Developing Classroom Assessment for a Middle School Computer Science Curriculum: An Approach, Challenges, and Response

• In Event: Teaching and Learning: Career and Professional Development

Abstract

A Computer Science Program Research and Practice Partnership (CSP-RPP) seeks to adapt a previously developed middle school curriculum focused on creating apps that serve a community purpose. CSP-RPP intends to use a Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) and Design-Based Implementation Research approach to develop and implement sustainable, culturally responsive programs for teaching digital literacy and computer science (DLCS). CSP-RPP’s strategy involves developing classroom assessment for formative and summative uses following a framework propose by Wynne Harlen (2007). CSP-RPP identified two challenges to developing such assessment: uncertainty about evidence and criteria for judging DLCS learning and uncertainty about how individual lessons would fit an adapted curriculum. Researchers designed two tools in response to these challenges.

Authors

• Bernardo Feliciano

• Lijun Ni, University at Albany - SUNY

• Fred Martin, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Hsien-Yuan Hsu, University of Massachusetts Lowell