“It’s not the Coding Curriculum!’’: EmbeddingComputational Thinking into England’s New
Computing Curriculum
Professor Tom Crick
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk
14 July 2017
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Introduction
Quotes on the Internet...
“Computer science is no more about computers thanastronomy is about telescopes.”
Edsger W. DijkstraHal Abelson
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Education in the UK
Short Primer on Education in the UK
Four education systems!
Five stages of education:
Early Years (Foundation);Primary (KS1: 5-8, KS2: 8-11);Secondary (KS3: 11-14, KS4: 14-16);Further Education (KS5: 16-18),Higher Education (18+)
Compulsory education from 5-16 (18 in England)
General qualifications at 16 (GCSEs) and 18 (A-Levels)
National tests at ages 7 and 11 (plus literacy and numeracy)
Stagnation in recent PISA rankings
Increasing divergence of education policy across the UK
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CAS
(join now for free: http://community.computingatschool.org.uk)
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CAS
http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/3127
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Digital Citizens, Digital Skills
Catalysts for Policy Change
“I was flabbergasted to learn that today computer scienceisn’t even taught as standard in UK schools. Your ITcurriculum focuses on teaching how to use software, butgives no insight into how it’s made.”
Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google (August 2011)
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Digital Citizens, Digital Skills
Program or Be Programmed
“For the majority, the world of software is a built worldthat, like a city, helps us to organise and consume. But ithas been built by others. For the minority, software ismerely a curtain that can be pulled aside to reveal a wildworld of confusion, trial and error, but also of virtuallyunlimited creative and commercial potential. It is time forBritish schoolchildren to be granted access to this world.”
The Times (November 2012)
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Curriculum Reform in England
Changing Names, Changing Aims
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Curriculum Reform in England
Purpose
“A high-quality computing education equips pupils to usecomputational thinking and creativity to understand andchange the world.”
Computing Programmes of Study (2013)
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Computational Thinking in the UK
Computational Thinking
“Computational thinking is the thought processes involvedin formulating problems and their solutions so that thesolutions are represented in a form that can be effectivelycarried out by an information-processing agent.”
Jeannette M. Wing (2008)
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Computational Thinking in the UK
Our Interdisciplinary World
“[Computational techniques] have moved on fromassisting scientists in doing science, to transforming bothhow science is done and what science is done.”
“Science as an open enterprise”, Royal Society (2012)
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 36 / 59
Computational Thinking in the UK
Articulating the Benefits of Computational Thinking
Confidence in dealing with complexity;
Persistence in working with difficult problems;
Tolerance for ambiguity;
The ability to deal with open-ended problems;
The ability to communicate and work with others to achieve acommon goal or solution.
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 39 / 59
Computational Thinking in the UK
Impact: Teaching Programming
Programming develops thinking...
...but teach problem-solving!
Depth vs. breadth
Signpost real-world context and applications
Nurture curiosity
It’s easier to read code than write code
It’s easier to edit code than to start with a blank screen
Pair programming is a powerful tool
Debugging is a key skill (failure is good!)
Importance of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment
Programming is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 40 / 59
Computational Thinking in the UK
Impact: Teaching Programming
Programming develops thinking...
...but teach problem-solving!
Depth vs. breadth
Signpost real-world context and applications
Nurture curiosity
It’s easier to read code than write code
It’s easier to edit code than to start with a blank screen
Pair programming is a powerful tool
Debugging is a key skill (failure is good!)
Importance of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment
Programming is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 40 / 59
Computational Thinking in the UK
Impact: Teaching Programming
Programming develops thinking...
...but teach problem-solving!
Depth vs. breadth
Signpost real-world context and applications
Nurture curiosity
It’s easier to read code than write code
It’s easier to edit code than to start with a blank screen
Pair programming is a powerful tool
Debugging is a key skill (failure is good!)
Importance of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment
Programming is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 40 / 59
Computational Thinking in the UK
Impact: Teaching Programming
Programming develops thinking...
...but teach problem-solving!
Depth vs. breadth
Signpost real-world context and applications
Nurture curiosity
It’s easier to read code than write code
It’s easier to edit code than to start with a blank screen
Pair programming is a powerful tool
Debugging is a key skill (failure is good!)
Importance of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment
Programming is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 40 / 59
Computational Thinking in the UK
Impact: Teaching Programming
Programming develops thinking...
...but teach problem-solving!
