Exploring Computer Science: A Case Study of School Reform

Abstract

This article will detail efforts to broaden participation in computing in urban schools through a comprehensive reform effort of curricular development, teacher professional development, and policy changes. Beginning with an account of the curricular development of Exploring Computer Science, we will describe the inquiry-based research that underlies these learning materials. Next, we argue that accompanying professional development that supports the curriculum is essential for supporting this inquiry-based approach to computer science instruction. We then explain the policy strategies used to designate this course as a college-preparatory elective and place it in 17 Los Angeles high schools. Finally, we share the initial results of how students experience this course and ongoing challenges encountered when working in the public school system. The article concludes with a discussion of how longitudinal reform effort requires a strong foundation and deep roots to successfully democratize computer science education.

References

1. Bell, T., Fellows, M., and Witten, I. 2009. Computer Science Unplugged! New Zealand.
2. Bransford, J., Brown, A. L., and Cocking, R. R. 1999. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
3. Brickhouse, N. 1990. Teachers’ beliefs about the nature of science and their relationship to classroom practice. J. Teacher Educ. 41, 3, 53.
4. Clandinin, D. and Connelly, F. 1992. Teacher as curriculum maker. In Handbook of Research on Curriculum. 363--401.
5. CSTA Teacher Certification Task Force. 2008. Ensuring Exemplary Teaching in an Essential Discipline: Addressing the Crisis in Computer Science Teacher Certification. Computer Science Teachers Association, New York.
6. Dewey, J. 1938. Experience and Education. Touchstone, New York.
7. Eglash, R., Bennett, A., O Donnell, C., Jennings, S., and Cintorino, M. 2006. Culturally situated design tools: Ethnocomputing from field site to classroom. Amer. Anthrop. 108, 2, 347--362.
8. Gallagher, J. 1991. Prospective and practicing secondary school science teachers. Sci. Educ. 75, 1, 121--133.
9. Goode, J. 2007. If you build teachers, will students come? The role of teachers in broadening computer science learning for urban youth. J. Educ. Comput. Res. 36, 1, 65--88.
10. Goode, J. and Chapman, G. 2009. Exploring Computer Science. Computer Science Equity Alliance, Los Angeles. http://www.exploringcs.org/.
11. Goode, J., Estrella, R., and Margolis, J. 2006. Lost in Translation: Gender and High School Computer Science. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
12. Hashweh, M. 1996. Effects of science teachers’ epistemological beliefs in teaching. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 33, 1, 47--63.
13. Keys, C. and Bryan, L. 2001. Coconstructing inquiry-based science with teachers: Essential research for lasting reform. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 38, 6, 631--645.
14. Knight, J. 2007. Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.
15. Knight, J. 2008. Coaching: Approaches and Perspectives. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.
16. Maloney, J. H., Peppler, K., Kafai, Y., Resnick, M., and Rusk, N. 2008. Programming by choice: Urban youth learning programming with scratch. In Proceedings of the 39th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education. ACM
17. Margolis, J., Estrella, R., Goode, J., Holme, J. J., and Nao, K. 2008. Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
18. Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., and Gonzalez, N. 1992. Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Practice 31, 2, 132--141.
19. Moses, R. and Cobb, C. 2001. Radical Equations: Math Literacy and Civil Rights. Beacon Press, Boston, MA.
20. Tucker, A., Deek, F., Jones, J., McCowan, D., Stephenson, C., and Verno, A. 2003. A Model Curriculum for K-12 Computer Science: Final Report of the ACM K-12 Task Force Curriculum. Association for Computing Machinery, Computer Science Teachers Association, New York.
21. Vygotsky, L. 1978. Mind in Society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
22. White, B. Y. and Fredrickson, J. R. 1997. The ThinkerTools Inquiry Project: Making Scientific Inquiry Accessible to Students. Center for Performance Assessment, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ.
23. White, B. Y. and Frederiksen, J. R. 1998. Inquiry, modeling, and metacognition: Making science accessible to all students. Cogn. Instruct. 16, 1, 3--118.
24. Wilson, C. and Harsha, P. 2009. The long road to computer science education reform. Comm. ACM 52, 9, 33--35.
25. Wing, J. M. 2006. Computational thinking. Comm. ACM 49, 3, 33--35.

Index Terms

• Social and professional topics

  • Professional topics

    • Computing education

      • Computing education programs

        • Computer science education

      • Model curricula