Maureen Biggers | Indiana University (original) (raw)
Papers by Maureen Biggers
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems r... more Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems require changes across the entire computing education pipeline. The "Georgia Computes!" alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation's Broadening Participation in Computing program, seeks to improve the computing education pipeline in Georgia. "Georgia Computes!" is having a measurable effect at each stage of the pipeline, but has not yet shown an impact across the whole pipeline.
Policy Futures in Education
Computer science education has been making dramatic increases in recent years. Across the US, dif... more Computer science education has been making dramatic increases in recent years. Across the US, different states are advancing computer science education through different policies. However, as a state makes choices to advance computer science education, it is critical to consider how these policies will broaden participation in computing (BPC). Many have indicated that only white and Asian males (who make up 30% of our population) currently have the opportunity/privilege to engage in computer science education. Therefore, as we implement state-level computer science education reform, it is critical that BPC remains as our guiding principle. Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) was created as an NSF national alliance to support state-level educational reform with regards to computer science. Over the past 6 years, this alliance of 22 states and Puerto Rico have worked together to share policies to advance BPC in each state. Through these experiences, ECEP has proposed that st...
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems r... more Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems require changes across the entire computing education pipeline. The “Georgia Computes! ” alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing program, seeks to improve the computing education pipeline in Georgia. “Georgia Computes! ” is having a measurable effect at each stage of the pipeline, but has not yet shown an impact across the whole pipeline.
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems r... more Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems require changes across the entire computing education pipeline. The “Georgia Computes! ” alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing program, seeks to improve the computing education pipeline in Georgia. “Georgia Computes! ” is having a measurable effect at each stage of the pipeline, but has not yet shown an impact across the whole pipeline.
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
In recent years, state members of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance have... more In recent years, state members of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance have made efforts to increase access to and broaden participation in computing at the K-12 levels. Each ECEP state's K-12 computer science (CS) education journey has been documented during their ECEP membership resulting in over 25,000 digital documents. Over the course of the project it was necessary to track key events, identify trends across states, and maintain consumable records of state progress. A systematic way to collect and track the data is critical to conduct historical and cross-state analyses. In an effort to quantify and categorize, the researchers engaged in a review process of all ECEP reports, artifacts, and other relevant data to develop a system. Relevant and important components were identified in each type of document and assigned codes using ECEP's Five Stage Model ("a five-step process toward state-level CS education reform"), the Capacity, Access, Participation, and Experience (CAPE) framework (to measure equity in CS education implementation), and specific policies initiatives (alignment with various policy initiatives - Code.org's "Nine Policy Ideas to Make CS Fundamental to K?12 Education"). Indiana was identified as a state to conduct an initial, in-depth case study using this process. Indiana's case will be used as a model to further develop the stories of other ECEP Alliance member states. Through the development of a data dashboard, we hope to organize all of this information to make it more easily accessible for review and further analysis. The ECEP data dashboard development is currently in progress.
Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Collective impact is an approach for solving complex social problems at scale. The challenge of b... more Collective impact is an approach for solving complex social problems at scale. The challenge of broadening participation in computing (BPC) is one such problem. The complexity of BPC is compounded by the decentralized nature of public education, where decisions are made primarily at the state level and subject to interpretation at the district level. As such, diversifying computer science (CS) pathways across the nation requires a systemic approach such as collective impact to engage all of the stakeholders who influence CS education and whose decisions can either facilitate or hinder BPC efforts. This experience report discusses how the collective impact framework has been used to advance the work of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance, an NSF funded BPC Alliance focused on states and state policy as the unit of change. We discuss how the five essential features of collective impact (common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support) coalesce to facilitate ECEP's theory of change. The report highlights specific policy changes that ECEP states have addressed to promote BPC, the flipped accountability that results from a non-hierarchical leadership model, and the challenges of measuring systemic changes as an intermediary to BPC.
Proceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education - SIGCSE '12, 2012
While many computing departments may be aware there are "promising" and &qu... more While many computing departments may be aware there are "promising" and "proven" practices for recruiting and retaining female students, there seems to be a drive to try new and novel approaches rather than use what is known, or strongly suspected, to be effective. Developing a diverse student body is a long-term multi-faceted process that includes active recruitment, inclusive pedagogy, meaningful
ACM Sigcse Bulletin, 2009
It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are chal... more It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are challenged to find ways to engage and promote success and retention of students while maintaining standards in introductory computer science courses. This study focuses on the implementation of a collaborative, modified peer-led team learning (PLTL) instructional approach in a large sized introductory computer science course. The
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009
It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are chal... more It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are challenged to find ways to engage and promote success and retention of students while maintaining standards in introductory computer science courses. This study focuses on the implementation of a collaborative, modified peer-led team learning (PLTL) instructional approach in a large sized introductory computer science course. The site is a major southeastern university in the United States where all students are required to take one of three introductory computer science classes. The course version selected for this study specifically targets computer science majors and the study spans three years of data, and involves 591 students. Students who experienced the student-centered instruction and worked in small groups facilitated by a peer leader (treatment) in years 2006-07 and 2007-08 were compared with students who experienced a traditional recitation lecture section (control) in 2005-06. The content and the course owner was the same for all three years. Quantitative data analysis show marked and statistically significant improvements in student performance, for both male and female students. These findings suggest that using undergraduate leaders to implement a peer-led team learning model can be as effective in promoting achievement and retention in computer science education as it has shown to be in math and science classes over the past several years.