Depth vs. breadth
Signpost real-world context and applications
Nurture curiosity
It’s easier to read code than write code
It’s easier to edit code than to start with a blank screen
Pair programming is a powerful tool
Debugging is a key skill (failure is good!)
Importance of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment
Programming is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 40 / 59
Computational Thinking in the UK
CSUnplugged: CS Without a Computer
http://csunplugged.org
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Computational Thinking in the UK
CAS Barefoot: CS/CT Knowledge
https://barefootcas.org.uk
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Computational Thinking in the UK
QuickStart Computing: Transitions
http://bit.ly/qsks3
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Computational Thinking in the UK
CAS Tenderfoot: CPD
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/custom_pages/56-tenderfoot
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Computational Thinking in the UK
Project Quantum: Effective Assessment
https://diagnosticquestions.com/Quantum
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Computational Thinking in the UK
Bebras: International Challenge on Informatics and CT
http://www.bebras.org
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Computational Thinking in the UK
Royal Society: Excellence in CS Education
https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/computing-education
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Wales and the Digital Competence Framework
The Educational Challenge
What does being“digitally competent” mean for a
4/8/12/16 year old?
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Wales and the Digital Competence Framework
The Four Purposes of the Welsh Curriculum
The purpose of the new curriculum is to support our children and youngpeople to be:
Ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives;
Enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life andwork;
Ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world;
Healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valuedmembers of society.
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 52 / 59
Wales and the Digital Competence Framework
Context of the DCF
Identifying the core digital skills that all learners need to have, nowand in the future;
Clear adaptable framework for learning and progression, supportingflexibility and creativity;
Driven by pedagogy, based on enduring principles, rather thanspecific/transient tools and technologies;
Promoting why digital competencies matters: educationally,societally, economically.
Clear alignment to the four purposes of the new Curriculum forWales
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 53 / 59
Wales and the Digital Competence Framework
Digital Competence Framework
1 CitizenshipIdentify, Image & ReputationHealth & WellbeingDigital Rights, Licensing & OwnershipOnline Behaviour & Cyberbulling
2 Interacting & CollaboratingCommunicationCollaborationStoring & Sharing
3 ProducingPlanning, Sourcing & SearchingCreatingEvaluating & Improving
4 Data & Computational ThinkingProblem Solving & ModellingData & Information Literacy
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 54 / 59
Looking Ahead
Where Are We Now...
Third year of new Computing curriculum in England
High profile (and successful) lobbying and engagement...
...on multiple levels: schools, teachers, government, parents, public...
Core funding from government and key supporters
A community of practice: CAS Network of Teaching Excellence
Moving from policy (strategic) to implementation (operational)
Learning from/sharing best practice internationally
It’s not just about technology...
It’s not just about coding...
Computing and CT is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 55 / 59
Looking Ahead
Where Are We Now...
Third year of new Computing curriculum in England
High profile (and successful) lobbying and engagement...
...on multiple levels: schools, teachers, government, parents, public...
Core funding from government and key supporters
A community of practice: CAS Network of Teaching Excellence
Moving from policy (strategic) to implementation (operational)
Learning from/sharing best practice internationally
It’s not just about technology...
It’s not just about coding...
Computing and CT is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 55 / 59
Looking Ahead
Where Are We Now...
Third year of new Computing curriculum in England
High profile (and successful) lobbying and engagement...
...on multiple levels: schools, teachers, government, parents, public...
Core funding from government and key supporters
A community of practice: CAS Network of Teaching Excellence
Moving from policy (strategic) to implementation (operational)
Learning from/sharing best practice internationally
It’s not just about technology...
It’s not just about coding...
Computing and CT is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 55 / 59
Looking Ahead
Where Are We Now...
Third year of new Computing curriculum in England
High profile (and successful) lobbying and engagement...
...on multiple levels: schools, teachers, government, parents, public...
Core funding from government and key supporters
A community of practice: CAS Network of Teaching Excellence
Moving from policy (strategic) to implementation (operational)
Learning from/sharing best practice internationally
It’s not just about technology...
It’s not just about coding...
Computing and CT is for everyone!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 55 / 59
Looking Ahead
Challenges Ahead
Our work is not finished!
