Thawing from a Long Winter in Computer Science Education

With contributing author Marie Bienkowski, computer scientist and education researcher at SRI International, a nonprofit research firm

Many people are aware that there is a current and growing need in the labor force for more computer programmers, software developers, coders, web developers, network and computer systems architects and administrators, and computer and information research scientists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and information technology is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, which is faster than the national average for all occupations. In total, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field will add about 488,500 new jobs, from about 3.9 million jobs to about 4.4 million jobs from 2014 to 2024.  This uptick will result in part from a greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, more everyday items becoming connected to the Internet in what is commonly referred to as the “Internet of things,” and the continued demand for mobile computing.  In 2020, an estimated 1,000,0000 of these jobs will be left unfilled.

Concern that many of these positions will not be able to be filled, with particular concern about the lack of diversity of potential candidates, has led to the blossoming of numerous programs, initiatives and conferences. Notable examples include Code.Org, Girls Who Code, and Black Girls Who Code. These more recent efforts join longer-standing efforts such as those supported by  professional organizations in computer science and information technology, including the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Committee on Women in Computing, the National Center for Women & Information Technology, the Anita Borg Institute and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) programs. Organizations that offer opportunities for recent graduates or other adults who want to gain skills in coding vary in focus and nature, and it is too early to speak to the credibility of their outcomes.  There is also an increasing push to teach computer science as part of the regular K-12 curriculum, such as in the San Francisco Unified School District and in the New York City public schools, as well as several advocacy efforts, such as the Hour of Code, which has reached tens of millions of students in more than 180 countries across the globe.

In January of this year, the Obama administration launched the Computer Science for All Initiative (CS4All), which proposes $4 billion in funding for states and $100 million for districts and invests more than $135 million from the National Science Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service to support and train computer science teachers.  The President called on more politicians, education leaders, CEOs, philanthropists, technology professionals and others to get involved in the efforts.

While the market need to teach computer science skills is undeniable and while equity demands giving all students the opportunity to learn them, operationalizing this kind of education for all learners requires careful planning and execution. Under the leadership of Jan Cuny and others, the National Science Foundation has focused on curricula in secondary schools, including Advanced Placement (AP) and pre-Advanced Placement classes, as well as incorporating computer science in K-12 science classes and researching assessment in the field.  For example, the NSF funded a project which addresses principled assessment of computational thinking. Other organizations are tackling state-specific issues necessary to provide computer science education, including teacher preparation and certification, graduation requirements, and aligning high school coursework with university requirements.

Issues at the K-8 level, on the other hand, center around what to teach and where to fit it into the curriculum.  Entry points in middle school include mathematics, science and computer skills courses, maker labs and robotics programs.  Organizations and individuals such as Shuchi Grover, Scalable Game Design and Code.Org are working on testing modules for middle schools, and have started developing modules for elementary schools.  Code.org and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) are developing A Framework for K-12 Computer Science Education to help states, local education agencies (LEAs), and other computer science stakeholder groups implement computer science standards, programs, and assessments. Current research seeks to understand how to best teach computational thinking and computer science concepts, particularly in K-8 classrooms where standalone computer science courses and curricula are much less developed.

We believe that there should be three main areas of focus for K-8 computer science education.

1) Teach computational thinking in grades K-6 and more complex concepts in higher grades

Young students in grades K-6 should learn the basic ideas in computing and how to solve problems computationally.  Computational thinking can also help in understanding and explaining how things work. Computational thinking can be taught as a complement to science and to principles of engineering design. It can also be taught to support students’ creative expression and artistic talents.  Despite almost a decade of efforts to define computational thinking, there are still critics that suggest we don't know what computational thinking means or how to measure it. The previously mentioned work in standards setting and assessment is helping to more clearly define computational thinking and how it can be incorporated in the classroom.

Students in grades 6-8 should progress to more complex computer science concepts and should learn about the people who have made computing possible to pique career interests.  For example, the ENIAC Programmers Project has created documentaries of women programmers.  It will be important to keep middle school students from "just programming" or playing with games as curriculum developers create learning materials for students in these grades.

2) Celebrate and teach about computer science contributions

Undoubtedly, computer science has made contributions and advancements that have changed our lives in fundamental ways. (The Computer History Museum has created a timeline of exciting developments to date.) Students should be taught to elaborate on these ideas. Students should also be taught about the diverse people who have made the field of computer science possible, spotlighting women and others who are traditionally underrepresented in the computer science workforce. The CODE documentary can serve as a resource for this dialogue.

3)  Focus on what teachers need to know

Teachers in grades K-6 should be given basic background and age-appropriate engaging activities/modules for teaching about computer science.  Open education resources should be available for one-stop shopping.  Some universities are offering programs in computer science for teachers, such as the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education through its development of a new certificate program for K-12 teachers to learn how to teach coding and other concepts in computational thinking and computer science education.

In his announcement about the Computer Science for All Initiative, President Obama asked “How can we make sure everyone has a fair shot at success in this new economy?” The widespread teaching of computer science and computational thinking will force us to examine beliefs about who can "do computing” and to develop innovative approaches to K-12 computer science education if we are going to successfully fill estimated 1,000,0000 positions with a capable and diverse workforce.