Enabling Investigation of Impacts of Inclusive Collaborative Active Learning Practices on Intersectional Groups of Students in Computing Education

• Published in: 2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Tadimalla, Sri Yash, Latulipe, Celine, Maher, Mary Lou, Mejias, Marlon, Payton, Jamie, Rorrer, Audrey, Fiore, John, Kwatny, Gene, Rosen, Andrew
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 18.10.2023
• Subjects: Active Learning; Collaboration; Computer science; Computer science education; Diversity; Education; Faculty Engagement; Instruments; Sense of Belonging; Shape; Student Engagement; Surveys
• ISSN: 2377-634X
• DOI: 10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343317

This full paper presents the Collaborative Active Learning and Inclusiveness (CALI) inventory, and an analytical model using the CALI inventory, demographic data, mindset surveys, and knowledge mastery assessment, to explore relationships between classroom climate and student experiences. The CALI inventory enables the investigation of the impact of the student experience in an active learning classroom by distinguishing the factors that characterize the structure, social learning, and inclusive practices. The Structure Index includes components related to course setup, organization, assessment, grading, and communications. The Sociality Index includes components related to opportunities for students to interact with each other. The Inclusiveness Index includes components related to how the instructor communicates a sense of belonging to the students through a growth mindset and inclusive policies and practices. A CS Mindset Instrument was developed based on research that measured students' self-efficacy by evaluating the extent of variation in their self-perceived ability to accomplish a task, sense of belonging in computing, and professional identity development. Demographic data is collected that allows for an analysis using an intersectional lens to acknowledge the complexity of social and cultural contexts. The knowledge and mastery assessments capture changes in competency through pre-post mastery quizzes. The combination of CALI with other instruments, including those that characterize student mindset, identity, and levels of mastery, enables investigation of how various practices of inclusive and collaborative active learning have differential effects on students with different identities in computer science.