Contrasting stances at the crossroads of debugging learning opportunities

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Computer Science Education
• Discourse Analysis

Background:

• Moments of failure in learning offer growth but are often studied narrowly.
• Existing research often focuses on singular learning processes, neglecting diverse student and teacher approaches.
• Teachers and students engage in varied learning processes after impasses, including addressing recurring issues and preparing for new challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the heterogeneous learning processes students and teachers engage in following learning impasses.
• To examine the selection and prioritization of valued learning processes in computer science education.
• To understand the disagreements and rationales behind prioritizing specific learning strategies after failure.

Main Methods:

• Utilized discursive psychology, interaction analysis, and portraiture.
• Analyzed naturalistic discourse between middle school students and instructors during computer science workshops.
• Conducted three case studies blending conversational analysis with longitudinal student portraits over one year.

Main Results:

• Moments of failure create opportunities for diverse learning pathways.
• Disagreements arise between students and instructors regarding the prioritization of specific learning processes.
• Participants articulate rationales for foregrounding particular learning strategies in response to impasses.

Conclusions:

• Highlights the tension between differing goals and supports for learning from failure.
• Emphasizes the importance of considering whose perspective on goals and supports is prioritized in research and teaching.
• Suggests a need for more nuanced approaches to foster productive learning from failure.