Abstract
This chapter is based on the behavioral innovations of students and teachers in P-16 education with regards to computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT). Beyond racial and gender bias, the behavior of students and teachers towards new ideas has been noted to have a substantial effect on accessing of CS and CT. When students and teachers are presented with new ideas, a series of complex mental processes are always carried out in order to reinforce their acceptance or disregard of such ideas. With deep insights into concepts such as technological pedagogical content knowledge framework (TPACK), computer-mediated classroom, computer-oriented teachers, and computer-oriented students, this chapter will further anticipate the equity of computer science in P-16 education.
TopComputer Science
The human race has witnessed more technological advancements in the past 50 years than in the entire 10,000 years of human history. Over the years, computers have served major purposes of bridging communication gaps and increasing access to information. Computers are increasingly becoming prevalent in the contemporary society, in which numerous global advancements with regards to the immense capabilities of computers have gained significant recognitions in several discipline and field of specialization. Bourke (2018) assert that computers have the capability of providing an unprecedented quality of multi-dimensional information and knowledge exploitation which will further enable teachers and students with absolute unrestricted access to information resources. Thus, it is imperative that teachers and students acknowledge the essentiality of computer science (CS) in their curriculum.
According to Denning (1988), CS is a discipline that involves the understanding and design of computers and computational processes. In its most general form, CS is concerned with the understanding of information transfer and transformation. CS ranges from theoretical studies of algorithms to practical problems of implementation in terms of computational hardware and software. Jones and Stephenson (2006) purport that CS is the study of computers and their operations, including their principles, their hardware and software, their applications and their impact on society. Rapaport (2017) in his own view perceives CS to be the systematic study of the feasibility, structure, expression and algorithms that underlie the acquisition, representation, processing and storage of information. Victoria (2019) assert that CS is the systematic study of algorithmic processes that describes and transform information into theory, analysis, design, efficiency, implementation and application.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Student: This refers to an individual who is formally enrolled at a school. A student is principally known for studying and learning about a particular subject.
P-16 Education: This refers to a unified education system that spans the years from pre-school through college completion.
Behavioral Innovation: This refers to the motivational factors that capture how much effort a person is willing to make in order to perform a behavior.
Curriculum: This refers to a sets of subjects, courses, coursework, and their content, offered in a school. The curriculum usually entails the subjects to be taught and learnt in an academic year.
Classroom: This refers to a room where classes take place. The classroom serves as a venue for the process of teaching and learning. The classroom is usually located inside the school premises.
Teacher: This refers to an individual who teaches and instructs students in a school. The teacher is in charge of teaching the contents in the curriculum.
Computer Science: This refers to a discipline that involves the understanding and design of computers and computational processes. In its most general form, computer science is concerned with the understanding of information transfer and transformation.
Computer: This refers to an electronic device that is used for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program. The computer allows its users to access, store, share and manipulate information.
Computational Thinking: This refers to the process of solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior that draw on the fundamental concepts of computer science.