Workshop for Investigating the Issues Involved in Implementing a Data Repository for Empirical CS Education Data

Rhode Island College, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

Id: 0734761 PI: Kathryn Sanders (Rhode Island College) Title: Workshop for Investigating the Issues Involved in Implementing a Data Repository for Empirical CS Education Data This award is for a workshop to discuss the key challenges in constructing and maintaining a repository of empirical computer-science education research data. If the workshop participants respond positively, the workshop will serve as the basis for a larger grant proposal to develop the repository itself. Empirical computer-science education research is a growing field. There is a growing consensus with regard to methods, an increasing number of publications, and even a new conference devoted to the topic. Nevertheless, the research community does not yet have common data sets. Such data sets are widely used in other fields. There are clear advantages to publishing data. If researchers publish their data, other researchers can replicate their analysis. In addition, new tools and techniques for analysis can be developed, once it becomes possible to compare them directly on the same data sets. Nevertheless, there are numerous logistical issues to be solved before setting up such a repository. By gathering members of the empirical computer-science education research community together, the researchers want to determine whether there is interest in such a repository, and if so, begin to build a consensus as to the form it should take. The workshop will produce a report and if the report is positive, then plan to submit a proposal to NSF for development of the repository itself.