Research, Resources and Communities: Informal Ed as a Partner in Computer Science Education Cameron L. Fadjo
Betsy DiSalvo
Irene Lee
(Moderator) Google, Inc. Mountain View, CA
[email protected]
Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA
[email protected]
Santa Fe Institute Santa Fe, New Mexico
[email protected]
Karen Peterson National Girls Collaborative Project Lynnwood, WA
[email protected] and information is largely absent or difficult to understand [2]. In this panel, we hear from researchers, developers, and advocates leading innovative programs and initiatives designed to specifically address the general population for whom computer science, computer programming, or ‘coding’ is not a familiar concept. The session is designed to inform the computer science education community of the challenges associated with identifying who is (and who is not) using informal learning resources, as well as highlight the range of solutions that have the potential to significantly impact and transform access to informal CS education among the general population. Knowledge of some of the limitations with existing informal CS education programs will help researchers, developers, and policy leaders create more effective solutions and programs.
SUMMARY Informal computer science (CS) education is currently taking shape within the myriad of social and technological solutions available to a wider audience. Increased access to low-cost mobile devices has led to the proliferation of web-based CS education programs accessible by more and more people. Online social networks further bolster the dissemination of information and help establish connections among individuals knowledgeable about the discipline. The disconnection comes when a solution is created but no strategy is devised to support distribution among the general population. In this overview we will outline the scope of this problem within the context of informal CS education by illustrating the range of programs and issues addressed by the panelists. We will highlight how each program contributes to core challenges within informal CS education and situate them within an approach that has the potential to transform how informal CS education programs are supported, developed, and scaled.
In this session project leaders and directors of various programs will talk briefly about their informal CS education projects and highlight action-oriented strategies that have been implemented to address their specific challenge within the informal CS education space. Contributions collected by each panelist from the informal CS education community will illustrate how theory and practice intersect within their particular project or program. Effective implementation strategies will be shared and the panelists will facilitate a discussion with the audience on next steps within the informal CS education space.
Categories and Subject Descriptors K.3.2 [Computers and Education]: Computer and Information Science Education – Computer science education, Curriculum
General Terms: Measurement, Design, Human Factors Keywords:
Informal CS education, Search Engine, Custom Search, Access, Out-of-school Program, After School Program
2. INFORMAL CS EDUCATION ACCESS
Recent interest from the general population in teaching all students to ‘code’ or learn computer science (CS) has led to a surge in the number of structured, high-quality, web-based CS education programs, such as Code.org, Khan Academy, and Codecademy. While there are a number of programs for increasing access among students from typically underserved populations (Black Girls Code, Made With Code, Girls Who Code), there remains a large segment of the general population for whom access to high-quality materials
(Betsy DiSalvo) Computer science is a topic that has been on the forefront of informal educational technology. Parents and children can freely access amazing CS educational technology tools such as drag and drop programing languages or instructional sites and programs. However, the evidence suggests that children of well-educated and wealthy parents are disproportionately using these sites [4]. This leaves students from less educated and poor families less likely to form an early interest in CS and further behind if they do enter a CS class.
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The issues that impact parents and children’s access to information about informal CS education are more than means of access to the Internet. Multiple dimensions of access to information technology, including autonomy of use and social support [1] and issues of credibility [3], demonstrate that design of computer interactions directly impacts access to resources.
SIGCSE’15, March 4–7, 2015, Kansas City, MO, USA. ACM 978-1-4503-2966-8/15/03. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2676723.2677329
This session will present research on common CS education search terms among a low-income population and their results on Google
1. INTRODUCTION
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search engine. Findings demonstrate a lack of informal CS learning resources for this population. The goal of the session is to discuss solutions to help address this issue, as a community of CS educators, and to develop and adopt standards of best practices that make our sites and resources more available.
In this presentation affordances of informal CS programs will be shared and discussion of how to bridge from grassroots outreach approaches to incorporate other methods to share information on CS resources with parents and students will ensue. Irene Lee is the director of the Learning Lab at Santa Fe Institute. She was the principal investigator of Santa Fe Institute’s Project GUTS (NSF-AYS #0639637, 01/01/07-12/31/10) and GUTS y Girls (NSF-ITEST #1031421, 09/01/10-08/31/14).
