Research methods in computing: what are they, and how should we teach them?

  • Authors:

  • Hilary J. Holz;Anne Applin;Bruria Haberman;Donald Joyce;Helen Purchase;Catherine Reed

  • Affiliations:

  • Cal State, East Bay;Ithaca College;Holon Institute of Technology;School of Computing and Information Technology, Unitec;University of Glasgow;Cal State, East Bay

  • Venue:
  • ITiCSE-WGR '06 Working group reports on ITiCSE on Innovation and technology in computer science education
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

Despite a lack of consensus on the nature of Computing Research Methods (CRM), a growing number of programs are exploring models and content for CRM courses. This report is one step in a participatory design process to develop a general framework for thinking about and teaching CRM.We introduce a novel sense-making structure for teaching CRM. That structure consists of a road map to the CRM literature, a framework grounded in questions rather than answers, and two CRM skill sets: core skills and specific skills. We integrate our structure with a model for the process a learner goes through on the way to becoming an expert computing researcher and offer example learning activities that represent a growing repository of course materials meant to aid those wishing to teach research skills to computing students.Our model is designed to ground discussion of teaching CRM and to serve as a roadmap for institutions, faculty, students and research communities addressing the transition from student to fully enfranchised member of a computing research community of practice. To that end, we offer several possible scenarios for using our model.In computing, research methods have traditionally been passed from advisor to student via apprenticeship. Establishing a richer pedagogy for training researchers in computing will benefit all (see Figure 1).