College of Education

Computer Science Teacher Education
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Exploring Computer Science Education Structures and Pathways in Illinois

An Urgent Research Project to Improve Equitable Access and Outcomes

 

Project Overview

Access to technology careers is an urgent equity issue. Technology jobs are more remunerative and recession-proof than other occupations, but many minoritized populations (including women, Latinx, and Black workers) are starkly underrepresented in these professions. This project includes a pair of studies aimed at understanding how to promote success in computer science (CS) education for minoritized learners in Illinois. These studies would examine the current K-12 infrastructure for starting minoritized learners on CS pathways, as well as individual-level factors that encourage or discourage minoritized learners from persisting in CS in post-secondary education or alternative pathways.

 

Project Research Questions

The two-part study will seek to answer the following research questions:

  1. How are districts across the state—particularly in remote rural areas and urban centers—preparing to meet the new requirement around computer science courses? Are districts considering equitable access to CS education in their planning? If so, how?
  2. Which districts, such as Chicago Public Schools, already have a robust computer science curriculum? Do students in these districts perform well and pursue further training after high school?
  3. How are districts, especially rural and small ones, staffing computer science courses when they cannot carry a full-time computer science teacher? What staff structures have the best outcomes for students?
  4. What happens to historically marginalized students who take computer science courses in high school after they graduate?
  5. What can we learn about students who enroll in a computer science degree program in college and then transfer to another major? Why do they choose not to pursue the degree?
  6. What can we learn from students who do the opposite and transfer into a computer science major?

 

These studies are funded through an anonymous donor and are being completed in partnership with the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC).

Illinois Computer Science Education Landscape Report

 

Illinois has made great strides in computer science education, especially in the Chicago area, and is poised to advance this critical area with an intentional and strategically managed effort. Through generous support from the CME Group Foundation, a team at UIUC, led by Dr. Raya Hegeman-Davis will be formed to complete the data collection and report writing. An advisory team will be also created which will include vital stakeholders and leaders in Illinois K-12 Computer Science education. This team will provide input on the critical questions to ask for the landscape report as well as leverage their professional networks to achieve the highest possible response rate from participants. 

This landscape report serves as a first step towards an Illinois plan for computer science education by identifying the successes and opportunities for Illinois computing education. This landscape report will collect data on computing education at all grade levels from kindergarten through community college as well as out of school offerings and opportunities.

Read the final report Here:  Illinois K-12 Computer Science Landscape Report 2021

 

Computer Science Education Spring Speaker Series 2021


April 8, 2021, Dr. Aman Yadav, Professor in the College of Education and Director of the Master’s of Arts in Educational Technology program at Michigan State University. In addition to a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, Dr. Yadav holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Electrical Engineering. His teaching and research focus on computational thinking, computer science education and problem- based learning.

Link to recording of Dr. Yadav talk: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_hmja6f1x

April 22, 2021, Dr. Matthew Berland, is an Associate Professor of Design, Creative, and Informal Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at UW–Madison and Affiliate Faculty in Information Studies, Computer Sciences, Educational Psychology, and Science/ Technology Studies. He uses design-based research to create and analyze tools and learning environments that support students’ creative agency and computational literacies. Berland holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, and he is the founder and director of both the Complex Play Lab and the UW Game Design Program.

Link to recording of Dr. Berland talk: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_46ztfogq

May 6, 2021, Dr. Joanna Goode is the Sommerville Knight Professor in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. She began her career in education as a high school computer science teacher in a large, diverse urban school, and she builds on this experience to research how educational policies and practices can foster equity, access, and inclusion in K-12 computer science education. Joanna has directed multiple National Science Foundation-sponsored research projects, developed the equity-focused Exploring Computer Science high school course, and is the co-author of the book, Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing (MIT Press, 2008/2017).

Link to recording of Dr. Goode talk: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_uc3y9n02


Computer Science Education Policy

 

The computer science teacher education team is working with partners across the state including CS4IL, the State Board of Education, Code.Org, state legislators, and others to establish state level policies for Illinois. These efforts led to the inclusion of computer science education in HB2170 now known as the Education Omnibus Bill. 

HB2170 included the following computer science legislation (signed into law in Spring 2021):

  • CS definition: IL will adopt a definition for 'computer science'. The definition used: “Computer science" means the study of computers and algorithms, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their impact on society. "Computer science" does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as keyboarding or accessing the Internet.
  • CS standards: by Dec 1, 2021 IL will adopt standards for K-12 CS education.
  • CS course catalog: by Dec 1, 2021, IL will analyze and revise, if appropriate, existing course titles dedicated to computer science or develop a short list of existing course titles that are recommended for computer science courses.
  • CS offerings at every HS: by the 2023-24 school year, all high schools will be required to provide students the opportunity to take a CS course.
  • CS reporting: schools will be required to report their CS curriculum offerings on the state report card.