Becoming a computer science student: first year higher education students’ identity work and academic integration process

Description

Computer science is among the study programmes that struggle with recruiting and retaining a diverse body of students. Thus the aim of the study was to unpack the challenges that the first year computer science students encountered in general, and in particular to explore the barriers for the academic integration processes and to understand what kind of platform the study programme provides for students’ identity work and sense of belonging. Students were followed throughout the first year through classroom observations, interviews as well as a workshop with a group of first year students. Three themes are presented as the result of a thematic analysis. Firstly, the students found learning to code to be central to their learning. However they experienced it as a difficult task, as the organized teaching and learning activities did not leave enough room for this process. Secondly, the organization of the teaching and learning activities meant that the responsibility of the students’ integration process where outsourced to the TAs and thus depending on their ability to be proactive and to handle the problems as they arise. Finally group-work was mandatory for students. However as group-work were not adequately facilitated, some students were left alone to cope with the challenges they encountered and as a consequence lacked access to crucial academic and social knowledge. The way the study programme is organized presents the students with challenges holding implications for their academic integration process and their sense of belonging. These implications will be discussed in this presentation.

Period	28 Aug 2019
Event title	ESERA 2019: The beauty and pleasure of understanding: engaging with contemporary challenges through science education
Event type	Conference
Location	Bologna, ItalyShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International