BRACE * Building Research in Australasian Computing Education

Margaret Hamilton

School of CS&IT, RMIT University

Date and time: 11.30am-12.30pm, Friday 4th June, 2004

Venue: 10.11.04

Chair: James Harland

Abstract:

Computer science educational research is important for many reasons, not the least being if we understood what qualities make a good programmer we might recruit better students and retain our good ones. In January this year, a group of academics from Australia, New Zealand, England and Scotland came together after the ACE2004 conference in Dunedin, with the aim of initiating some principled, large-scale research in computer science education. We participated in a workshop called BRACE. In this talk, I'll discuss the content of this workshop and the research we are working on this year, some of which is being conducted here in our School. This is an ongoing project which among other things, has provided an opportunity to learn about (or brush up on) research methods, and a chance to participate in well designed, large scale, international research. However, by far the best component has been working with some other interesting, innovative and highly motivated teachers and researchers like Quintin Cutts, Raymond Lister and Ilona Box who have already given seminars here this semester, and will also be presenting at the First Melbourne Computing Education Conventicle to be held at Monash University on June 16. About the speaker:

Margaret Hamilton is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Information Technology at RMIT University.

Seminars are free and open to the general public. No booking is necessary.

If you are interested in giving a presentation in this seminar series, or to make suggestions for speakers, please contact James Harland, the seminar co-ordinator.