Summer School on Informatics Education Research (SCHIER) 2025

Session description:

This two-session lecture will address various methods used for qualitative research, that is the kind of investigations where insights on activities, accounts and artefacts relative to the phenomena under study do not come from the mathematical methods which are the basis of quantitative research. Among the most relevant of these methods are interviews, focus groups, observational studies, content analysis, and data collection.

About the instructor:

Inge Hutter is professor of Participatory and Qualitative Research in Population and Development at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). She is a cultural anthropologist and demographer by training and conducted qualitative research (anthropology) within a quantitative discipline (demography).

Her qualitative research projects formed the basis for her co-authored Sage book, Qualitative Research Methods, by Hennink, Hutter and Bailey (2011) of which a second edition appeared in 2020 with two additional chapters on the participatory (action) approach to qualitative research, co-authored with Christine Fenenga.

Inge is trained in several leadership styles through courses and workshops in: academic leadership; connecting leadership; professional communication from systemic work perspective; value-driven leadership and transformative leadership. She was also an instructor at SCHIER 2024.

Learn more about the instructor Inge Hutter.

Session description: 

This two-session lectures will provide an introduction to the main learning theories (e.g., behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism) and pedagogical approaches such as active learning, collaborative learning, cooperative learning and blended learning. They help describe and analyse the complex set of relationships developing between teachers and students across various learning contexts and for different learning activities. Examples of pedagogies specifically developed for teaching Informatics (e.g., pair programming, use-modify-create) and technical tools used within these (e.g., visualisation, gamification) will be discussed in greater depth.

About the instructor:

Andreas Mühling is heading the computer science education research group at the Leibniz Institute for Mathematics and Science Education (IPN) and at Kiel University. He focuses on empirical research in K12 computer science with a focus on programming and AI literacy both from learners and teachers persepctives.

He has co-chaired several CSE related conferences, most recently Koli Calling 2023 and 2024, has organized docotoral consortia and serves as a steering board member for the WiPSCE conference. He also currently serves as Associate Editor for Computer Science Education, as part of the steering board of the German Informatics Society's CSE group and as co-speaker of its regional chapter.

Learn more about the instructor Andreas Mühling.

Session description:

This two-session course will equip participants with essential statistical and data analysis skills for conducting research in Informatics Education. The first session will cover key concepts in descriptive statistics, along with the reasoning behind statistical inference, including tests and confidence intervals, for validating findings at the population level. Participants will also learn how to perform regression analysis and ANOVA. In the second session, we will introduce the basics of psychometric scale use and the analysis of latent variable models, providing a foundation for working with survey data in educational research.

About the instructor:

Laura Trinchera is a Professor of Statistics and Data Science at NEOMA Business School in France. She holds a Master’s degree in Business and Economics (2004) and a PhD in Statistics (2008) from the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Laura has been a visiting researcher at several esteemed institutions, including the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the University of Hamburg, Charles University in Prague, HEC School of Management in Paris, and has served as an external lecturer at ESSEC Business School, Sciences Po Paris, and Sorbonne University in Abu-Dhabi. Her research has been published in internationally recognized journals, such as Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Recherche et Applications en Marketing, International Journal of Information Management and Management Decision. She is the coordinator of the Data Science for Insights & Value Creation research group at NEOMA Business School.

Learn more about the instructor Laura Trinchera.

Session description: 

This two-session lecture will address the identification, formulation, and articulation of research questions, discussing various ways they can be implemented, executed, and evaluated. They will also cover how research papers should be written and reviewed. Additionally, a detailed analysis and discussion of one or two case studies published in the literature will be provided. Special attention will be paid to bias and unfounded assumptions, as well as strategies to avoid them.

About the instructor:

Jan Vahrenhold has been Professor for Efficient Algorithms and Algorithm Engineering at the University of Münster since 2012. His research focuses on algorithms and data structures for geometric problems, algorithm engineering with a focus on resource efficiency and computer science education.

Jan Vahrenhold is co-editor-in-chief of "Computer Science Education" and associate editor of "ACM Inroads". He has (co-)chaired several conferences in the field of computer science and computer science education, most recently the ACM International Computing Education Research Conference (ICER 2021/2022). He is a member of the national consortium for the "International Computer and Information Literacy Study" (ICILS 2028). He is also a current member of the Informatics Europe Board, and speaker of the "Computer Science and Education" section of the German Informatics Society. He was an instructor at SCHIER 2024.

Learn more about Jan Vahrenhold.

Session description: Students attending the school will be invited to very briefly (3 min. each) self present themselves: professional background and research topic(s) they are interested into.

Session description:

Once accepted, participants will be invited to submit a poster describing their work, which may focus on their PhD thesis or any topic of their current interest. These posters will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee, and those accepted will be presented for structured discussions among participants, guided by the Scientific Committee, on both Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Posters should indicatively contain the following elements:

• a description of the problem being addressed;
• why this problem has been chosen, overall research goals and specific research questions;
• the research methods applied or considered;
• a broad research plan (optionally with contingency alternatives);
• the current status of the work and any preliminary results obtained.

Session description: 

The Wednesday afternoon session will host an invited presentation on Education in Quantum Computing at IBM Quantum by Fabio Scafirimuto, IBM Quantum Education and Workforce Development EMEA Team Lead.

About the instructor: 

Dr. Fabio Scafirimuto earned his Ph.D. from ETH Zurich while conducting research at the IBM Research Lab in Zurich, specializing in experimental quantum condensed matter physics with a focus on polaritonics. He later joined IBM Quantum’s Community Team, where he contributed to the development of educational content using Qiskit. Since 2021, he has led a team within IBM Quantum dedicated to workforce development, education, and advocacy across the EMEA region.

• Participation in all SCHIER 2025 sessions and activities during the 5-day program;
• Handouts and other relevant teaching materials;
• Coffee breaks and meals according to the schedule (lunch from Monday to Friday, all coffee breaks, social dinner on Tuesday evening, social event on Wednesday). 

Not included: travel and accommodation costs (although a limited number of rooms can be booked at a preferential rate via the registration form for admitted participants).