Does a taste of computing increase Computer Science enrollment?

Abstract

Abstract-This study investigated the impact of the ExploringComputer Science (ECS) program on the likelihood that students of all races and gender would pursue further computer science coursework in high school. ECS is designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around computer science concepts. If the course provides a meaningful and relevant experience, it will increase students' expectancies of success as well as increase their perceived value for the field of computer science. Using survey research, we sought to measure whether the relevance of students' course experiences influenced their expectancies and value and whether those attitudes predicted whether students pursued further computer science coursework. The results indicate that students whose course experience increased expectancies for success were more likely to take another course.

Does a Computer Science Graduation Requirement Contribute to Increased Enrollment in Advanced Computer Science Coursework?

“…The results indicate that students subject to the graduation requirement took additional CS coursework at a much lower rate (13%) than students who took ECS as an elective (43%) [4]. However, the total number of students taking ECS has significantly increased, so the total number of students taking additional CS will also continue to increase.…”

“…It quickly grew to include around 4600 students in the year before the graduation requirement. Almost half of the students who took ECS as an elective class (43%) went on to take additional high school computer science coursework, compared to one quarter of the students (26%) who started with a different computer science class [4].…”

Equal Outcomes 4 All

“…Prior studies have successfully documented the impact of this professional development on the quality of ECS implementation [13]. Prior studies have also shown that students' perceptions of the relevance of the ECS course experiences influence students' attitudes towards computer science and influence the likelihood that students will pursue further computer science coursework [6,19].…”

Pythagorean Approximations for LEGO: Merging Educational Robot Construction with Programming and Data Analysis

“…This may form a particularly nice integration of the programming, data analysis, and robotics units of the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) curriculum [4], which has been implemented in many high schools in the United States. Initiated in Los Angeles, ECS is now in the seven largest US school districts and many other locations [3], and it has had a particularly strong impact in Chicago [1,13]; it is also attracting some international attention.…”