Georgia Computes!
Improving Computer Science
Education in Georgia
Barbara Ericson
Director Computer Science Outreach
Institute for Computing Education (ICE)
Georgia Institute of Technology
http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/ice-gt/
ericson@cc.gatech.edu
What is Computer Science?


The study of computers and
algorithmic processes including their
principles, their hardware and
software design, their applications,
and their impact on society
It is not Keyboarding, Computer
Applications, or Educational
Technology
What is Georgia Computes?

A statewide vertical alliance
– Georgia Institute of Technology
– Georgia Dept of Education
– Girl Scout Council of Greater Atlanta, Inc
– YWCA Teen Girls in Technology

Funded by a National Science
Foundation Broadening Participation in
Computing grant
What are the goals?

To increase the number and diversity
of students who are interested in
computer science in Georgia
– increase by 50% the number of high
schools offering AP CS in Georgia
– Double the percentage of women and
underrepresented minorities taking AP CS
Why increase interest?


Since 2001 there has been a 60%
drop in incoming freshman who plan
to major in computer science
A reduction occurred in the number of
students who take AP CS in Georgia
– huge decline in African Americans

from 80 in 2001 to 12 in 2007
CS in Crisis


There will be 1,000,000 computer and
information related jobs by 2014
We expect to only graduate only enough
trained people for 50% of these jobs
– the Business Roundtable talked about this
shortage

The field was 37% female in 1985
– but only 12% of incoming freshman are female
in CS
– there have never been very many African
Americans or Hispanics in CS
CS is Fundamental!

Computing jobs are among the fastest
growing over the next 4-6 years
– Computing + X will grow even faster

Many science and math degrees require
knowledge of computing
– At Georgia Tech everyone must take and pass an
introductory computer science course

CS teaches 21st century skills
– problem solving and working in teams
ICE Efforts

For K-12 educators
– helped create the new Georgia Performance
Standards in computing and the computing
pathway
– helped create a CS endorsement
– offer 4 one-week summer teacher workshops
– offer several one-day teacher workshops during
the school year
– creating interesting course materials and lesson
plans
Computing Pathway
Old Georgia Computing Classes
ACM Model Curriculum
Level II - CS in the
Modern World
Level III - Computer
Science as Analysis and
Design
Georgia Computing Curriculum
Level II - Computing in
the Modern World
Level III - Beginning Programming
Computer Applications
IT Foundations
Programming and
Systems Management
Level III - Intermediate Programming
Level IV – Topics in
Computer Science – including
CS AP A and AB
Level IV – Topics in
Computer Science – including
CS AP A and AB
CS AP A and AB
CS Endorsement

Voluntary endorsement
– equivalent to a minor in Computer
Science



Can be added to any existing teaching
certificate
Based on a NCTAE endorsement
Existing CS teachers can get the
endorsement by submitting a portfolio
Summer Teacher Workshops

Computing in the Modern World
– for teachers with no experience in computer
science

Beginning Programming in Java
– teaches textual programming by manipulating
media

Intermediate Programming in Java
– focuses on graphical user interfaces. games, and
software engineering

Advanced Placement CS A and AB
Computing in the Modern World
Beginning Prog in Java
Intermediate Prog in Java
AP A and AB
Interesting Course Material

Media Computation
– modify pictures and sounds by writing programs in Python and Java

Scratch
– learn computing concepts while creating 2D animations and games

Alice
– learn computing concepts while creating 3D movies and games

Alice and Media Computation
– use Alice to introduce concepts and use Media Computation to teach
textual programming

LEGO robots
– project ideas
– lending library

PicoCricket arts and crafts kits
– project ideas
– lending library
Media Computation



Created at Georgia
Tech by Dr. Mark
Guzdial
Teaches computing
concepts with
programs that
manipulate media
Attracts students to
computing and
increases the
percentage that
succeed
original sound reversed sound
Scratch




Free software
from MIT
Uses drag-anddrop programming
Incorporates
images and
sounds
Students can
share created
projects on the
website
Alice



Free software
from CMU
Uses drag-anddrop
programming
Students can
direct 3D movies
and create
simple games
Alice and Media Comp

Media Comp is the special effects
studio for Alice
LEGO Mindstorms Robots

Teach computing
concepts by
programming a robot
– and working with
sensors


Hands-on and concrete
results
Robot Competitions
– FIRST
– RoboCup Jr
PicoCrickets

