Postgraduate Course: Subject Specialism: Computing Science (1) (EDUA11368)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course examines pedagogical approaches to computing science education in primary and secondary schools. It considers the progression of core concepts in computational thinking, and how to support learners' development of these using non-digital activities as well as appropriately designed programming environments. |
| Course description |
The purpose of the course is to provide students with pedagogical content knowledge for computing science at school level. It is based on contemporary research in computing science education, both empirical and theoretical. It starts from the premise that computational thinking should be accessible to all. Previous approaches to CSE have not been sufficiently inclusive, leading to the popular notion that computing is only for particular groups of people, and the marked gender imbalance in the technology industry. This course therefore examines a range of specific approaches to supporting all students to succeed, such as using non-computer based activities to aid understanding of underlying concepts, the initial focus on code reading rather than writing, the role of visual representations in programming, and the creating a supportive classroom environment.
The course is organised as 5 × 2 hour classes, group discussion and student presentations/demonstrations. Each week, students will be provided opportunities to discuss and share different perspectives on course material and related issues. They will reflect on how the course reading relates to their site-based learning experiences.
Indicative topics include: computational thinking; the international context, Scottish computational thinking curriculum framework; supporting the development of programming skills; key misconceptions and inclusion.
This course is followed by Computer Science Education (2) which focuses more on assessment and details of the SQA awards for this subject.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
88 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This 10-credit course is assessed by project work.
The course uses a student-driven assessment approach in which the students negotiate with the course organiser about a personally meaningful topic for their project which is consistent with the learning outcomes of the course.
On agreement of topic:
Part 1 of the task is to develop a theorised proposal that details the aim of the project, a rationale and clear identification of associated pedagogies, the deliverables and a plan for carrying it out with site-based colleagues. There is scope for students to collaborate on a group project to undertake larger, more challenging topics.
Part 2 of the task will constitute a report and reflection on the development and implementation of the project. This will usually take the form of a portfolio which will contain the deliverables including a reflective report.
Part 1 is a formative assessment, with Part 2 worth 100% of the summative grade.
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| Feedback |
Written comments will be provided on assessment 1) to guide the student towards successful completion of assessment 2. Students will also have opportunity to informally regularly discuss their project work with their peers and staff. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Determine appropriate, original and creative pedagogical and assessment approaches for different stages of learners in computer science.
- Skilfully use a range of non-digital and educational computing environments to support the development of computational thinking skills
- Apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of results in computer science education research to inform their teaching
- Use their awareness of inclusion to ensure that female and minority students can thrive in their classrooms
- Analyse their learning on this course in relation to relevant core concepts of social justice, sustainability, global perspectives, digital and statistical literacies and professional inquiry skills.
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Reading List
INDICATIVE TEXTS:
Grover, S., & Pea, R. (2013). Computational Thinking in K-12: A Review of the State of the Field. Educational Researcher, 42(1), 38:43. doi:10.3102/0013189X12463051
Grover, S., Cooper, S., & Pea, R. (2014). Assessing computational learning in K-12. Proceedings of the 2014 Conference on Innovation & Technology in Computer Science Education - ITiCSE :14, (June), 57-62. doi:10.1145/2591708.2591713
Guzdial, M. (2016) Learner-Centered Design of Computing Education: Research on Computing for Everyone. Morgan Claypool Publishers.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will have the ability to:
Support learners in the development of computational thinking skills
Critically examine current research on computer science education and reflect on how this can be applied to their teaching
Critically evaluate new and emerging educational hardware and software
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| Keywords | computing science,teacher education |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Judy Robertson
Tel: (0131 6)51 6249
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Annabelle MacInnes
Tel: (0131 6)51 7761
Email: |
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