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2008
Proceedinds of the 38th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education - SIGCSE '07, 2007
ABSTRACT The Institute for Computing Education (ICE) was created in the spring of 2004. ICE is a ... more ABSTRACT The Institute for Computing Education (ICE) was created in the spring of 2004. ICE is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The goals for this partnership are to increase the number and quality of computer science teachers and increase the number, quality, and diversity of computer science students. One specific goal is to increase the number of students taking the CS-Advanced Placement (AP) course. In this paper we report on both the progress we have made towards these goals and the problems we have encountered. We hope that other states will create similar partnerships and leverage our experience.
ACM Southeast Regional Conference, 2008
This paper describes our workshop for the ACM Southeast Conference to address methods for buildin... more This paper describes our workshop for the ACM Southeast Conference to address methods for building diversity in computing, toward encouraging undergraduates to attend graduate school and to go on to faculty and research positions. This 1.5 hour workshop will highlight the basics on connecting to research, with particular lessons for students from underrepresented groups, through a series of brief presentations
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009
This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a program that uses active recruiting a... more This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a program that uses active recruiting and peer-led team learning to try to increase the participation and success of women and minority students in undergraduate computer science. These strategies were applied at eight universities starting in the fall of 2004. There have been some impressive results:
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2005
This paper describes how the Institute for Computing Education (ICE) at Georgia Tech is trying to... more This paper describes how the Institute for Computing Education (ICE) at Georgia Tech is trying to improve the state of computer science education in secondary schools in Georgia. ICE is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The goals for this partnership are to increase the number and quality of computer science teachers and increase the number, quality, and diversity of computer science students. One specific goal is to increase the number of students taking the CS-AP course. We believe that this partnership can serve as a model for other states.
SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity.
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2007
... As Dean of the College of Computing, Richard DeMillo's vision and support was es... more ... As Dean of the College of Computing, Richard DeMillo's vision and support was essential. Our thanks to Becky Cocos who compiled the survey information. ... [3] Guzdial, M. and Ericson, B. Introduction to Computing and Programming in Java: A Multimedia Approach, Pearson ...
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems r... more Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems require changes across the entire computing education pipeline. The "Georgia Computes!" alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation's Broadening Participation in Computing program, seeks to improve the computing education pipeline in Georgia. "Georgia Computes!" is having a measurable effect at each stage of the pipeline, but has not yet shown an impact across the whole pipeline.
Policy Futures in Education
Computer science education has been making dramatic increases in recent years. Across the US, dif... more Computer science education has been making dramatic increases in recent years. Across the US, different states are advancing computer science education through different policies. However, as a state makes choices to advance computer science education, it is critical to consider how these policies will broaden participation in computing (BPC). Many have indicated that only white and Asian males (who make up 30% of our population) currently have the opportunity/privilege to engage in computer science education. Therefore, as we implement state-level computer science education reform, it is critical that BPC remains as our guiding principle. Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) was created as an NSF national alliance to support state-level educational reform with regards to computer science. Over the past 6 years, this alliance of 22 states and Puerto Rico have worked together to share policies to advance BPC in each state. Through these experiences, ECEP has proposed that st...
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems r... more Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems require changes across the entire computing education pipeline. The “Georgia Computes! ” alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing program, seeks to improve the computing education pipeline in Georgia. “Georgia Computes! ” is having a measurable effect at each stage of the pipeline, but has not yet shown an impact across the whole pipeline.
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems r... more Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity. Both of these problems require changes across the entire computing education pipeline. The “Georgia Computes! ” alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing program, seeks to improve the computing education pipeline in Georgia. “Georgia Computes! ” is having a measurable effect at each stage of the pipeline, but has not yet shown an impact across the whole pipeline.
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
In recent years, state members of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance have... more In recent years, state members of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance have made efforts to increase access to and broaden participation in computing at the K-12 levels. Each ECEP state's K-12 computer science (CS) education journey has been documented during their ECEP membership resulting in over 25,000 digital documents. Over the course of the project it was necessary to track key events, identify trends across states, and maintain consumable records of state progress. A systematic way to collect and track the data is critical to conduct historical and cross-state analyses. In an effort to quantify and categorize, the researchers engaged in a review process of all ECEP reports, artifacts, and other relevant data to develop a system. Relevant and important components were identified in each type of document and assigned codes using ECEP's Five Stage Model ("a five-step process toward state-level CS education reform"), the Capacity, Access, Participation, and Experience (CAPE) framework (to measure equity in CS education implementation), and specific policies initiatives (alignment with various policy initiatives - Code.org's "Nine Policy Ideas to Make CS Fundamental to K?12 Education"). Indiana was identified as a state to conduct an initial, in-depth case study using this process. Indiana's case will be used as a model to further develop the stories of other ECEP Alliance member states. Through the development of a data dashboard, we hope to organize all of this information to make it more easily accessible for review and further analysis. The ECEP data dashboard development is currently in progress.
Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Collective impact is an approach for solving complex social problems at scale. The challenge of b... more Collective impact is an approach for solving complex social problems at scale. The challenge of broadening participation in computing (BPC) is one such problem. The complexity of BPC is compounded by the decentralized nature of public education, where decisions are made primarily at the state level and subject to interpretation at the district level. As such, diversifying computer science (CS) pathways across the nation requires a systemic approach such as collective impact to engage all of the stakeholders who influence CS education and whose decisions can either facilitate or hinder BPC efforts. This experience report discusses how the collective impact framework has been used to advance the work of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance, an NSF funded BPC Alliance focused on states and state policy as the unit of change. We discuss how the five essential features of collective impact (common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support) coalesce to facilitate ECEP's theory of change. The report highlights specific policy changes that ECEP states have addressed to promote BPC, the flipped accountability that results from a non-hierarchical leadership model, and the challenges of measuring systemic changes as an intermediary to BPC.
Proceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education - SIGCSE '12, 2012
While many computing departments may be aware there are "promising" and &qu... more While many computing departments may be aware there are "promising" and "proven" practices for recruiting and retaining female students, there seems to be a drive to try new and novel approaches rather than use what is known, or strongly suspected, to be effective. Developing a diverse student body is a long-term multi-faceted process that includes active recruitment, inclusive pedagogy, meaningful
ACM Sigcse Bulletin, 2009
It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are chal... more It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are challenged to find ways to engage and promote success and retention of students while maintaining standards in introductory computer science courses. This study focuses on the implementation of a collaborative, modified peer-led team learning (PLTL) instructional approach in a large sized introductory computer science course. The
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009
It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are chal... more It is common knowledge that enrollments in computer science have plummeted and educators are challenged to find ways to engage and promote success and retention of students while maintaining standards in introductory computer science courses. This study focuses on the implementation of a collaborative, modified peer-led team learning (PLTL) instructional approach in a large sized introductory computer science course. The site is a major southeastern university in the United States where all students are required to take one of three introductory computer science classes. The course version selected for this study specifically targets computer science majors and the study spans three years of data, and involves 591 students. Students who experienced the student-centered instruction and worked in small groups facilitated by a peer leader (treatment) in years 2006-07 and 2007-08 were compared with students who experienced a traditional recitation lecture section (control) in 2005-06. The content and the course owner was the same for all three years. Quantitative data analysis show marked and statistically significant improvements in student performance, for both male and female students. These findings suggest that using undergraduate leaders to implement a peer-led team learning model can be as effective in promoting achievement and retention in computer science education as it has shown to be in math and science classes over the past several years.
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2008
Proceedinds of the 38th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education - SIGCSE '07, 2007
ABSTRACT The Institute for Computing Education (ICE) was created in the spring of 2004. ICE is a ... more ABSTRACT The Institute for Computing Education (ICE) was created in the spring of 2004. ICE is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The goals for this partnership are to increase the number and quality of computer science teachers and increase the number, quality, and diversity of computer science students. One specific goal is to increase the number of students taking the CS-Advanced Placement (AP) course. In this paper we report on both the progress we have made towards these goals and the problems we have encountered. We hope that other states will create similar partnerships and leverage our experience.
ACM Southeast Regional Conference, 2008
This paper describes our workshop for the ACM Southeast Conference to address methods for buildin... more This paper describes our workshop for the ACM Southeast Conference to address methods for building diversity in computing, toward encouraging undergraduates to attend graduate school and to go on to faculty and research positions. This 1.5 hour workshop will highlight the basics on connecting to research, with particular lessons for students from underrepresented groups, through a series of brief presentations
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009
This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a program that uses active recruiting a... more This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a program that uses active recruiting and peer-led team learning to try to increase the participation and success of women and minority students in undergraduate computer science. These strategies were applied at eight universities starting in the fall of 2004. There have been some impressive results:
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2005
This paper describes how the Institute for Computing Education (ICE) at Georgia Tech is trying to... more This paper describes how the Institute for Computing Education (ICE) at Georgia Tech is trying to improve the state of computer science education in secondary schools in Georgia. ICE is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The goals for this partnership are to increase the number and quality of computer science teachers and increase the number, quality, and diversity of computer science students. One specific goal is to increase the number of students taking the CS-AP course. We believe that this partnership can serve as a model for other states.
SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009
Computing education suffers from low enrollment and a lack of diversity.
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2007
... As Dean of the College of Computing, Richard DeMillo's vision and support was es... more ... As Dean of the College of Computing, Richard DeMillo's vision and support was essential. Our thanks to Becky Cocos who compiled the survey information. ... [3] Guzdial, M. and Ericson, B. Introduction to Computing and Programming in Java: A Multimedia Approach, Pearson ...