Pedagogy That Supports Computer Science for "All"

The Computer Science (CS) for All movement has taken hold of the United States and CS education is rapidly expanding across nations throughout the world. Yet, as curricula and professional development opportunities are developed, key questions remain about what "works" for engaging youth i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ACM transactions on computing education 2019-11, Vol.19 (4), p.1-23
Main Author: Ryoo, Jean J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access to Education
Computer Science Education
Culturally Relevant Education
Disproportionate Representation
Equal Education
Females
High School Students
Instructional Effectiveness
Low Income Students
Minority Group Students
Social Problems
Teaching Methods
Urban Schools
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Summary:The Computer Science (CS) for All movement has taken hold of the United States and CS education is rapidly expanding across nations throughout the world. Yet, as curricula and professional development opportunities are developed, key questions remain about what "works" for engaging youth in CS education, especially those who are historically underrepresented in the field (including young women, students of color, low-income students). In response, this study answers the questions: What teaching practices do students--who are historically underrepresented in CS--believe are most effective for engaging their interest in CS learning? What pedagogical actions do CS teachers identify as most effective for engaging students? And what do these engaging teaching practices look like in the classroom? Through a qualitative study following three different urban high school Exploring Computer Science classrooms over an entire school year (n = 70 students, 3 teachers; >105h of observation data; >50 interviews with students and teachers), key pedagogical practices that had greatest impact on youth's interest and engagement with CS included: (1) demystifying CS by showing its connections to everyday life; (2) addressing social issues impacting both CS and students' communities; and (3) valuing students' voices and perspectives. This article shares testimonies from students and teachers, as well as examples of these teaching practices in the classroom.
ISSN:1946-6226
1946-6226
DOI:10.1145/3322210