Rita Garcia

Dr Rita Garcia

Lecturer

School of Computer Science

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

My research interests are in the field of Computer Science Education (CSE) and in supporting diversity in the fields of Computer Science and Software Engineering. My work focuses on helping Computer Science (CS) students build problems-solving skills that will help them organise and plan programming solutions. Through my research, I developed a pedagogy that introduces introductory programming students to the software design process earlier in their studies. This pedagogy was applied within Canvas, a Learning Management System (LMS), so that students could be supported in a learning environment with minimal supervision. My research also investigates the presentation of programming assignments designed to help CS students identify the problem's goals and provide additional assistance to students to better understand the problem. My experience in industry has motivated me to expand my research to study students' collaboration processes performed during group work. The goal of this work is to help reduce language during group work that might exclude women and underrepresented minorities from pursuing careers in the Tech field.

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2022 Fellowship Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellow Higher Education Academy United Kingdom
    2021 Fellowship IEEE FIE New Faculty Fellow IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE) United States USD$1000
    2018 Award Best Demonstration ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) United States

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2016 - 2020 University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy, Computer Science
    University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee United States BS, Computer Science
    University of California, Santa Cruz United States MS, Computer Science

  • Research Interests
    Computer Software Education Software Engineering

Current Grants

Student communication during group projects: Reporting on gender bias language. R.Garcia, Primary Researcher, SIGCSE Special Project Grants ($3900) (2021)

Prior Grants

Extending Canvas/H5P to Support Adaptive Learning in Large Programming Course. C. Pope, C. Ortega, R.Garcia, Postdoc Researcher, Learning Enhancement and Innovation, University of Adelaide, ($4225) (2020)

Semester 1 2022:

  • COMP SCI 4405 Research Methods in Software Engineering and Computer Science (course coordinator, lecturer)
  • COMP SCI 4023 Software Process Improvement (course coordinator, lecturer)

Semester 2 2021:

  • COMP SCI 1102 Object Oriented Programming (lecturer)
  • COMP SCI 1106 Introduction to Software Engineering (course coordinator, lecturer)

Semester 1 2021:

  • COMP SCI 7210 Foundations of Computer Science - Python A (course coordinator)
  • COMP SCI 7211 Foundations of Computer Science - Python B (course coordinator)
  • COMP SCI 1102 Object Oriented Programming (course coordinator, lecturer)

Trimester 3 2020:

  • COMP SCI 1102 Object Oriented Programming (course coordinator, lecturer)

Semester 2 2020:

  • COMP SCI 1102 Object Oriented Programming (course coordinator, lecturer)
  • COMP SCI 1106 Introduction to Software Engineering (course coordinator, lecturer)

Prior teaching experience as an Adjunct Faculty member at Skyline College (San Bruno, California), City College of San Francisco (San Francisco, California), and Foothill College (Los Altos, California) between 2001-2004. Taught a variety of CS and IT courses, such as Advanced Java, Unix/Shell Scripting, web development, and introductory programming courses.

  • Community Engagement
    Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country
    2021 - ongoing Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women in Leadership Public Community Engagement University of Adelaide

  • Event Participation
    Date Event Name Event Type Institution Country
    2021 - ongoing IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE)
    2021 - ongoing ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education(SIGCSE) Conference ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education(SIGCSE)
    2019 - ongoing IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE)
    2019 - ongoing ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in ComputerScience Education (ITiCSE) Conference ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in ComputerScience Education (ITiCSE)
    2018 - ongoing 18th Koli Calling InternationalConference on Computing Education Research Conference 18th Koli Calling InternationalConference on Computing Education Research
    2018 - ongoing ACM Technical Symposium on ComputerScience Education (SIGCSE) Conference ACM Technical Symposium on ComputerScience Education (SIGCSE)

  • Offices Held
    Date Office Name Institution Country
    2018 - 2020 Senior Infrastructure Engineering Consultant Marvel Studios United States
    2018 - 2018 Senior Software Engineer Method Studios Australia
    2016 - 2017 Senior Infrastructure Engineer Rising Sun Pictures Australia
    2012 - 2016 Senior Infrastructure Engineer Weta Digital New Zealand
    2003 - 2011 Infrastructure Engineer Pixar Animation Studios United States
  • Position: Lecturer
  • Phone: 83131183
  • Email: rita.garcia@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Ingkarni Wardli, floor 5
  • Org Unit: School of Computer Science
Connect With Me
External Profiles