Sandeep Sthapit

In computer science, cultural assumptions are embedded in programming languages and problem prompts. This paper investigates the impact of cultural assumptions on international computer science students in the US. By performing thematic analysis on semi-structured interviews with 12 international graduate students at North Carolina State University, the authors found six main themes. Analyzing these themes provided insight into what barriers international students face and how they can be alleviated. By shedding light on this topic, the authors hope to inform computer science educators and researchers on the importance of creating inclusive and culturally relevant learning environments that accommodate the needs of diverse students.

Affective state, referring to an individual's feeling, can impact students' confidence and retention in CS, particularly for novice programmers. However, little research has been conducted to examine how moments that occur during programming impact students' affective states in real-time. In this pilot study, seven undergraduate students in an introductory block-based programming course completed a programming assignment and were surveyed and interviewed about their experience and self-efficacy as programmers. While programming, students periodically recorded their affective states via a popup in the programming environment. We performed retrospective think-aloud interviews with students afterward, asking them to watch and reflect on recordings of their programming. We subsequently analyzed student interviews using thematic analysis to derive 206 codes. These codes were grouped into three areas that impacted affect: the environment, objective progress, and perceptions during programming. To explore why students responded as they did to moment occurrence, we further categorized students based on four dimensions: programming experience, assignment completion, confidence, and the impact of the programming session on self-efficacy. Our initial results suggest that while certain moments elicit similar affective states among students, the interaction of the aforementioned four dimensions may have a higher impact on novices' affective states during programming. We conclude with recommendations for educators to improve students' affective states during and after programming.

In the field of computer science, cultural assumptions are embedded in programming languages and problem prompts. However, for students studying computer science in a Western country not from a Western culture, these assumptions can create learning barriers. This paper investigates the impact of cultural assumptions on international students studying computer science in a Western country; with a focus on understanding the barriers students face, how they overcome these barriers, and how barriers can be avoided. By performing thematic analysis on semi-structured interviews with 12 international graduate students at North Carolina State University, the authors found six main themes: Barriers, Increased Work, Emotions, Educational Environment, Overcoming Barriers, and Solutions to Barriers. Analyzing these themes provided insight into what barriers international students face and how they can be alleviated. The most common suggestions participants gave for alleviating barriers were more discussions around problem statements. By shedding light on this topic, the authors hope to inform computer science educators and researchers on the importance of creating inclusive and culturally relevant learning environments that accommodate the needs of diverse student populations.