Learning how to do CS research is the fundamental task of graduate study. Early experiences in research, at the undergraduate or secondary school level, have been shown to be instrumental to retention in a variety of scientific disciplines, including CS (e.g., Herrerra, 2001, Jonides, 1995.) Yet the content, pedagogy and even existence of CS Research Methods (CSRM) courses vary widely by program and by nation. The ACM/IEEE-CS curricular recommendations provide no guidance on the topic.
From conversations at FIE 2004 and SIGCSE 2005, it became clear that a growing number of programs are exploring models and content for CSRM courses, with varying degrees of success. CS researchers and educators interested in teaching CSRM need a structure for collaborative exploration of this important topic. We plan to propose a working group on teaching CS research methods at ITiCSE 2006. As currently envisioned, the working group will report on content, pedagogy and curricular issues related to CSRM.
SIGCSE-CSRM, the SIGCSE Committee on Teaching Computer Science Research Methods, will:
The short-term product of the committee is the ITiCSE Working Group proposal, which in turn will lead to the working group report. The facilitators will report on the progress of the committee at SIGCSE 2006, and on the results of the working group at SIGCSE 2007.
O.L. Herrerra, Distributed Mentor Project: Comprehensive Participant Survey Analyses (1994-2000). The LEAD Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, October 2001.
Jonides, John, Evaluation and Dissemination of an Undergraduate Program To Improve Retention of At-Risk Students. Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor. Coll. of Literature, Science, and the Arts, 1995.