The CSEER group at Michigan State University has been involved in computer science and engineering education research for the last decade. The computer science education on preparing teachers to embed computational thinking and computer science ideas/practices in K-12 classrooms. The engineering education work has involved working with engineering faculty to incorporate active learning approaches, such as problem-based learning and case-based instruction in their classrooms to engage students in authentic learning activities. Below is a list of funded projects, Dr. Yadav has been led.
Federally Funded Projects
CT4EDU: Broadening Pathways into Computing by Developing Computational Thinking Competencies in Elementary Classrooms. Funded by National Science Foundation, $998,737, 2017-2020, PI. The goal project to design, implement, and assess a high-quality, integrated curriculum, and professional development that supports elementary school teachers in embedding computational thinking (CT) into their classrooms. This proposal will establish a Research Practitioner Partnership (RPP) using a Network Improvement Community approach to identifying problems of practice and points of opportunity in curriculum/teaching practices where CT can intersect with science and mathematics at the elementary level. Teachers, curriculum directors, and researchers will co-design CT activities and lesson plans in the context of their elementary school classrooms. They will also collaborate in addressing equity issues around engaging historically underrepresented students in CT, focusing on student participation in classroom discourse during CT activities. Finally, the researchers will examine the impact of the CT curriculum on student thinking and teacher practices around computing.
PD4CS (Professional Development for Computer Science) Funded by National Science Foundation, $1,152,669 2013-2017, PI. The goal of project PD4CS is to establish an evidence-based professional development (PD) program to improve teachers’ knowledge to teach computer science, with a special focus on the effective training of teachers having limited computer science background. The project team will (i) develop and implement a high-quality professional development approach that incorporates face-to-face training coupled with continuous online just-in-time support at a large-scale; and (ii) assess the effectiveness of that professional development at improving teachers’ knowledge and skills for teaching computer science.
Collaborative Research: Research Initiation: Facilitating Design Thinking through Cases, National Science Foundation, $149,986, 2015-2018, PI. The goal of the proposed project is to use case studies to introduce design thinking to first-generation and underrepresented students to help them transition from classroom and lab-based learning to engineering capstone design and ultimately to their careers in engineering fields. The case studies will be implemented as part of a new discussion section for a Mechanical Engineering class at UC Merced, a Hispanic Serving Institution where over 60% of undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college, more than half come from bilingual or non-English-speaking homes, and more than 75% of students receive financial aid. The main objectives of this project are to: (1) Develop the PI’s expertise in embedding case studies to teach design thinking, (2) establish a library of case studies that use design thinking to expand engineering students’ view of problem formulation and solution development, and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of case-based instruction for instilling design thinking behavior in a diverse student population.
Research on Practice Using STEM Inquiry Embedded with Computational Thinking in Elementary School. Funded by National Science Foundation, $1,013,651, 2015-2017, Co-PI. The project will research the results of integrating scientific inquiry and computational thinking in elementary schools, focusing on grades 2-5. Starting with the exemplar lessons, the project will work with the teachers to iteratively modify, implement, and refine those lessons. The project research will investigate how and to what extent this approach enhances teacher and subsequent student understanding (through the lessons they have developed) of computational thinking and inquiry.
CS4EDU: Computer Science for Education, National Science Foundation, $871,456, 2009-2014, Co-PI. The goal of the CS4EDU project was to create new pathways for undergraduate education majors to become computationally educated secondary teachers. This includes a joint effort between faculty in the Department of Computer Science and the College of Education at Purdue University to create a Computer Science Teaching Endorsement program, based on the educational computing standards set by the International Society for Technology in Education.
This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation under grant numbers 1738677, 1502462, 1543061, 1544068, and 1309173. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Thumbnail Image Credit:Jeff Sheldon