoriques et méthodologiques sur la conception et l’évaluation de tels environnements, qui sont connus pour avoir un grand potentiel sur l’apprentissage sans que cela ne soit démontré. Les micromondes étant des environnements d’apprentissage par le jeu, nous avons tout d’abord examiné la question du jeu et son lien à l’apprentissage. En nous appuyant sur une revue de la littérature, nous avons souligné au même titre que certains auteurs, la nécessité de distinguer le jeu-game (l’artefact informatique) du jeu-play (la situation qui découle des interactions avec le jeu-game). Le but étant de situer l’apprentissage et d’aboutir à des éléments de conception et d’évaluation de l’apprentissage. Nous nous sommes ensuite intéressés aux recherches en didactique de l’Informatique, afin d’identifier les approches d’enseignement les plus répandues visant à palier les difficultés d’apprentissage de la Programmation Orientée-Objet ( POO ) rencontrées par des débutants. Nous avons défini une nouvelle approche didactique pour l’introduction de la POO . Suite à cela, nous avons défini les dimensions de conception d’un micromonde, que nous désignons comme un système de représentation transitionnel, dans lequel l’apprenant développe des connaissances sur les concepts formels et abstraits de la programmation, suite à ses interactions avec l’interface du micromonde. Les avancées théoriques et méthodologiques apportées ont été mises en œuvre dans un nouveau micromonde de POO fondé sur un jeu de construction et d’animation 3D appelé PrOgO. PrOgO implémente un système de représentation transitionnel, dans lequel les concepts fondamentaux de la POO sont représentés par des graphiques 3D visuels et interactifs. Il crée un jeu-play qui découle des interactions de l’apprenant avec son interface. Jouer avec PrOgO consiste à imaginer, créer et animer des constructions 3D significatives. PrOgO peut également être déployé dans une classe multi-dispositifs, grâce au framework Tactileo conçu à cet effet. Dans l’évaluation de l’apprentissage, nous utilisons des méthodes relevant de l’analyse de l’apprentissage, par la collecte et l’analyse de traces d’interaction pour la classification et la caractérisation des apprenants. En complément à cela, nous examinons l’état des connaissances d’apprenants, au travers de tests de vérification de connaissances. Nous tentons également d’identifier par l’analyse statistique, les actions et les comportements d’apprenants qui déterminent leur progression dans l’évaluation pré/post de l’acquisition des connaissances. / Programming microworlds are small and interactive environments, in which the learner learns from his interactions with visual or tangible entities having a strong semantic link with formal programming concepts. They promote knowledge assimilation and abstract programming concepts understanding by the use of visual metaphors and play. This thesis attempts to contribute to theoretical and methodological advances regarding the design and the assessment of such environments, which are known to have a great potential on learning without any evidence on that. As microworlds are game based learning environments, we first examined the gaming issue and its relation to learning. Based on a literature review, we emphasized as some authors, the need to distinguish between the game (the computing artefact) and the play (the situation that is triggered by the interactions with the game). The purpose is to analyze learning and establish concepts that will guide the design and the evaluation of learning. Then we reviewed some research on Computer Science Education, with the view to identify some widespread teaching approaches that address beginners’ difficulties in learning Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). We defined a new didactic approach for OOP introduction. We then defined the design dimensions of a microworld, we refer to as a transitional representation system, in which the learner develops knowledge on programming abstract and formal concepts, as a result to his interactions with the microworld interface. We have implemented the theoretical and methodological advances we provided, in a new OOP microworld based on a 3D constructive and animation game called PrOgO. PrOgO implements a transitional representation system, in which basic OOP concepts are depicted with visual and interactive 3D graphics. It enables play that arises from the learner’s interactions with its interface. Playing with PrOgO involves to imagining, creating and animating significant 3D constructions. PrOgO can be also deployed within a multi-device classroom through the Tactileo framework, we designed for that purpose. In the evaluation of learning, we use methods belonging to learning analytics by the collection and the analysis of digital interaction logs, with the view to classify and characterize learners. In addition to this, we examine the state of learners’ knowledge through test knowledge verifications. We also attempt to examine through statistical analysis, the learners’ actions and behaviours that affect their progress in pre/post evaluations of gained knowledge.

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View John Huân Vũ's thesis presentation at http://youtu.be/y3bzNmkTr-c. In 2001, the ACM and IEEE Computing Curriculum stated that it was necessary to address "the need to develop implementation models that are international in scope and could be practiced in universities around the world." With increasing connectivity through the internet, the move towards a global economy and growing use of technology places software internationalization as a more important concern for developers. However, there has been a "clear shortage in terms of numbers of trained persons applying for entry-level positions" in this area. Eric Brechner, Director of Microsoft Development Training, suggested five new courses to add to the computer science curriculum due to the growing "gap between what college graduates in any field are taught and what they need to know to work in industry." He concludes that "globalization and accessibility should be part of any course of introductory programming," stating: A course on globalization and accessibility is long overdue on college campuses. It is embarrassing to take graduates from a college with a diverse student population and have to teach them how to write software for a diverse set of customers. This should be part of introductory software development. Anything less is insulting to students, their family, and the peoples of the world. There is very little research into how the subject of software internationalization should be taught to meet the major requirements of the industry. The research question of the thesis is thus, "Is there a framework for software internationalization that has been validated against industry requirements?" The answer is no. The framework "would promote communication between academia and industry ... that could serve as a common reference point in discussions." Since no such framework for software internationalization currently exists, one will be developed here. The contribution of this thesis includes a provisional framework to prepare graduates to internationalize software and a validation of the framework against industry requirements. The requirement of this framework is to provide a portable and standardized set of requirements for computer science and software engineering programs to teach future graduates.