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Computer Science Education

There has been a recent push to include more computer science and computational thinking in K-12 curriculum.

Much of this effort in the United States was the result of the “Computer Science for All” initiative implemented by the U.S. Government in 2016.

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“Computer Science for All” Initiative

In 2016, President Barack Obama announced the “Computer Science for All” initiative that would expand computer science education in the United States

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“Computer Science for All” Initiative – Part 2

The goal of the initiative was “… to empower all American students from kindergarten through high school to learn computer science and be equipped with the computational thinking skills they need to be creators in the digital economy, not just consumers, and to be active citizens in our technology-driven world” (Computer science for all).

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The Concern

There’s a growing concern that these efforts are not reaching all students, as is the intention.

Women, certain minority groups, and people with disabilities are not strongly represented in the tech workforce.

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Students with Disabilities

About 15% of students in the United States K-12 system are identified as having a disability that requires an IEP or 504 plan (Ladner & Israel, 2016).

Most of these students are taught alongside their peers in general education settings and can be taught the basics of computational thinking.

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The Challenges

Teacher attitudes and expectations

Lack of accommodations and accessible materials

Pedagogical approaches

The challenges that can arise with teaching computer science to students with disabilities come in three categories:

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Teacher attitudes and expectations

Many educators have biases towards students with disabilities, thinking they are not capable of learning an abstract subject like computer science.

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Pedagogical approaches

There has been very little research on how to adjust computer science instruction to be more inclusive for those with disabilities.

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Lack of accomodations and accessible materials

Most students learn to code using block-based languages first. While these languages and platforms are good for students with learning disabilitities, they do not work well with screen readers for those with visual impairments.

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The question is…��How can we implement computer science and computational thinking instruction in a way that reaches all students, including those with disabilities?

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Solutions

Acknowledge biases

Educators should first work to identify and acknowledge any biases they have related to certain groups of students learning computer science.

Include everyone

Ensure that students with disabilities are included in computer science and computational thinking education.

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Solutions – Part 2

Use supports

Apply supports that have been identified in other content areas to computer science instruction.

Avoid oversimplifying or over complicating concepts

Work to find a good balance between over-supporting and under-supporting students. Presume compentence in each student and only provide support when needed.

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Solutions – Part 3

Break down tasks

Breaking down tasks into small, specific steps helps all students understand how to solve large computing questions.

Present information in multiple ways

Meet all students’ strengths by presenting information using multiple methods.

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References

Israel, M., Jeong, G., Ray, M., & Lash, T. (2020). Teaching elementary computer science through universal design for learning. Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, 1220–1226. https://doi.org/10.1145/3328778.3366823

Ladner, R. E., & Israel, M. (2016). Broadening“for all” in “Computer science for all.” Communications of the ACM, 59(9), 26–28. https://doi.org/10.1145/2971329

National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Computer science for all. National Archives and Records Administration. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2016/01/30/computer-science-all

Snodgrass, M. R., Israel, M., & Reese, G. C. (2016). Instructional supports for students with disabilities in K-5 computing: Findings from a cross-case analysis. Computers & Education, 100, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.04.011