Reflections on outreach programs in CS classes: learning objectives for "unplugged" activities

ABSTRACT

To provide a unified view of any scientific field, outreach programs need to realistically portray the subject in question. Consequently, topics and methods actually taught in Computer Science courses should to be touched upon in Computer Science outreach programs or, conversely, elements from successful Computer Science outreach programs can be used to enrich established courses in Computer Science. We follow up on the latter aspect and investigate how outreach material might be used as a teaching resource in lower secondary Computer Science. In particular, we extract and classify learning objectives from the activities of the well-received Computer Science Unplugged program. Based upon this classification, we comment on where and to which extent these activities can be used to enrich teaching Computer Science in secondary education.

References

1. J. C. Adams. Alice, middle schoolers & the imaginary worlds camps. In Proc. 38th SIGCSE Technical Symp. on Computer Science Education, pages 307--311, 2007.
2. S. Alaoutinen and K. Smolander. Student self-assessment in a programming course using bloom's revisedtaxonomy. In Proc. 15th Annual SIGCSE Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2010, pages 155--159, 2010.
3. L. W. Anderson, D. R. Krathwohl, P. W. Airasian, K. A. Cruikshank, R. E. Mayer, P. R. Pintrich, J. Raths, and M. C. Wittrock, editors. A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Abridged Edition. Longman, New York, 2001.
4. T. Bell, P. Curzon, Q. Cutts, V. Dagiene, and B. Haberman. Introducing students to computer science with programmes that don't emphasise programming. In Proc. 16th Annual Joint Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2011, page 391, 2011.
5. T. Bell, I. H. Witten, M. Fellows, and R. Adams. Computer science unplugged. an enrichment and extension programme for primary-aged children. Unplugged, Canterbury, 2002.
6. B. S. Bloom (ed.), M. D. Engelhart, E. J. Furst, W. H. Hill, and D. R. Krathwohl. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. McKay, New York, 1956.
7. P. Curzon. Keynote talk: Serious fun in computer science. In Proc. 12th Annual SIGCSE Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2007, page 1, 2007.
8. P. Curzon, P. W. McOwan, Q. I. Cutts, and T. Bell. Enthusing & inspiring with reusable kinaesthetic activities. In Proc. 14th Annual SIGCSE Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2009, pages94--98, 2009.
9. Q. I. Cutts, M. I. Brown, L. Kemp, and C. Matheson. Enthusing and informing potential computer science students and their teachers. In Proc. 12th Annual SIGCSE Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2007, pages 196--200, 2007.
10. V. Dagiene. Information technology contests -- introduction to computer science in an attractive way. Informatics in Education, 5(1):37--46, 2006.
11. W. P. Dann, S. Cooper, and R. Pausch. Learning to Program with Alice. Pearson Education, London, UK, 2nd ed., 2009.
12. P. J. Denning. Great principles of computing. Comm. ACM, 46(11):15--20, Nov. 2003.
13. Y. Feaster, L. Segars, S. K. Wahba, and J. O. Hallstrom. Teaching CS unplugged in the High School (with limited success). In Proc. 16th Annual Joint Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2011, pages 248--252,2011.
14. M. Felleisen, R. B. Findler, M. Flatt, and S. Krishnamurthi. The TeachScheme! project: Computing and programming for every student. Computer Science Education, 14(1):55--77, 2004.
15. U. Fuller, C. G. Johnson, T. Ahoniemi, D. Cukierman, I. Hernán-Losada, J. Jackova, E. Lahtinen, T. L. Lewis, D. M. Thompson, C. Riedesel, and E. Thompson. Developing a computer science-specific learning taxonomy. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 39(4):152--170, Dec. 2007.
16. J. Gallenbacher. Abenteuer Informatik. IT zum Anfassen - von Routenplaner bis Online-Banking. Spektrum-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2nd ed., 2008. In German.
17. S. Graham and C. Latulipe. CS girls rock: Sparking interest in computer science and debunking the stereotypes. In Proc. 34th SIGCSE Technical Symp. on Computer Science Education, pages 322--326, 2003.
18. M. Kölling. The Greenfoot programming environment. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 10(4), Nov. 2010. Article 14, 21 pages.
19. C. Lang, A. Craig, J. Fisher, and H. Forgasz. Creating digital divas: Scaffolding perception change through secondary school and university alliances. In Proc. 15th Annual SIGCSE Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2010, pages 38--42, 2010.
20. J. H. Maloney, K. Peppler, Y. Kafai, M. Resnick, and N. Rusk. Programming by choice: urban youth learning programming with scratch. In Proc. 39th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, pages 367--371. 2008.
21. R. Mittermeir, E. Bischof, and K. Hodnigg. Showing core-concepts of informatics to kids and their teachers. In Teaching Fundamentals Concepts of Informatics, 4th International Conf. on Informatics in Secondary Schools -- Evolution and Perspectives, ISSEP 2010, volume 5090 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 143--154, Berlin, 2010. Springer.
22. J. Piaget. The Psychology of Intelligence. Routledge Chapman & Hall, London/New York, 2nd ed., 2001.
23. C. W. Starr, B. Manaris, and R. H. Stalvey. Bloom's taxonomy revisited: Specifying assessable learning objectives in computer science. In Proc. 39th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, pages 261--265.2008.
24. R. Taub, M. Ben-Ari, and M. Armoni. The effect of CS unplugged on middle-school students' views of CS. In Proc. 14th Annual SIGCSE Conf. on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2009, pages99--103,2009.
25. C. Wilson, L. A. Sudol, C. Stephenson, and M. Stehlik. Running on empty: The failure to teach K-12 computer science in the digital age. Association for Computing Machinery / Computer Science Teachers Association, 2010. Also available via "http://www.acm.org/Runningonempty".
26. J. M. Wing. Computational thinking. Comm. ACM, 49(3):33--35, Mar. 2006.
27. C. Yehezkel and B. Haberman. Bridging the gap between school computing and the "real world". In Informatics Education -- The Bridge between Using and Understanding Computers International Conference on Informatics in Secondary Schools -- Evolution and Perspectives, ISSEP 2006, volume 4226 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 38--47, Berlin, 2006. Springer.

Index Terms

• Social and professional topics

  • Professional topics

    • Computing education

      • Computing education programs

        • Computer science education

        • Information science education