Successful K-12 outreach strategies

Abstract

Much has been written about the decrease in the number of students pursuing computing in colleges. Unfortunately, most students form their (usually negative) opinions of computing long before they reach college [1], so it is beneficial for university faculty who want to increase college enrollment to do outreach aimed at a younger audience. Activities to promote computing among K-12 students can proceed at several levels, occur in various locations, and involve both students and faculty.College and high school faculty can collaborate in many ways. As teachers of introductory courses, both groups want to generate interest, cover important material, and provide a strong foundation for later work. For example, the AP CS course description includes material that fits well with both high school and introductory college courses. Also, today in both environments, there is much discussion regarding the best approaches for creating excitement and introducing students to computing. Although both faculties need to address common content and utilize active pedagogies, it also is important to acknowledge that college and high school environments are different, and both levels have special opportunities and constraints.Many college faculty are interested in doing K-12 outreach but often do not know where to start or do not know any successful strategies. The purpose of this panel is to present K-12 outreach strategies that have worked and then to provide the audience with the opportunity to brainstorm with the panelists to explore alternate ideas for outreach and to identify new approaches. Some ideas and strategies come from experiences of high school and college teachers working together as part of the AP CS program, but other approaches extend beyond AP CS.