Module 2
Methods for Teaching Computer Science

Timeline

• Suggested Timeline
  • Thursday June 22 - Sunday, July 2
• Final Deadline (First attempt at the CD should be completed by)
  • Wednesday, July 5

Outcomes

• For a given teaching method (pedagogical approach) provide a description, kinds of outcomes/capabilities for which it is applicable, student activity, teacher activity, mechanism for feedback to students, etc. 
• For a given teaching method (pedagogical approach) to teaching CS describe an appropriate application for it indicating what grade band(s) and CS subject(s) it may be applicable.
• Describe the kinds of tools/systems available for teaching and learning computer science giving an example of each. 
• Given one or more underrepresented groups, identify supportive practices and anti-practices applicable to the group describing the practice and its implementation.
• Discuss how theories of supportive practices influence the selection of specific teaching methods.

Readings/Activities

Assigned Readings

• Read this article on General Teaching Methods
  • https://teach.com/what/teachers-know/teaching-methods/

• Read about no fewer than three of the following CS specific teaching methods. You considered several of these in the Teaching and Learning Programming Course. But it is worth revisiting them.
  • Parsons Problems
    • Solving Parsons Problems vs. Fixing or Modifying Code
      • Local PDF Link
  • POGIL
    • General POGIL concept
      • https://pogil.org/
      • Paying particular attention to: https://pogil.org/about-pogil/what-is-pogil
    • CS-POGIL
      • https://cspogil.org/Home
      • Paying particular attention to: https://cspogil.org/What%2Bis%2BPOGIL and watching the two videos on this page
  • Pair Programming
    • https://www.agilealliance.org/glossary/pairing/
  • Peer Instruction
    • http://www.danielzingaro.com/iticse11.pdf
  • Probem Centric Programming
    • http://micsymposium.org/mics_2013_Proceedings/submissions/mics20130_submission_21.pdf
  • Studio Based Learning
    • Local PDF Link
  • Themed Instruction
    • Media Computation
    • Games

Additional Review Readings

You completed these readings in the spring TLP class. I strongly encourage you to review them under the lens of this module. You don't need to read them in detail. But I encourage you to review them for context.

• Supportive Practices
• Supportive Practices Intro (produced by the CSEdUNI team, mostly Dr. Diesburg)
• To fix the tech gender gap, fix computer science education (from the Washington Examiner by Elsie Eigerman)
• Attracting Native Americans to computing (from Communications of the ACM by Roli Varma)

 

Activities/Reflections

1. CP2.1 through CP2.3 For each of three different of the CS specific methods you read about (from above) discuss what you learned an how it is might be applied to K12 education.
2. CP2.4 - Revisit the CS Standards from Week 1 and consider how these standards can be met through the techniques you read about in the readings.
3. CP2.5 - Reflect on your own, typical instructional approaches (or one you know of that was not in the list) as if it were one of those examined in the previous activity.
4. CP2.6 - Reflect on which CS teaching methods lend themselves to the "good practices" discussed in our readings about supportive practices.

Assessment

Upon completion of this module you should be prepared to complete a competency demo with questions that focus on four items:

1. Given a particular grade band and learning outcome/course content, identify and discuss which pedagogical approach you feel would be appropriate.  Support your choice.
2. Given a particular pedagogical approach, describe where (content category and grade band) it is appropriate and how it (presumably) impacts learning.
3. Describe your personal pedagogical approach indicating grade band(s) and outcome/content type(s) for which it is appropriate.
4. Discuss how a teaching method (of your choice) lends itself to the discussed issues addressing supportive practices.