article

Communication in computer science classrooms: understanding defensive climates as a means of creating supportive behaviors

Authors:

Kathy Garvin-Doxas,

Lecia J. BarkerAuthors Info & Claims

Journal on Educational Resources in Computing (JERIC), Volume 4, Issue 1

Pages 2 - es

https://doi.org/10.1145/1060071.1060073

Published: 01 March 2004 Publication History

Abstract

All learning environments are characterized by numerous communication and interaction practices, which lend themselves to an overall characterization of the climate as defensive or supportive. A case study of public communication and interaction in a large, research-intensive university's first year computer science courses illustrates a learning environment primarily characterized by elements and behaviors associated with a defensive communication climate. Descriptions of classroom interactions and behaviors illustrate what a defensive communication climate “looks like” in terms of behavior, based on extensive observational research. Interview data demonstrates that defensive communication practices can lead to attrition among women in the major and illustrates ways in which the communication climate that characterizes the major is experienced and interpreted by women in the courses. This data also links defensive communication behaviors with lower confidence among women toward their major --- results consistent with previous studies of the causes of attrition among women in other Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Classroom experiences and behaviors that reflect a more supportive communication climate will be discussed within the context of practices and interactions that professors can engage in to ensure that their courses lean toward a supportive rather than a defensive environment as a way of making computer science learning environments more inclusive.

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Goddard QMoton NHudson JHe H(2024)A Chatbot Won't Judge Me: An Exploratory Study of Self-disclosing Chatbots in Introductory Computer Science ClassesProceedings of the 26th Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education10.1145/3660650.3660662(1-7)Online publication date: 2-May-2024
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Medina-Kim GPearson TStrickland CIsrael M(2024)Disidentifying with Broadening ParticipationProceedings of the 2024 on RESPECT Annual Conference10.1145/3653666.3656082(163-168)Online publication date: 16-May-2024
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Castro FHuff ESolomon ABettin BMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2024)Bringing Our Full Selves Into Computing: Designing, Building, and Fostering Equitable Computing Education CommunitiesProceedings of the 2024 on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3649217.3653550(136-142)Online publication date: 3-Jul-2024
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Index Terms

Communication in computer science classrooms: understanding defensive climates as a means of creating supportive behaviors
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education
        Information science education

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cover image Journal on Educational Resources in Computing

Journal on Educational Resources in Computing Volume 4, Issue 1

Special Issue on Gender-Balancing Computing Education

March 2004

71 pages

ISSN:1531-4278

EISSN:1531-4278

DOI:10.1145/1060071

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2004 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Publication History

Published: 01 March 2004

Published in JERIC Volume 4, Issue 1

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Cited By

Goddard QMoton NHudson JHe H(2024)A Chatbot Won't Judge Me: An Exploratory Study of Self-disclosing Chatbots in Introductory Computer Science ClassesProceedings of the 26th Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education10.1145/3660650.3660662(1-7)Online publication date: 2-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3660650.3660662
Medina-Kim GPearson TStrickland CIsrael M(2024)Disidentifying with Broadening ParticipationProceedings of the 2024 on RESPECT Annual Conference10.1145/3653666.3656082(163-168)Online publication date: 16-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3653666.3656082
Castro FHuff ESolomon ABettin BMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2024)Bringing Our Full Selves Into Computing: Designing, Building, and Fostering Equitable Computing Education CommunitiesProceedings of the 2024 on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3649217.3653550(136-142)Online publication date: 3-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3649217.3653550
Sibia NBernuy ASimovic THuang CTan YSeong ENobre CZingaro DLiut MPetersen A(2024)Exploring the Effects of Grouping by Programming Experience in Q&A ForumsProceedings of the 2024 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research - Volume 110.1145/3632620.3671107(206-221)Online publication date: 12-Aug-2024
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Sibia NZavaleta Bernuy AWilliams JLiut MPetersen ALaakso MMonga MSimon Sheard J(2023)Student Usage of Q&A Forums: Signs of Discomfort?Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3587102.3588842(33-39)Online publication date: 29-Jun-2023
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Perlmutter LSalac JKo A(2023)"A field where you will be accepted": Belonging in student and TA interactions in post-secondary CS educationProceedings of the 2023 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research - Volume 110.1145/3568813.3600128(356-370)Online publication date: 7-Aug-2023
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Fulton KKatcher SSong KChetty MMazurek MMessdaghi CVotipka D(2023)Vulnerability Discovery for All: Experiences of Marginalization in Vulnerability Discovery2023 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (SP)10.1109/SP46215.2023.10179478(1997-2014)Online publication date: May-2023
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Geller J(2022)Fostering a sense of belonging in female computer science studentsJournal of Computing Sciences in Colleges10.5555/3512489.351249437:3(36-44)Online publication date: 19-Jan-2022
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Höhne EFekete SSchild JZander L(2022)Perceived Stress, Individual Psychological Resources, and Social Resources Among Computer Science Students During the COVID-19 PandemicFrontiers in Education10.3389/feduc.2022.8402167Online publication date: 9-Jun-2022
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