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2012-13 Outreach Committee Report: Enhancing Computer Science Education in Canada

The 2012-13 report from the Outreach Committee highlights progress in increasing Canadian youth interest in Computer Science (CS). The committee's mandate focuses on shifting educational perspectives on CS through formal teaching and the establishment of Computer Science Teachers Associations (CSTAs). The report outlines initiatives like panel discussions at major conferences, various university events promoting CS, and the formation of CSTA chapters across Canada. Following its successes, the committee also sets goals for future outreach opportunities and recommendations for the coming year to further improve engagement.

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2012-13 Outreach Committee Report: Enhancing Computer Science Education in Canada

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  1. OUTREACH COMMITTEE REPORT 2012-13 Danny Silver – Acadia University Daryl Hepting – University of Regina

  2. OUTLINE • Purpose and Mandate of the Committee • Progress in 2012-13 • Election of 2013-15 Chair • Opportunities • Requests/Recommendations for coming year • Discussion

  3. PURPOSE OF THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE • To increase Canadian youth interest in the study of Computer Science and its many areas of research and application

  4. 2011-13 MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE • To shift the CS perspective of teachers, counselors, administrators, and policy makers in the educational systems of our provinces & territories • To encourage formal teaching of computer science and growth of Computer Science Teachers Association or CSTA-like organizations • CSTAs provides opportunities for K-12 teachers and students to better understand computing disciplines and to more successfully prepare them to teach and learn.  http://csta.acm.org/

  5. CS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS IS HEATING UP • UK: Computing in Schools has made great strides in this regard • http://royalsociety.org/education/policy/computing-in-schools/ • http://www.computingatschool.org.uk • USA: Computing in the Core program is starting to have an impact • http://www.computinginthecore.org

  6. PROGRESS -WEBSITE

  7. PROGRESSSIGITE 2012 PANEL DISCUSSION OCTOBER, 2012 • CACS/AIC (with encouragement from CSTA) organized a Panel Discussion at the 13th Annual SIGITE (Information Technology Education) conference in Calgary in October, 2012, entitled "CS/IT Outreach from a Canadian Perspective". • Daryl Hepting (moderator), University of Regina  • Gerry Donaldson, University of Calgary • Rick Gee, Okanagan College • The panel gave a representation of very encouraging CS/IT outreach efforts in Canada offered by various organizations working in this space: • Canadian Association of Computer Science/Association d’Informatique Canadienne (CACS/AIC) • Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) • Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow’s ICT Skills (CCICT) • Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA – international, with chapters forming across Canada)  

  8. PROGRESSCSEDWEEKDEC, 2012 • Several universities reported events during this period: • UBC, Calgary - Lab tours by students • Lethbridge - Robotics Day • Saskatchewan – Connect 2012 for female secondary students • Regina – co-organized luncheon with CIPS • Brock – Annual CS Fair • Queens – Open house • Waterloo – CS4U Day 2012 • U of T Mississauga – School visits by faculty • Preference over CanCompEd in February: • Late start for CanCompEd.ca marketing • Some say that access to faculty and university students better in December

  9. PROGRESS CANCOMPED.CAFEB 22, 2013 • 16 universities reported events: • Acadia – Robot Programming Competitions • Dalhousie – Computational Linguistics Olympics • UNB – CS Unplugged events, Teaching for the future • McGill – Technology Career Fair • Guelph – Tech Showcase • Windsor, York – Open house • Manitoba – integrated with INFO DAYS • Regina – Interactive sessions with students • CIPS Alberta – Women in Technology • U of A – Growing the High Tech Sector • Lethbridge – Reading Week Camps • UBC – TeckTrek • Need to capture greater media attention in 2014

  10. PROGRESS SCRATCH DAY CANADAFEB 22, 2013 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqDkqYEwTgA • In Regina, busy from start to finish: • Scratch • LEGO WeDo • Makey Makey • S4A (Scratch for Arduino) • Enchanting (Scratch/BYOB modified for control of LEGO Mindstorm robots) • Media coverage: • http://www.leaderpost.com/technology/welcomes+elementary+students/8005566/story.html • http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/Computer+literacy/7988359/story.html

  11. PROGRESSFORMATION OF CSTA CHAPTERS • PEI and Newfoundland – Efforts have been made to work with Ministry of Education • Nova Scotia – Committee formed, CSTA chapter submission by end of June! • New Brunswick – Working to form a committee • Quebec – Youth Fusion Quebec, since 2008 • Ontario – Assoc. for Computer Studies Educators (ACSE) • Manitoba - ?U of Manitoba? • Saskatchewan – CSTA formed in 2012 • Alberta – CSTA formed in 2011 • British Columbia – CSTA formed in 2012 • Northwest Territories - ?Aurora College? • Nunavut - ?Nunavut Arctic College? • Yukon - ?Yukon College?

