Import and Export to/from Computing Science Education: The Case of Mathematics Education Research

摘要

This panel will look at how research theories developed in the context of mathematics education can be applied to computing science education as well as ways in which computing science theories may be used in mathematics education research. Computing science education is a young discipline still in search of its research framework , A practical approach to formulating such a framework is to adapt useful approaches found in the research from other disciplines, both educational and related areas. At the same time, a young discipline may also offer innovative new approaches to the older discipline. The mathematics education discipline is relatively mature, with its roots extending from the close of the 19th century. For about the past 50 years, mathematics educators have been studying learning theories, teaching approaches, and other cognitive and social issues with respect to K-12 and higher education. We have found that many of these ft theories are useful for gaining insights into how students learn and understand computing science topics, as well as for improving how we teach these topics. For example, the constructivist perspective, which examines students' mental construction of knowledge, has had a tremendous impact on the teaching of mathematics. This paradigm, with its roots in Piaget's work, has started to exert a similar influence within computing science education, as evidenced by a recent article by Ben-An and a subsequent special issue of Computer Science Education that includes six articles about constructivism in various areas of computing.