CPD and upskilling the teachers
Building confidence and capability
Recruiting (and retaining) qualified new teachers
Effective pedagogies for teaching computing/programming/CT etc
Capturing and sharing best practice
Understanding assessment and progression
Depth, breadth and creativity
Wide application of computational thinking
Computing/CT across the curriculum
Changing perceptions of the discipline: school, parents, public, etc
The CAS motto: “There is no ‘them’, only us!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 56 / 59
Looking Ahead
Challenges Ahead
Our work is not finished!
CPD and upskilling the teachers
Building confidence and capability
Recruiting (and retaining) qualified new teachers
Effective pedagogies for teaching computing/programming/CT etc
Capturing and sharing best practice
Understanding assessment and progression
Depth, breadth and creativity
Wide application of computational thinking
Computing/CT across the curriculum
Changing perceptions of the discipline: school, parents, public, etc
The CAS motto: “There is no ‘them’, only us!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 56 / 59
Looking Ahead
Challenges Ahead
Our work is not finished!
CPD and upskilling the teachers
Building confidence and capability
Recruiting (and retaining) qualified new teachers
Effective pedagogies for teaching computing/programming/CT etc
Capturing and sharing best practice
Understanding assessment and progression
Depth, breadth and creativity
Wide application of computational thinking
Computing/CT across the curriculum
Changing perceptions of the discipline: school, parents, public, etc
The CAS motto: “There is no ‘them’, only us!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 56 / 59
Looking Ahead
Challenges Ahead
Our work is not finished!
CPD and upskilling the teachers
Building confidence and capability
Recruiting (and retaining) qualified new teachers
Effective pedagogies for teaching computing/programming/CT etc
Capturing and sharing best practice
Understanding assessment and progression
Depth, breadth and creativity
Wide application of computational thinking
Computing/CT across the curriculum
Changing perceptions of the discipline: school, parents, public, etc
The CAS motto: “There is no ‘them’, only us!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 56 / 59
Looking Ahead
Challenges Ahead
Our work is not finished!
CPD and upskilling the teachers
Building confidence and capability
Recruiting (and retaining) qualified new teachers
Effective pedagogies for teaching computing/programming/CT etc
Capturing and sharing best practice
Understanding assessment and progression
Depth, breadth and creativity
Wide application of computational thinking
Computing/CT across the curriculum
Changing perceptions of the discipline: school, parents, public, etc
The CAS motto: “There is no ‘them’, only us!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 56 / 59
Looking Ahead
Challenges Ahead
Our work is not finished!
CPD and upskilling the teachers
Building confidence and capability
Recruiting (and retaining) qualified new teachers
Effective pedagogies for teaching computing/programming/CT etc
Capturing and sharing best practice
Understanding assessment and progression
Depth, breadth and creativity
Wide application of computational thinking
Computing/CT across the curriculum
Changing perceptions of the discipline: school, parents, public, etc
The CAS motto: “There is no ‘them’, only us!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 56 / 59
Looking Ahead
Challenges Ahead
Our work is not finished!
CPD and upskilling the teachers
Building confidence and capability
Recruiting (and retaining) qualified new teachers
Effective pedagogies for teaching computing/programming/CT etc
Capturing and sharing best practice
Understanding assessment and progression
Depth, breadth and creativity
Wide application of computational thinking
Computing/CT across the curriculum
Changing perceptions of the discipline: school, parents, public, etc
The CAS motto: “There is no ‘them’, only us!
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 56 / 59
Links
Useful Links
Join CAS! http://community.computingatschool.org.uk
CAS Network of Excellence:https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/noe
Computing Programme of Study in England (2013):https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/
national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study
Digital Competence Framework in Wales (2016):http://learning.gov.wales/resources/browse-all/
digital-competence-framework/?lang=en
Hello World magazine (by Raspberry Pi, CAS, BCS and BT):https://helloworld.raspberrypi.org
Royal Society Computing Education project (2016-present):
https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/computing-education
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Links
Policy Reports
Nesta Next Gen. report (2011):http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/assets/features/next_gen
Royal Society report on Computing in Schools (2012):http://royalsociety.org/education/policy/computing-in-schools/report/
UK Digital Skills Taskforce (2014):http://www.ukdigitalskills.com
House of Lords Digital Skills Select Committee report (2015):https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/
digital-skills-committee/news/report-published
House of Commons S&T Select Committee report (2016):https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmsctech/270/
27002.htm
House of Lords Communications Select Committee report (2017):
https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldcomuni/130/
13002.htm
@ProfTomCrick (@CompAtSch) #CTE2017 14 July 2017 58 / 59
Thank You
@ProfTomCrick
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk
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