Doug Fisher, associate professor of computer science and of computer engineering, will co-chair a workshop Feb. 11-12 in Washington, D.C. to explore and delineate computer science and multidisciplinary research agendas designed to improve formal and informal education.
A recent explosion of public and academic interest in online education has accompanied high-profile offerings of massively open online courses (MOOCs) by some of the country’s leading education and research institutions, non-profits and industry. This surge has focused on undergraduate education; however, activity is occurring in the context of a long-standing online education landscape, to research and practice for K-12 education, lifelong learning, as well as higher education.
The Computing Community Consortium is hosting the workshop titled, “Multidisciplinary Research for Online Education,” and participants include experts in various computing fields, education and cognitive psychology, the learning sciences and the intersection of these fields.
Vanderbilt faculty members invited to the workshop are Gautam Biswas, professor of computer science and computer engineering; Doug Schmidt, professor of computer science and associate chair of the computer science and engineering program; Rogers Hall, professor and chair of Peabody’s Department of Teaching and Learning; and Derek Bruff, director, Center for Teaching.
During the workshop, speakers will overview both current and planned online activities and strategies. Participants will look beyond the current high-profile interest in MOOCs and investigate future important research questions in all areas of computing in support of online and hybrid education formats for the next 10 years. In breakout sessions, groups will explore research directions and requirements, and panels will begin the process of synthesis.