EBP: Bringing AP Computer Science Principles to Students with Learning Disabilities and/or an ADHD: The Hidden Underrepresented Group

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

This study aims to expand participation in computer science by ensuring that students with learning differences (students with learning disabilities and/or an Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)) can successfully participate in computer science courses in general, and AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) courses in particular. An interdisciplinary team from Outlier Research & Evaluation (a research group at the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education (CEMSE) at the University of Chicago), and the Wolcott School (a school in Chicago for students with learning differences) will apply their expertise in education research, special education, psychology, pedagogy, and computer science (CS) content to: identify the challenges students with learning differences face as they engage with computer science concepts and computational practices; derive solutions for addressing those challenges, and; test adaptations and accommodations that address those challenges for two AP Computer Science Principles (CSP )curricula in development: Beauty and Joy of Computing for New York City (BJC4NYC); and Code.org's CS Principles. Findings from this project will take a first step toward ensuring that this often overlooked student population can fully participate in CS education. The project is timely, as the College Board is preparing to launch the new AP CSP course in the fall of 2016. The findings of this foundational study will be crucial to ensuring that students who learn differently are not excluded. To accomplish this goal, the Outlier and Wolcott School team will pursue the following research questions: (1) What are the learning and teaching concerns regarding making high school CS education in general, and AP CSP in particular, accessible to students with learning differences?; (2) What specific adaptations and accommodations are needed to make CSP courses in general and BJC4NYC and CS Principles in particular accessible to students with learning differences?; and (3) To what extent do students with learning differences successfully complete the AP CSP course and demonstrate positive attitudes about their experience? To answer these questions, the project team will: a) identify lesson adaptations generally associated with specific learning disabilities and an ADHD, and consider their application in CS education; b) generate and test adaptations and accommodations for select CSP lessons; c) derive a set of design principles for teaching CS to students with learning differences; d) work with CSP developers to permanently incorporate adaptations and accommodations into their materials; and e) broadly disseminate findings, instructional guidance and other findings about adjustments for students with learning differences. The team will employ a mixed-methods research design using data collected through classroom observations; teacher written feedback and interviews; and student written feedback, self-assessments, questionnaire responses, focus groups and interviews. The study will support efforts to generate a wide-scale infrastructure for high school CS education by taking steps to generate knowledge about what is needed to include this as yet unreached group in computer science education, provide specific guidance about ways to include students who learn differently in CSP, and demonstrate the importance and merits of working to advance this dimension of broadening participation.