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Gail Chapman, UCLAApril 19, 2012

2 Research and Philosophy of ECS

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Research Leading to ECS What is computer

science, anyway? Course offerings vary

between schools Computing courses

have no academic home Culture of low

expectations around computing knowledge

Little curricular connections with students’ experiences

Counselors need information

Teachers need support Students have interest!

Issues that are often missing from the conversation— Schools with high numbers of students of

color tend to have low-level courses, such as keyboarding. (At the time only 11 out of 57 high schools in LAUSD offered AP CS.).

Counselors don’t steer girls and students of color to cs.

The privilege of having access at home is seen as an indicator of ability while those without such access get kept out.

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Broadening Participation in Computing for Underrepresented Students

Democratizing CS Education Rather than focus our attention on the

traditional pipeline issues, we have chosen to approach this as an equity issue.

As a community we argue that the ability to think computationally is an essential 21st century skill—so we need to prepare all students to have this fundamental knowledge to be able to fully participate in society.

If more students are given these opportunities a side effect should be a natural enrichment of the pipeline.

How do we make this happen? Availability of courses for all students in all schools—

Build courses at all schools, so that any student who desires to access this knowledge can do so, whether or not the students are college bound.

Curriculum and assessment— Tailored towards students in meaningful ways Developed to highlight the multiple ways of knowing

and learning that students bring to classrooms. Teachers—

Must be supported in developing an inclusive inquiry based pedagogy that is effective for engaging girls and students of color.

8 ECS as a Model for CS Reform

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Model of CS Education Reform

Curriculum

Teachers &

PedagogyPolicy

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ECS Equitable Learning Model

Inquiry Teaching & LearningEquity & Classroom Culture

CS Concepts

11 ECS Curriculum and PD

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The ECS Curriculum

Creative nature of computing

Technology as a tool for solving problems

Relevance of computer science and its impact on society

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ECS Instructional Units

1.Human Computer Interaction

2.Problem Solving3.Web Design4.Introduction to

Programming 5.Computing and Data

Analysis6.Robotics

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ECS Computational Practices

Analyze effects of development in computing Design and implement creative solutions and

artifacts Apply abstractions and models Analyze one’s own computational work and

the work of others Connect computing with other disciplines Communicate thought processes and results

in multiple formats Work effectively in teams

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ECS Computer Science Concepts

Unit 1: Human Computer Interaction• Hardware components• Tasks suitable for computers• Reliability of Internet searches• Communication as data

exchange• Societal impacts of computing

(throughout)

Unit 2: Problem Solving• Creation of algorithms

that meet specified objectives

• Behaviors of algorithms• Tradeoffs of different

algorithms for same problem

• Binary numbers and computers

• Expression of solutions using design tools

• Characteristics of problems that cannot be solved by an algorithm

Unit 3: Web Design• Web pages that address

specific objectives• Selection of appropriate

techniques to create web pages

• Separation of style from content in web page design

Unit 4: Introduction to Programming• Appropriate algorithms to

solve a problem• Abstraction to design solutions

to problems• Design, code, test, and

execute a program that corresponds to a set of specifications

• Selection of appropriate programming structures (data types, loops, sequencing)

• Debugging of programs• Explanations of how programs

function

Unit 5: Computing & Data Analysis• Various forms of data• Appropriate data

collection methods• Analysis and

interpretation of data• Representation of data

and identification of patterns

• Using data to make a case or describe a phenomenon

Unit 6: Robotics• Characteristic that define

a robot • How different hardware

designs affect the function of a machine

• Correspondence between actions of the robot and parts of the program

• Ways that robots can be used in a variety of settings

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The ECS Professional Development Highlight the ECS conceptual structure and dynamic

relationship between curriculum, computer science concepts, pedagogy, and diverse student learners in the classroom

Model and make explicit characteristics of an engaging inquiry-based pedagogy

Consider multiple methods and purposes for formative and summative evaluations of student learning

Deepen discussions around equity issues in CS classrooms

Develop reflective practitioner skills and strategies Build professional ECS teacher community to provide

support, guidance, mentoring

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ECS Summer Institute PD – June 2011

18 Scope and Impact of ECS

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ECS Student Enrollment 2008-2009 (pilot) = 306

students 2009-2010 = 922 students 2010-2011 = 1,377 students 2011-2012 = 2,136 students

ECS 2011-2012 ENROLLMENT—25 schools

Race/Ethnicity Female Male TotalLatino 734 915 1,649Asian 46 81 127African American

92 108 200

White 25 57 82Pacific Islander 1 0 1Native American 4 5 9Filipino 21 47 68TOTAL 923 1,213 2,136

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The ECS Policy ApproachLOCAL District support; memos to

principals Principal support; place class

in master schedule Teacher support; attend PD

and advocate for classSTATE Partner with San Jose,

Oakland ECS schools UCOP– Awarded “G credit”

and CTE credit to ECS Catalyst for California

Computer Science Advocacy Network (CCEAN)

ECS Expansion Chicago

Office of CTE for the CPS has decided to make ECS the foundation course for all 5 IT strands.

Plan is to have all CTE teachers prepared to teach ECS and all strands fully implementing (3 year plan)

ECS will also count as a math credit.

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Ingredients for Success—Preliminary Findings

Interested/enthusiastic teachers Embrace philosophy and participate in PD

Investment in strong collaborative local partnerships Effective communication mechanisms to facilitate cooperative decision-

making A network of teachers, administrators, and school officials to address

the issues of institutionalism and sustainability. Recruiting is made easier when the infrastructure is in place.

Local support for professional development and building a strong teacher learning community Ongoing PD is necessary for building and sustaining a teacher learning

community When teachers reflect on the practice of teaching rather than just

focusing on content they are more likely to make changes that will support the learning of diverse student populations

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Questions?

chapgail@gmail.comwww.exploringcs.org

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