  12. EXPERIENCES IN REGINA • Summer Camp • CSEdWeek luncheon with CIPS (panel: “Making IT for Everyone”): now Education is on CIPS radar, committee to meet in Regina • Technovation Challenge (Hack Day, competition) • CanCompEd Day / Scratch Day: good turnout & interest amongst 8-12 yr. olds • http://scratched.media.mit.edu/resources/binary-guessing-game-activity • Science Rendezvous: Digital Rockstar Bootcamp • Reprised CanCompEd Day activities • Presented to Sciematics (Science/Math Teachers) • UCOSP • Blog about it: http://www2.uregina.ca/yourblog/?s=computer

  13. ELECTION OF OUTREACH CHAIR 2013-15 • Call for Nominations: • Chair – Daryl Hepting, U of Regina • All current members willing to continue: • Vice-Chair – Danny Silver, Acadia U • Secretary – Debbie McAnany, UNB

  14. OPPORTUNITIES • Awards for High School students • Modelled after US-based scholarships • http://ww2.ncwit.org/award/award.index.php [HS] • http://www.cra.org/ [undergrad] • Local & National competitions and awards • national could be (more) symbolic • local could have scholarships (alumni, local business contributions)? • Opportunity for publicity • Define terms, process

  15. OPPORTUNITIES • Schools of Education: CS Teacher education • Development of Certificates and Masters in CS Education • CSTA workshop: instructional methods course based on “Exploring Computer Science” • Get free, ready-to-use, resources for teachers (Scratch 2.0 is web-based) • CSTA benefit: Oracle Academy, free of charge

  16. OPPORTUNITIES • Provinces: Make CS “teachable subject” • Create CS beyond 20/30 (Grade 11&12) levels • Move CS into Science from “Practical & Applied Arts”, “Tech Ed”, etc.

  17. OPPORTUNITIES • Survey Schools and Teachers (Nationally): • http://csta.acm.org/Research/sub/HighSchoolSurveys.html • http://ce21maryland.umbc.edu/files/2013/01/CE21%E2%80%93Maryland-Report.pdf • Get good data from which recommendations can be made

  18. OPPORTUNITIES • Work on a national umbrella group that can deal with K-12 CS Education (computinginthecore.org) • Opportunities for greater participation in CanCompEd events outside CACS/AIC: SIAST, Humber College, etc. • Empower as lobbyists on our behalf: • School Administrators • Teachers • Parents • CSEdWeek is initiative of computinginthecore.org, funded by membership fees • Letters to Provincial Ministers of Education for lobbying for CS education

  19. REQUESTS / RECOMMENDATIONS • Update web presence • Wikipedia entry • Facebook, twitter? • Link 3rd-party blog: stories about what is happening at 59 member institutions

  20. OPPORTUNITIES • Outreach Committee: • Regional representation; each ctee member be the contact for 5-10 of 59 member institutions: • Encourage participation in one (or more) of national outreach opportunities to get kids on university campuses: • CSEdWeek: Dec. 8-14, 2013 (Regina exams start Dec. 7) • CanCompEd Day + Scratch Day Canada: Feb. 21, 2014 • Science Rendezvous: May 10, 2014 • Solicit blog entries about their local activities • Encourage CS4HS applications • Encourage involvement in teacher conferences [Science, Math, Middle Years, etc.] (contribute sessions, help to get CS speaker (ACM Distinguished Speaker program?) • Support committee members in attending conferences like CSTA, SIGCSE, SIGITE

  21. REQUESTS / RECOMMENDATIONS • CACS/AIC • continue support for CSTA chapter, or CSTA-like organization in every province • Support Canadian Computing Education Day • Authorize Outreach Ctee to get others “into tent” (may spark larger discussions • Ask Awards Ctee to consider framework for HS awards • Support survey to assess CSEd in Canada • CACS/AIC members: • become institutional members of CSTA (free for 1st year, $200 afterwards) • encourage faculty to apply for CSTA membership (free of charge) • Commit to 1 (or more) national outreach opportunities • Investigate local requirements for new HS award

  22. MOTION • Approve up to $15,000 for Outreach Committee to engage in activities: • National Survey ($6000) • Conference representation ($6000) • CanCompEd promotion + website ($3000)

  23. DISCUSSION

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