Decolonising Computer Science Education - A Global Perspective

Karetai, Mawera; Mann, Samuel; Guruge, Dhammika; Licorish, Sherlock A.; Clear, Alison

doi:10.1145/3545945.3569870

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Adopting a balanced view is necessary [30]. We need to incorporate critical analysis that provides a structured way to understand the broader societal impact of technology [14,18,28,34,47]. Only then it will open learning opportunities for us to acknowledge the multifaceted nature of the relationship between computing and social change.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Judith Butler terms this phenomenon "responsibilization" [8]. For a truly fair society, the focus must shift from responsibilization to making larger entities accountable, achieved through collective action and political change [14,28]. This redirection from undue responsibilization is even more pressing given that many of our students are from lower-SES backgrounds and tech jobs are often presented as the only pathway to economic mobility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Socially Responsible Computing in an Introductory Course

Gautam,

Kulkarni,

Hug

et al. 2024

Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education v. 1

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Given the potential for technology to inflict harm and injustice on society, it is imperative that we cultivate a sense of social responsibility among our students as they progress through the Computer Science (CS) curriculum. Our students need to be able to examine the social complexities in which technology development and use are situated. Also, aligning students' personal goals and their ability to achieve them in their field of study is important for promoting motivation and a sense of belonging. Promoting communal goals while learning computing can help broaden participation, particularly among groups who have been historically marginalized in computing. Keeping these considerations in mind, we piloted an introductory Java programming course in which activities engaging students in ethical and socially responsible considerations were integrated across modules. Rather than adding social on top of the technical content, our curricular approach seeks to weave them together. The data from the class suggests that the students found the inclusion of the social context in the technical assignments to be more motivating and expressed greater agency in realizing social change. We share our approach to designing this new introductory socially responsible computing course and the students' reflections. We also highlight seven considerations for educators seeking to incorporate socially responsible computing. CCS CONCEPTS• Social and professional topics → Computing education.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socially Responsible Computing in an Introductory Course

Gautam,

Kulkarni,

Hug

et al. 2024

Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education v. 1

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Building on traditions of using ICT for development (ICT4D) as well as the historical use of ICTs by progressive and social justice movements, many decolonising initiatives are using technology to support marginalised and Indigenous communities to bring their knowledge online [23], including online spaces such as Reddit to build resilience among Asian American and Pacific Islanders [24]. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, a decolonising project focuses on supporting the empowerment of Maori people to shape ICT education and professions through 'seeing Indigenous knowledge as the context for computing, a basis for deeper learning, or even a reason for learning' [25] (p. 1101), while in Guatemala, a project co-designed with the Ixkoj Ajkem Council in Xenacoj, offers 'a novel re-imagination of computational modelling for teaching and learning about complex systems that is grounded in Mayan traditions of garment weaving' [26].…”

Section: Theory and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives of Distance Learning Students on How to Transform Their Computing Curriculum: “Is There Anything to Be Decolonised?”

Tompkins,

Herman,

Ramage

2024

Education Sciences

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Recent years have seen a growing momentum within UK Higher Education institutions to examine the colonial legacy entanglements of teaching materials and knowledge production, as institutions explore what it means to ‘decolonise the curriculum’. While the movement began in the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in response to a student call for the statue of Cecil Rhodes to be removed, elsewhere this has become a top-down imperative from institutions themselves. In 2014 University College London hosted a panel discussion ‘Why Isn’t My Professor Black’ building on the previous year’s video asking, ‘Why is my curriculum white’. By 2020 the #BlackLivesMatter movement once again illuminated the need to rebalance the power of who decides the ‘facts’ with a call for a transformation of knowledge production. Arts and Humanities curricula have been more easily adapted in response to this call, but the argument for decolonisation of STEM subjects in general and computing in particular have been more difficult to articulate. Moreover, the decolonisation shift has been largely confined to bricks and mortar universities, with little exploration of online and distance learning. This paper reports on an initiative in a British distance learning university to decolonise the computing curriculum, with a focus on students’ perspectives and what barriers might be encountered. A survey of just under 400 undergraduate computing students revealed multiple understandings about decolonisation, and reactions ranging from hostility and resistance to strong support and endorsement. Students identified several challenges to student engagement including structural and practical concerns which should inform the computing education community in taking forward this agenda.

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Searching for Computing's Soul: Professional Practice and the Future of Computing Education

Mann

2023

Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Global Computing Education Vol 1

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Decolonising Computer Science Education - A Global Perspective

Cited by 10 publications

References 17 publications

Socially Responsible Computing in an Introductory Course

Socially Responsible Computing in an Introductory Course

Perspectives of Distance Learning Students on How to Transform Their Computing Curriculum: “Is There Anything to Be Decolonised?”

Searching for Computing's Soul: Professional Practice and the Future of Computing Education

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