Computer Science Inside EPSRC Partnerships in Public Engagement

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Computer Science InsideEPSRC Partnerships in
Public Engagement

• Quintin Cutts, Muffy Calder, Peter Dickman Lynsey
  Kemp, Margaret Brown
• Department of Computing Science
• University of Glasgow

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CS-Inside overview

• to enthuse and inform potential computer science
  students
• Series of at least 15 workshops
• How does it work?
• Using the technologies all around the pupils,
  bring out key concepts in CS
• Committed to at least 90 schools visits
• Presenters
• Academics on school visits
• Science communicators
• Teachers, with necessary CPD
• Ultimately, all materials available on a website

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Workshops ready or in prep

• Data compression
• OS scheduling
• Page ranking
• Indexing
• Communications protocol
• Graph colouring
• Predictive text messaging Markov models
• Feature interaction

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Evaluation

• Formative evaluation with each use
• Margaret attending when workshops delivered
• On-line teacher evaluation as a CPD requirement
• Progress so far
• 10 schools visited, 400 pupils, 20 more visits
  set up
• Excellent response from pupils and teachers
• Teachers want (and now have) the materials to use
  themselves
• Does it make any difference?
• Longitudinal evaluation of the effects of the
  materials
• Well track pupils subject choices
• prior to any use of these materials
• over the three years of the project

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Parallel activities

• Peter Dickmans Programming Concepts
• Computer science concepts integrated into primary
  school curriculum
• EPSRC PPE Network
• Peter leading let him know if you want to be
  part of this
• Development of Schools CS curriculum
• STEM-ED group in Scotland
• Development of integrated 5-15 science curriculum

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Summary

• Computer Science Inside
• Touch 10s of thousands of children
• Spread insight enthusiasm for our subject
• Catch the brightest sparks of the next generation
• Make sure we all stay in a job
• We all need to be involved
• Many institutions have some great resources
• We all stand to gain by sharing them
• csi.dcs.gla.ac.uk, quintin_at_dcs.gla.ac.uk

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Session format

• Setup/Introduction
• Identify an action/activity in technology
• Name/outline the underpinning CS area
• Workshop activities
• Follow instructions/algorithm
• Problem solving come up with an algorithm
• Share ideas see theres many ways
• Analyse algorithms was it hard, good, bad?
• Link outwards
• Tried human activity how could it be automated?
• Give an idea of the extent of the area
• Show where else this concept appears
• in curriculum, or in other technology

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Feedback from teachers

• Material viewed as at correct level
• Used with S2-S6 pupils
• I would say that pupils universally participated
  and enjoyed the workshop. The handson/interactive
  approach made understanding concepts easy for
  the pupils.
• participation and enthusiasm of S3 pupils was
  greater than I would have expected
• both activities and discussion went well
• Workshops improved with use

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Continued

• Effectiveness of workshop pack
• I didnt read these before the workshop.
  However, I feel having looked at them would be
  sufficient to give me the confidence to deliver
  it.
• I would have liked the presenter to have linked
  the presentation into their actual exam. Direct
  links to Higher Computing in future
  presentations?
• Universally positive responses from pupils via
  teachers

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General teacher views

• Workshops could be used in non-Computing classes
• Problem solving / teamwork in Soc. Educ.
• Induction days
• Much ICT/Computing teaching by Business Educ
  teachers
• Unlikely to be willing to take part in CS CPD
• Career links important
• CS career not just programming
• Curriculum links crucial
• Real life examples showing why CS is important
  very hard for teachers to get such resources

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CPD

• Bit of a minefield, but possible options
• Scotland
• 35 hr / yr extra curricular requirement
• Varying flexibility according to Authority
• Format
• Provision of materials for teachers to work on in
  their own time
• Attendance at evening workshops
• Link into web-based on-line resources
• We gain feedback, and certify participation for
  school/local authorities

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Longitudinal evaluation

• All teachers so far are willing to participate
• Simple behavioural analysis relatively easy
• And all we said wed do in the proposal
• Also aim to understand underlying attitudes
• Ethics issues raise their ugly head
• Does this become an experiment?
• Local authority / university approval? Consent?
• Complexity of measuring attitudes
• Towards the science subject as a discipline
• Towards the learning of the science subject
• Towards topics and themes covered
• Towards methods of science

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Next steps

• Build decent web-site
• csi.dcs.gla.ac.uk
• Aspect of customer relationship management
• Forum for school teachers to share experience
• Gateway for materials
• Feedback on use, linked to CPD ticks
• Design expt to evaluate attitudes
• Enrol teachers into using resources independently
• Improved support materials
• Develop links into STEM initiatives, widen
  opportunities for use

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PPE Network

• Peter Dickman organising
• Likely suspects
• Here, Birmingham, Queen Mary, Luton, LSBU,
  Glasgow, Abertay/St Andrews
• EPSRC PPE Mentors, other PPE projects
• Setpoint folk
• Teachers and LEA coordinators
• Central point for sharing/dissemination of
  materials
• National and regional events
• ?? Major advisory body on curriculum design??