Pedagogy that Supports Computer Science for All

Abstract

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.

The case for alternative endpoints in computing education

“…Applying CSP to the consideration of alternate endpoints for computing education is vital to ensure that computing is not only open and meaningful to learners with diverse experiences and perspectives, but also to build a future where computing can evolve and grow in response to shifting needs, trends, ideas and goals. It is important to acknowledge this shift extends beyond tools and curricula to include teachers as central to creating equitable, inclusive and effective computational learning experiences (Ryoo, 2019).…”

Powerful Learning with Computational Thinking: Our Why, What, and How of Computational Thinking

“…We strive to go beyond access, designing inclusive opportunities for historically marginalized learners. Stereotypes about who should excel in computing lead to inequitable tracking of young women and students of color out of opportunities in computing (Margolis, 2010;Pinkard et al, 2017;Ryoo, 2019). There is a need for educational systems to rethink opportunities available for students to engage in computing to remove systemic barriers.…”

Engaging Equity Pedagogies in Computer Science Learning Environments

“…A popular curriculum and course in public schools, Exploring Computer Science (ECS), was developed in 2008 to democratize CS learning in secondary classrooms through the use of culturally relevant curricula (Goode & Margolis, 2011;Margolis et al, 2012;Ryoo, 2019;Ryoo et al, 2013). ECS is grounded in students' inquiry-based explorations of CS concepts and issues of equity and has been shown to be aligned with CRC principles (Ryoo, 2019). Over the course of a 3-year period, the number of students enrolled in ECS increased by 53% per year with a dramatic difference in participation rates of Black, Latinx, and girls in contrast to AP computer science (Ryoo et al, 2013).…”

“…Across numerous classroom settings, using ECS has supported students in developing critical consciousness, seeing the relevance of CS to their lives, and learning CS concepts (Goode & Margolis, 2011;N. Howard, 2019;Madkins et al, 2019;Margolis et al, 2012;Ryoo, 2019;Ryoo et al, 2013).…”