Undergraduate Haredi Students Studying Computer Science: Is Their Prior Education Merely a Barrier?

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: Our research focuses on a unique group a students, who study CS: ultra-orthodox Jewish men. Their previous education is based mostly on studying Talmud and hence they lacked a conventional high-school education. Our research goal was to examine whether their prior education is merely a barrier to their CS studies or whether it can be recruited to leverage academic learning. Background: This work is in line with the growing interest in extending the diversity of students studying computer science (CS). Methodology: We employed a mixed-methods approach. We compared the scores in CS courses of two groups of students who started their studies in the same college in 2015: 58 ultraorthodox men and 139 men with a conventional background of Israeli K-12 schooling. We also traced the solution processes of ultraorthodox men in tasks involving Logic, in which their group scored significantly better than the other group. Contribution: The main contribution of this work lies in challenging the idea that the knowledge of unique cultures is merely a barrier and in illustrating the importance of further mapping such knowledge. Findings: The ultraorthodox group’s grades in the courses never fell below the grades of the other group for the duration of the five semesters. Due to their intensive Talmud studies (which embeds Logic), we hypothesized they would have leverage in subjects relating to Logic; however this hypothesis was refuted. Nevertheless, we found that the ultraorthodox students tended to recruit conceptual knowledge rather than merely recalling a procedure to solve the task, as novices often do. Recommendations for Practitioners: We concluded that these students’ unique knowledge should not be viewed merely as a barrier. Rather, it can and should be considered in terms of what and how it can anchor and leverage learning; this could facilitate the education of this unique population. Impact on Society: This conclusion has an important implication, given the growing interest in diversifying higher education and CS in particular, to include representatives of groups in society that come from different, unique cultures. Future Research: Students’ unique previous knowledge can and should be mapped, not only to foresee weaknesses that are an outcome of “fragile knowledge” , but also in terms of possible strengths, knowledge, values, and practices that can be used to anchor and expand the new knowledge.

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“…This is an encapsulated community in which many young people lack conventional formal education including science, mathematics, technology, and Englishthe subjects that are not required in the private schools functioning in this sector. 6 In fact, in 2013, only 2% of ultra-orthodox boys earned matriculation certificates (in contrast with 17% of ultra-orthodox girls (Genut & Ben-David Kolikant, 2017). There are more ultra-orthodox women learning English than men, because women are expected to acquire a well-paid profession and become breadwinners in their families.…”

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“…examines the issue of lifelong learning in the context of pursuing new fields of study among ultraorthodox Jewish men. Genut and Ben-David Kolikant (2017) argue that the former background of diverse students, which sometimes excludes formal general education but may include other practices and knowledge, should not be regarded only as a weakness, but also as a source of strengths that may help them acquire new knowledge. Genut and Ben-David Kolikant (2017) used a mixed-methods methodology and compared a group of 58 ultraorthodox men and a group of 139 men with a conventional background.…”