Dive Brief:
- Vince Bertram, president and CEO of STEM course developer Project Lead the Way, says computer science is being left out of the push in schools for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
- He writes for EdTech: Focus on K-12 that students need computer science fundamentals, not just coding, to prepare for a modern economy expected to maintain an increasing demand for computer science professionals, but schools haven’t shifted from a focus on biology, chemistry and physics.
- Bertram recommends introducing computer science to students long before high school and calls the racial, ethnic and gender gaps in Advanced Placement computer science participation a tragedy, lamenting also the concentration of computer science classes in affluent schools.
Dive Insight:
Hour of Code events and after-school programs to help students learn introductory coding languages may be missing the point. Coding can be fun, and it’s important for students to recognize this early. But they need computer science fundamentals to be successful in STEM courses in college or their careers. In the same way access to a makerspace but no advanced courses won’t prepare a student for a STEM major, leaving coding to an extracurricular does a disservice to students who want to enter the modern economy.
Coding bootcamps have sprung up as alternatives to college for those wishing to break into the field. Employers, however, have consistently reported bootcamp graduates do not know enough about the fundamentals to adapt to changes in the field. They understand how to do things, but not why they work. As schools hone their focus on preparing students for college and career, these elements must factor into curriculum planning.