2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Breadth of Research in Computer Science Education

Presented at CIT Technical Session 12: Foundations and Emerging Topics.

Computer Science Education Research offers a wide range of contributions that shape how computing educators teach, how their students learn, and how the field advances toward equity. Yet the scope of computing education research can be unclear, leaving questions about where it intersects with classroom practice and how to become engaged with the field. This panel will highlight where research and education cross paths, using concrete examples from computer science education research. Panelists will illustrate: (1) the design of tools that support instruction, such as UML diagramming platforms; (2) tools and interventions that promote student learning, including drill-and-practice systems and educational card games; (3) research on how students learn, such as work on subgoal labeling and student misconceptions; (4) artifacts that enable effective teaching and assessment, such as validated instruments and auto-graders; and (5) research advancing broadening participation in computing, including equitable grading practices and studies with underrepresented student populations. By highlighting different, yet interconnected, pieces of computer science education research, this panel aims to clarify the breadth of the field and invite attendees to see where their own work might contribute. Attendees will leave with a stronger understanding of the role of discipline-based education research in computing and with strategies for applying computer science education research insights in their own educational contexts.

Authors

Dr. Miranda C. Parker University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Dr. Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1786-203X University of North Carolina at Charlotte [biography]

Dr. Manuel A. Pérez Quiñones is a Professor of Software and Information Systems at UNC at Charlotte. His research interests include diversity issues in computing, CS education, and human-computer interaction. He currently serves on the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine at the National Academies and served as Program Officer at the National Science Foundation. His efforts to diversify computing have been recognized with an ACM Distinguished Member status (2019); the CRA A. Nico Habermann award (2018); and the Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award (2017). He is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Dr. Adrienne Decker http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0822-4813 University at Buffalo, The State University of New York [biography]

Adrienne Decker is a faculty member in the newly formed Department of Engineering Education at the University at Buffalo. She has been studying computing education and teaching for over 15 years, and is interested in broadening participation, evaluating t
Prof. Stephen H Edwards http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-5162-9314 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Stephen H. Edwards is a Professor and the Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, where he has been teaching since 1996. He received his B.S. in electrical engineering from Caltech, and M.S. and Ph.D. in computer and information science from The Ohio State University. His research interests include computer science education, software testing, software engineering, and programming languages. He is the project lead for Web-CAT, the most widely used open-source automated grading system in the world. Web-CAT is known for allowing instructors to grade students based on how well they test their own code. In addition, his research group has produced a number of other open-source tools used in classrooms at many other institutions. Currently, he is researching innovative methods for giving feedback to students as they work on assignments to provide a more welcoming experience for students, recognizing the effort they put in and the accomplishments they make as they work on solutions. The goals of his research are to strengthen growth mindset beliefs while encouraging deliberate practice, self-checking, and skill improvement as students work.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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