Betsy DiSalvo is an Assistant Professor in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology. She focuses on understanding how culture impacts people’s practices with technology and designing new learning environment.
5. BROADER NETWORKS (Karen Peterson)
3. FINDING MATERIALS (Cameron L. Fadjo)
Launched in 2000, the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) has scaled to serve 39 states and serves more than 15,000 programs. Funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, this network of informal education programs includes CS programs operating in a variety of formats. The NGCP model has been successfully implemented via the Computer Science Collaboration Project, which identified and implemented strategies to increase access for youth with disabilities and Hispanic/Latino(a) youth.
Searching for the ‘right’ resource, whether it’s a classroom activity for students or an after school program for a child, is very challenging if using discipline-specific words is the primary way to access this information and knowledge of such terms is limited. Research shows that online searches by parents or educators with limited experience or exposure to computer science using generic phrases (such as “kids computer learning”) often yields search results that are inefficient or unproductive [2].
The NGCP implements a tested, comprehensive program that uses collaboration to expand and strengthen computer science opportunities for underserved youth. Regional Collaborative leadership teams use the NGCP model to create a network of professionals, researchers, and practitioners, facilitating collaboration within this network, and delivering high-quality research-based professional development.
Google, in response to these limitations, created a custom search engine for computer science education (‘Computer Science Custom Search’) to address the issue of finding appropriate resources encountered by users with a limited ‘CS vocabulary.’ Launched on the CS4HS website (cs4hs.com/resources/cscs.html) in November 2014, CS Custom Search contains over 550 websites, primarily for the K-12 audience, that comprise the breadth of available CS education websites on the Internet.
This session will highlight the research-based exemplary practices, program models, and products that are designed to strengthen project and program capacity for informal CS educators and learners.
This session will highlight the key features of the site, including the guidance provided by CS Custom Search to support those with limited ‘CS vocabulary’ and share findings from the CS community illustrating the benefits of using custom search to support the efforts of informal CS education initiatives.
Karen Peterson is the Principal Investigator for the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP). Designed by Peterson, the NGCP seeks to maximize access to shared resources for public and private sector organizations interested in expanding girls’ participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Cameron L. Fadjo is Project Lead for Computer Science Custom Search at Google, Inc.
4. RECRUITING STUDENTS FOR CS IN AFTERSCHOOL (Irene Lee)
6. INTENDED AUDIENCE This panel is designed for all educators and leaders, especially those working in the local or global community to create, support, and/or scale informal CS education programs. This session is intended for educators interested in research- and field-based implementations of community-based programs, leaders interested in best practices for effective scaling strategies of informal CS education programs, and researchers interested in strategies for evaluating and improving equity and access among non-traditional CS learner populations.
Project GUTS—Growing Up Thinking Scientifically— is an afterschool program that engages middle school students in scientific research with the aim of increasing the number of students prepared for high school science classes and careers in STEM and Computing. Recruitment of diverse student populations for Project GUTS has been achieved through reaching out to the local community at schools. A two-fold recruitment strategy was used. Family CS Nights were offered at a local elementary school to introduce families from underrepresented groups in CS (primarily Hispanic/Latino and low SES) to computer science through handson design and build activities in Scratch and StarLogo, and to raise awareness of CS as a potential career track for students. These evening events also served to prime students to look for Project GUTS clubs upon reaching middle schools throughout the city. At local middle schools, information booths were set up and presentations were made at back-to-school nights and school-wide assemblies. Older near-peer Project GUTS student mentors served as recruiters and middle school teachers were asked to refer students to Project GUTS.
7. REFERENCES [1] DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E., Celeste, C., and Shafer, S., 2004. Digital Inequality: From Unequal Access to Differentiated Use. Social inequality, 355-400. [2] DiSalvo, B., Reid, C., and Khanipour Roshan, P., 2014. They Can't Find Us: The Search for Informal Cs Education. In Proceedings of the SIGCSE (Atlanta, GA2014). [3] Flanagin, A.J. and Metzger, M.J., 2000. Perceptions of Internet Information Credibility. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 77, 3, 515-540. [4] Reardon, S.F., 2011. The Widening Academic Achievement Gap between the Rich and the Poor: New Evidence and Possible Explanations. Whither opportunity, 91-116
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