2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

We recently hosted a workshop that brought together 12 K-8 teachers who teach computer science (CS) and/or computational thinking and 12 CS education researchers. Since there is a known gap between practices that researchers study and practices that teachers implement in a learning environment, the purpose of our full-day workshop was to create a meaningful space for teachers and researchers to meet and explore each others' perspectives. The dialogue was framed around teachers’ classroom experiences with researchers reflecting on how they could improve their research practice. The workshop, held during the 2022 CS Teachers Association (CSTA) conference, included multiple hands-on, engaging activities where teachers and researchers shared their knowledge, a panel for teachers to share their classroom experiences, and a panel for researchers to share evidence-based practices that teachers could use in the classroom. Feedback from participants was overall positive, with teachers increasing their appreciation for research and researchers increasing their knowledge about the importance of framing their findings in actionable ways that teachers can understand and act upon. In this experience report, we share details about the workshop and its activities, impact on participants, lessons learned, and recommendations for presenting similar workshops in the future.