Technology touches nearly every aspect of our lives today. From the algorithms that power our social media feeds to the cybersecurity systems that protect our personal information, the dominance of technology is undeniable. What do almost all technological innovations have in common? A robust computer science education (CS education) as the foundation.
Computer Science Education Week is an annual call to action to inspire K–12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in the field, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field. This year, to celebrate #CSEdWeek, we sat down with Dr. Aleata Hubbard Cheuoua and Dr. DaQuan Bashir to discuss CS education.
Dr. Hubbard Cheuoua is a Senior Research Scientist on WestEd’s Learning and Technology team and is a national expert in CS education research. Dr. DaQuan Bashir is a Research and Innovation Consultant for the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) and is a seasoned CS educator. Dr. Hubbard Cheuoua and Dr. Bashir are part of the project team leading the Matching Experienced and Novice Teachers for Ongoing Rigorous Support in Computer Science project, or MENTORS in CS. MENTORS in CS is a research–practice partnership between CSTA, WestEd, and three CSTA communities that provides a peer mentoring program with embedded equity supports for CS education teachers.
In this Q&A, Dr. Hubbard Cheuoua and Dr. Bashir discuss the discipline and why robust CS education is so vital for today’s students, what teachers need to know about CS education, and how the MENTORS in CS project furthers equity in the field.
Note: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Happy Computer Science Education Week! Can you tell us a bit about computer science education (CS education) and what drives you to work in the field?
AHC: When I think about CS education, I like to think about students using computing to create tools like apps and websites. I’ve seen students create games to have fun with their friends, tools to address issues in their communities like garbage, models for understanding wildfire spread, and websites to promote their own businesses. It’s incredibly powerful. I studied computer science as an undergraduate, and because I really enjoyed the discipline, I wanted others to have the same opportunity, which inspired me to pursue CS education.
DB: My experience was actually the opposite in a way. I studied computer science as well during undergrad. But I struggled a lot. It wasn’t enjoyable; it wasn’t fun. But it’s something I really wanted to get a degree in, so I persevered. Because of my experiences in school, I went into CS education so that both students who look like me and students who don’t look like me have the opportunity to be further along than I was when I first started studying computer science.
In my time working with educators and students, I’ve come to see that computer science is truly everywhere with a wide variety of components. When we think about technology now, artificial intelligence, machine learning, even basic stuff like computational thinking—which is how computers take steps to solve problems—we want our students to understand and practice those problem-solving skills. Being able to bring all these things together and integrate students’ interests so they can develop and create something new is super exciting. My experience galvanized me to want to create change in some way, which is why I’m in this field now, working to advance equitable computer science education.
Why is it important now and in the future for all students to have access to high-quality, equitable computer science education?
DB: When we think about equity, it’s about making sure that each student gets exactly what they need in order to be successful in a particular class. I mentioned computational thinking earlier. That is such a transferable skill that students can use, regardless of where they are, what they’re thinking about, or what they’re studying. It is just a process in which you tackle these complex problems and issues. I use computational thinking in my own life. Having a skill that you can use in any area of your life is something that pays dividends instantly.
But we also want our students to be future ready. The way we do that is by making sure that they understand how they live within a world that is going to be powered by computers and computing and how they see themselves fitting into what this future is, doing what they need to do to make sure that they can create the future for themselves that they envision. Being able to study computer science definitely assists with unlocking some of those opportunities.
AHC: I agree. CS is everywhere. Even in my lifetime, I remember having the large desktop computer at home. And now the computer is in everyone’s hand. I see my 2-year-old pick up anyone’s phone and find Spotify and his Baby Shark song, despite not having seen that device before.
We just need our students to be ready to understand this technology-driven world and have a voice in it. And you can’t have a voice in something if you don’t understand it.
I agree with everything Dr. Bashir said; we need students to be able to understand this technology, contribute to it, and make it as they want it so they can make the world that they want.
What should computer science educators, and educators of all subjects, know about how they can prepare students for a “world powered by computing,” as CSTA puts it?
AHC: Computer science is more than coding. I think the world—the community—has made some big shifts in that direction. But to know it’s more than just sitting down and writing your Python program. To know that your students can also benefit from learning the history of computing, the ethics of computing, the impacts of computing to learn, what we have built in the past that harmed people. What have we built in the past that just was not very useful? So that students don’t make those same mistakes.
The other thing I would tell educators is that beyond coding, it’s also learning how to collaborate. It’s not the individual sitting there at their machine, making whatever they want. Students need to learn how to work with each other to solve problems. They also need to learn how to communicate what they’re doing to people who understand computing and people who don’t. I think those have been things that have been overlooked in past decades but are important if we want to prepare students to have an impact beyond their own bubbles.
DB: I’ll also add that in thinking about what computer science is, I want educators to know that it is for everybody. Anybody can learn it at any time. There should be no barriers that get in the way for someone who wants to learn it and/or teach it.
There is this misconception that only a certain type of student will do well in computer science—and that’s just not the case. Computer science is for everybody.
I also want educators to know that computer science can be a creative outlet for students and teachers alike. Just because computer science is dealing with computers, that doesn’t mean it has to be stiff or dry. It can serve as a venue for students to fully express themselves in ways that excite them.
MENTORS in CS is a yearlong, equity-focused peer mentoring program pairing experienced CS teachers with teachers who are brand new to CS. Can you tell us more about the project, its equity focus, and what you’re learning from the research–practice partnership?
DB: One of the big things about the project is community. We know quite often a computer science teacher might be the only CS teacher at their school or even in their district. MENTORS in CS offers a way for community to be built among CS educators by bringing educators together to learn from each other and build intentional relationships. That includes creating space for introspection that needs to be done, to make sure that they’re being effective as mentors, but also growing and learning in their own development throughout the course of the year.
To advance equitable CS education, educators need to do that interpersonal work so that they’re not afraid to participate in conversations about equity, and then when they do engage in those discussions with colleagues and students, they’re not doing harm and are aware of their own biases and triggers.
In doing so, we set the stage for not only conversations about equity to happen, but the application of those ideas. We talk about equity, but there’s also action behind it. We’re enabling mentors and mentees to take concepts and conversations they’ve engaged in and apply it to their work. To be honest, it’s not always easy. When you start to address issues related to equity, you have to navigate things like structures and difficult conversations.
But I think we need that now more than ever in education, especially in computer science. We want all of our students to feel like, no matter what classroom they walk into, that they belong. They can learn in this space. This space is set up for them to participate and engage in the learning that is happening. Mentors and mentees are using what they’re learning and the conversations they’re having in the program to push for actions in the classroom that further help their students.
AHC: That last part especially makes me think of the research side. One way we’ve seen an impact of that equity focus is what the teachers are talking about when we bring up equity. When some teachers are starting with us in the program, and they think about equity, they first think about gender, and they’ll say there are not enough girls in my classroom, and that comes up a lot. And then over time, you sort of see the discussion shift, and there are other things that we can be looking at in terms of equity. They start to see that there are other backgrounds that students bring to the classroom, other interests that they have, and here’s how we’re going to weave those backgrounds and interests into our lessons. That’s just some concrete evidence about how this focus on equity is making a difference for teachers.
It is really important to have this focus on equity. Our project demonstrates how the equity focus has an impact on changing teaching practice for all students, and not for just particular types of students. We see the teachers enjoying it, and they come back to the program. Equity matters, it makes a difference. If [the nation] wants to stay competitive and help our students be a part of this world, we need projects like this to keep going.
To learn more about computer science education and the MENTORS in CS project, visit WestEd’s Computer Science Education website and the MENTORS in CS project page.