Deepening Learning in High School Computer Science through Practices in the NGSS (Abstract Only)

Abstract

High school computer science teaching can be informed by how science and engineering practices are defined in K-12 curriculum standards. In the United States, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are seen as broadly stated and widely accepted statements of what children should know about science and engineering to be literate citizens and to prepare for careers in STEM. While the NGSS do not identify practices for computer science, our experience is that the broadly defined engineering practices can serve as an appropriate framework for thinking about computational work. Our interpretation differs from efforts that use computation to teach science or mathematics, instead we apply NGSS approaches to teach computer science. We anticipate that K-12 teachers who are working with these standards as well as with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will find, as we have, a crossover from the emphasis in these standards on inquiry, argumentation, and overall deeper learning to the pedagogical orientation of curricula such as the high school introductory course Exploring Computer Science (ECS). This poster will show how a portion of the NGSS, carried over from the precursor Science and Engineering Framework and called the Condensed Practices can be used with activities in ECS to deepen student learning and help teacher adoption. Handouts are available showing (1) knowledge, skills, and abilities for computational thinking, (2) curriculum guidance for teachers wishing to use the NGSS to inform ECS teaching and (3) suggestions for professional development in NGSS for computational thinking for all K-12 teachers.