Context-based teaching and learning of fundamental computer science concepts

Abstract

In context-based education, authentic situations ('contexts') are used as starting points for learning content matter ('concepts'). In this way, contexts provide significance and meaning to the concepts taught. The context-based approach has been investigated extensively in the field of science education.Context-based education has the potential to be a useful strategy in computer science (CS), in particular for teaching and learning of fundamental concepts. Initiatives like Informatik im Kontext confirm that context-based teaching and learning is a promising approach. So far, however, little research has been done on particular aspects of context-based learning in CS, such as the effective selection of contexts, principles for connecting concepts and contexts, and mechanisms for fostering knowledge transfer.This work-in-progress paper reports on an ongoing qualitative study on context-based teaching of fundamental CS concepts connected to algorithmic thinking. The study focuses on experiences and ideas of teachers, as they play a key role in the adaptation of contexts stemming from a rapidly changing field.We conducted semi-structured interviews with CS teachers on the above aspects of context-based teaching. The results reveal various ideas that teachers have on the use and effects of context-based learning and raises questions about the selection of contexts.

Exploring teachers' preconceptions of teaching machine learning in high school: A preliminary insight from Africa

“…Adopting the course content in the classroom would be impossible without teacher buy-in and understanding of their contexts [13]. Moreover, context influences teaching and learning [14] in computing education, which provides significance and meaning to the concepts taught [15]. This article addresses these needs by presenting the results of a phenomenographic study carried out with African in-service computer science teachers with varying teaching experiences.…”

Pedagogías emergentes en ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje

“…El contexto es como se da sentido a la experiencia, entre lo relevante y lo irrelevante. El aprendizaje basado en el contexto permite sentirse situado y comprendido, respetado y motivado a transformar el entorno, a mejorarlo (Dori, Avargil, Kohen, & Saar, 2018;Nijenhuis-Voogt, Meijer, & Barendsen, 2018;Wen & Katt, 2019).…”

VISTA: A teaching aid to enhance contextual teaching

“…However, to keep the process of contextualization directed and interesting, VISTA takes as input a particular scene/object/environment. As teachers have a better understanding of what would be interesting for the students [22], the system allows the teacher to select a particular scenario or object from the real world. The image uploaded by a teacher may be of a single object, multiple objects, or even an entire scene comprising a real‐life situation.…”

“…For this, the theory advocates the use of contexts in which a concept is applied while teaching. Context is the environment or situation comprising real‐world entities in which the concepts we learn in classroom are applied [22]. Several studies claim that context is crucial to understand the significance and meaning of the concepts [10,30], to motivate learners [6], and to help derive a coherent structural meaning of the learning material [9].…”