K12 CS Teaching Methods Courses

Abstract

CS teacher development has become a major effort for the SIGCSE community in part due to NSF’s CS10K efforts and expanding CSTA involvement. However there are few examples of university courses explicitly designed to train CS teachers. We do not yet have clarity on the topics CS education methods courses should cover and how best to prepare teachers to teach learners new to computational problem solving and programming. As an interdisciplinary field of study, CS education must necessarily draw on domain knowledge in CS, research in computing education, as well as research in education and the learning sciences about how students learn, both generally and in computing. At the same time, a methods course must provide prospective teachers with practical, hands-on experiences wherein they integrate research-based best practices with age-appropriate content for their target student population.

BOF attendees are asked to bring materials from their classes and be ready to discuss multiple viewpoints about topics, pedagogical strategies and readings from a rich history of research in computing education and the learning sciences. Such a session will also afford attendees an opportunity to start an important conversation, connect with others who are currently developing and/or teaching CS methods courses, and form a community to share ideas, literature, and syllabi on an ongoing basis. Materials will be shared with the SIGCSE community.