Developed by a
group from MIT
– same group that
created the
programmable brick
that the LEGO
robots is based on

Arts and crafts for
the digital age
Getting Students Interested

Summer Camps since 2004
– in 2008


5 weeks of middle school
3 weeks of high school
– we provide seed money and training for other
Georgia Universities to start summer camps





3 in 2007
4 in 2008
Girl Scout workshops
YWCA Teen Girls in Technology
STEP program places CS majors in schools
Middle School Camps



PicoCrickets and Scratch
Alice and LEGO robots
RoboCup Jr camp
High School Camps

Alice, LEGO robots, and Media
Computation in Python
Girl Scout Workshops

Started in 2005 – total 190 girls
– Dad and me
– 2 LEGO robot workshops

2006-2007 - total 372 girls
– Dad and me
– 3 LEGO robot workshops
– 1 Alice workshop

2007-2008 – total 1595 girls
– Dad and Me
– Mom and me
– 10 4-hour workshops – LEGO robots, PicoCrickets, Alice,
and Scratch
Dad and Me

Dads camp with their daughters
– program a robot to go through a course
Mom and Me

Moms camp with their daughters
– do PicoCricket activities
Four Hour Workshops
YWCA TGI-Tech

After school program at 4 local middle
schools
– First LEGO League team
Other Research Activities



Attracting African
American males to
computing by having
them be game testers
Using social networks
to attract students to
computing
Having students design
a chat client
Progress

In 2004 there were 44 AP CS teachers
in Georgia
– many of these were in private schools

In 2007-2008 there were 86 AP CS
teachers in Georgia
– exceeded our goal of a 50% increase
– but still less than 25% of all the schools
in Georgia
Attracting Students?

Huge growth in our Girl Scout
workshops
– statistically significant positive
changes in attitudes from 4 hour
workshops


There has been in increase in all
female FIRST LEGO League teams
Students report an increase in
interest in computing after the
summer camps
Number of Students
1600
1400
1200
1000
600
400
200
0
2005-2006
2007-2008
500
450
number of students

The percentage of non white and
non Asian AP CS takers is 22-28%
The percentage of women taking
the AP CS exam is still between 1622%
2006-2007
Georgia CS AP A
– And some have become CS
undergrads at Georgia Tech

Number of Students
800
400
350
total
female
300
250
white/asian
minority
200
150
100
50
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
year
2005
2006
2007
Barriers to Diversity

Stereotypes
– exclude females, African Americans,
Hispanics
– one principal at a majority minority
school won't offer AP CS because
"These kids aren't going to college"

The myth of natural ability
– some people just get it
– implies others can't learn

Lack of access and experience
– digital divide

Teachers don't recruit
– Sending a letter home doubles class
sizes and increases diversity
Future Plans

Apply for a 2 year extension on the NSF BPC grant
– and possibly 5 additional years after that

Create lesson plans and assessment materials for
the new computing pathway using our workshop
materials
– started summer 2008


Recruit teachers from majority minority schools
Seed summer camps at high schools
– gives teachers a reason to practice what they learn in the
teacher workshop
– should also increase the number of robot teams

Hold a RoboCup Jr regional competition
Resources

Georgia Computes website
– http://www.cc.gatech.edu/gacomputes

Institute for Computing Education website
– http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/ice-gt/

Scratch website
– http://scratch.mit.edu

Alice website
– http://www.alice.org
Resources - Continued

Media Computation website
– http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-teach

Alice and Media Computation website
– http://home.cc.gatech.edu/TeaParty

PicoCricket website
– http://picocricket.com/

LEGO education website
– http://www.legoeducation.com/
Funding Sources

National Science Foundation
– Broadening Participation in Computing
– Course, Curriculum, Laboratory Improvement




Atlanta Women's Foundation
Toyota Foundation
Georgia Department of Education
Georgia Tech's College of Computing
What can you do?

Make sure that your school is offering computer
science
– train teachers and counselors

Use an interesting curriculum
– that emphasizes problem solving
– not just cut and paste (do as I do)

Recruit students for computer science
– offer summer camps
– do competitions

Companies need to reach out to younger kids
– if they want to increase the numbers and the diversity