Open-Ended Assignments for Teaching Contextualized Computing
Tamara Nelson-Fromm · 2023
When undergraduate students studying disciplines other than computer science enroll in computing courses, they are likely seeking different skill sets than CS majors. One way to teach non-majors about computing in a way relevant to their fields of study is through contextualized computing courses where the programming instruction and activities focus on applications based in disciplines such as the humanities or arts. In an interview study of students in contextualized computing courses, I found that students wished to learn about computing for various professional and personal reasons, such as a desire to be conversational programmers or to create specific artifacts. One way that students are able to focus on their specific interest while in the courses is through creative, open-ended assignments where students can choose what they wish to create with programming. In my dissertation research, I will examine how students decide what to create in their assignments, how their plans for their final products change throughout their programming process, and in what ways students’ creations align with their reasons for enrolling in a computing course.