university of maryland curriculum in a box presentation sigcse 2015
TRANSCRIPT
University of Maryland Curriculum In A Box csinbox.cs.umd.edu
Elissa Redmiles & Sean Kross eredmil1 seankross
Pre-‐tested package of resources for parents and teachers to introduce middle and high school students to computer science. Students explore computer science through web development and social media programming. Facilitate posiHve percepHons of computer scienHsts through relatable role model stories and videos.
Goals
“Student centered”: leverages auditory, visual, problem-‐solving, and exploratory learning strategies
Inclusive toward underrepresented students and those with (dis)abiliHes
Can be implemented by adults with no programming experience
Interviewed 7 middle/high school computer science teachers
Design Process
Types of quesHons: • What would be helpful to include in a teachers
guide? What would best help you teach computer science in your classroom?
• What format would be most useful: PPT/HTML/PDF?
• Do you know HTML/CSS? • What type of content would be most compelling
to your students?
Design Insights
Week-‐by-‐week guide with exactly how to implement curriculum in the classroom would be useful
modular & flexible Assessments
prove student success to administrators
100% web-‐based tool many schools do not allow downloading of resources onto school computers
A middle school student has an a\enHon span of 12 minutes Vawter, D. Mining the Middle School Mind. (Na3onal Associa3on of Elementary School Principals.
Video
Problem solving based learning use a challenge project to drive students to apply newly learned material
Relatable role models drive students’ selecHon and compleHon of a compuHng career
Fisher, A., Margolis, J., & Miller, F. Undergraduate women in computer science: experience, moHvaHon and culture. SIGCSE .
75% of girls | 60% of boys use social media daily
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Even though girls spend less Hme on the computer than their male peers, they spend more Hme on social media. Programming within social media frameworks provides an opportunity for open ended creaHvity, which NCWIT advocates as a strategy to improve engagement in computer science. Cohoon, M. and Barker, L. A?rac3ng Students through an Engaging Introductory
Compu3ng Curriculum. NCWIT.
Switch to adding a border
Exhibit a computer scienHst focused social media plaborm Show how programming can be collaboraHve Promote career development and pride in programming work created through a programming portfolio hosted on GitHub pages
Screen reader accessibility & text-‐based descripHons of all visual assets
Closed capHoning for all videos
Used Bootstrap to develop for enhanced accessibility
Curriculum-‐In-‐A-‐Box implemented in aDer-‐school program
8-‐10 students in the program each week 6th and 7th graders 100% female students 100% underrepresented minority students Facilitated by 3 female college students majoring in computer science
