Professional Competencies in Computing Education: Pedagogies and Assessment
Abstract
Competency-based learning has been a successful pedagogical approach for centuries, but only recently has it gained traction within computing. Competencies, as defined in Computing Curricula 2020, comprise knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. Building on recent developments in competency and computing education, this working group examined relevant pedagogical theories, investigates various skill frameworks, reviewed competencies and standard practices in other professional disciplines such as medicine and law. It also investigated the integrative nature of content knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in defining professional competencies in computing education. In addition, the group explored appropriate pedagogies and competency assessment approaches. It also developed guidelines for evaluating student achievement against relevant professional competency frameworks and explores partnering with employers to offer students genuine professional experience. Finally, possible challenges and opportunities in moving from traditional knowledge-based to competency-based education were also examined. This report makes recommendations to inspire educators of future computing professionals and smooth students' transition from academia to employment.
Publication Date
12-30-2021
Journal Title
ITiCSE-WGR '21: Proceedings of the 2021 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education
Publisher
ACM
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Recommended Citation
Raj, R., Sabin, M., Impagliazzo, J., Bowers, D., Daniels, M., Hermans, F., Kiesler, N., Kumar, A. N., MacKellar, B., McCauley, R., Nabi, S. W., & Oudshoorn, M. (2022). Professional Competencies in Computing Education: Pedagogies and Assessment. Proceedings of the 2021 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, 133–161. https://doi.org/10.1145/3502870.3506570