Maria Knobelsdorf, University of Dortmund, Germany - Didaktik der ...

i. e. theories, models, frameworks, technology or tools. In
our research project it is the process model for bringing contexts
into the classroom.
Problem relevance. A design-based research project must
deliver a solution to a relevant and significant problem. In
the complexity and amount of task during analysis of realworld
contexts, the translation into the classroom context,
as well as in the additional workload for teachers we see the
major problems of CS in context. At the moment there is
little research addressing these problems. Our model doesn’t
provide a solution to them, but it can help identifying them
(see 6.2 and 6.3).
Design evaluation. The relevance, quality and viability
of designed artifacts have to be shown via elaborate evaluation
methods. We tested our process model during each
iteration in at least two classroom contexts: at least one
school project and the project course itself which can also
be described by the model. Here the context of the school
project was the ‘real-world’ context. Furthermore we found
our model to be coherent with other proposed models (e. g.
[6]) as well as practical (e. g. anchored instruction [19]) and
theoretical (e. g. boundary objects [37]) conceptions. The
evaluations of each iterations produced new aspects, which
were addressed in the next iteration.
Research Contribution. A concrete contribution to educational
research has to be provided by the design-science
research. Our contribution is a process model which serves
as a reference framework with its own terminology based on
approaches to software development.
Research rigor. A very important aspect of design science
is “the application of rigorous methods in both the construction
and evaluation of the designed artifact” (Hevner et
al. [17], p. 87). In our design we used a methodology similar
to software development methods. We also used prospective
and reflective approaches supporting our research process
[29]. In the current phase we want to communicate our
model to other researchers and practitioners and, given the
model, to survey their own experience.
Design as a Search Process. Design science must be conducted
via an iterative process with construction and evaluation
periods in order to mature [36]. In our research
project, four consecutive research phases (both construction
and evaluation) have been accomplished. Currently a fifth
iteration is ongoing.
Communication of results. The results will be communicated
to practitioners and researchers enabling to benefit
from the constructed artifacts as well as to discuss and evaluate
the results. On the one hand, we have introduced our
proposed process model to students and teachers, on the
other hand, we will bring the model to the research community
via the present publication.
6.2 Contexts
As described above, the ‘real-world’ context normally is
different from classroom context. Therefore new challenges
for teachers and Computing education experts occur in the
decontextualization and recontextualization processes of Informatics-in-context
course development and preparation.
But how can an appropriate real-world context be chosen?
First, the real-world context should be in the same sociocultural
frame as the classroom context. Otherwise too
much time and effort must be spent on understanding the
context instead of learning Informatics, and the context might
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turn out to be unattractive for the pupils. For example
in low-income neighborhoods baggage handling systems or
inventory control systems might be unattractive contexts.
Also in rural areas information systems in animal husbandry
might be more motivating than the baggage handling system.
Second, contexts can arise from Informatics itself. For
example Informatics contexts like artificial intelligence or
compiler construction provide rich contexts offering the possibility
to include many Informatics aspects and principles
(provided that the first principle is taken into consideration
and the students understand the practical purposes).
Finally, often technological frameworks like specific hardware
or tools constitute contexts that are attractive at least
for technophiles. For example robotics classes often don’t
get beyond playful experimentation toward serious application
contexts.
6.3 CS Teachers’ Working Conditions
As outlined by Diethelm et al. [7], the teachers’ role and
demands on CS teachers have changed in the last years.
In addition to teaching, new contexts have to be analyzed,
teaching units must be designed and transformed for the
actual classroom setting as well as the outcome has to be
evaluated. All tasks are highly communicative and cooperative
and require a set of various skills and competencies CS
teachers do not always have [7].
The pre-educational examination of contexts is a timeconsuming
endeavor that requires a broad background in
Informatics and the real-world context. Most teachers don’t
have time and background to develop contexts for Informaticsin-context
courses.
These kind of problems are not new and have already
been discussed in German Didaktik discourse in the 1950s
by Roth [34] and Klafki [21]:
“We believe that it would be demanding too
much of teachers in terms of time and mental
energy to expect them to ‘rationalize’ about the
contents in a pre-pedagogical context [or stance]
whenever they set out to prepare themselves for
teaching. This would involve, for example, adopting
the role of a scientist who sees the contents in
question as a research exercise in a specific field.
We are of the opinion that this applies not only to
teachers at primary, junior secondary and vocational
level, but also to those at senior secondary
level!” (Klafki, [22], p. 17)
Although the problems remain the same today’s schools
look different from the Volksschulen of the 1950s. Teachers
work in teams and can collaborate even if they are distributed
all over the globe.
Our supposed model tries to support teachers in their
work. It names necessary steps and requirements for bringing
real world contexts into the classroom as well as introduces
a pre-educational stages allowing to “outsource” certain
steps (esp. analysis of contexts) to other experts. Thus
we hope to strengthen the link between theory and practice
in teaching Informatics in context.
7. CONCLUSION
Learning always is situated in contexts. But usually the
classroom context is not the ‘real-world’ context where ac-