Teaching of computing in schools faces big changes

Professor Stephen Furber (right), from the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, will lead the research study which is part of a wider  action plan to transform computing in schools.  
It is hoped to establish whether progress has been made since the introduction of the new English computing curriculum in 2014.

In 2014 a new computing curriculum for five to 16 year-olds was introduced in English schools, replacing ICT and establishing computer science and computational thinking as a foundation subject alongside mathematics and the sciences. 
The ongoing aim is to generate greater interest in computing technologies amongst schoolchildren.

An important part of this is to provide them with creative, digital and computational thinking skills, which are relevant for employers.
To do this the project aims to equip teachers to teach young people the necessary skills. But also to inspire more children to take up digital careers in the future.

Professor Tom McLeish, chair of the Royal Society’s education committee said: “As a subject with a rich and vital future, computer science not only needs high-quality teacher training and development, best practice in the classroom, and inspiring materials for pupils; it also needs solid, evidence-based research about what works.”

Part of the project is to guidance and continuing professional development programmes. It will also equip schools to address the gender imbalance and inspire young girls to take up computing. The plan will also identify opportunities to help young people relate to digital careers through partnerships with businesses.
“In a world where technology is increasingly embedded into our daily lives we need to ensure that the computer science curriculum equips young people to take advantage of the opportunities the digital world offers,” said McLeish.

So why is an initiative such as this still needed in 2016, when IT and computing are such vital and commonly aspects of business and social activities in our society? 
The answer seems to be that the education system has only started to take computing seriously as an academic skill in the last three years.

A report by the Royal Society in 2012 called Shut Down or Restart? said that the status of computing in schools needed to be improved and given greater recognition as an academic discipline. 
That report found that the delivery of computing education in many UK schools was highly unsatisfactory.

“Although existing curricula for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are broad and allow scope for teachers to inspire pupils and help them develop interests in computing, many pupils are not inspired by what they are taught and gain nothing beyond basic digital literacy skills such as how to use a word-processor or a database,” stated the 2012 report.

It concluded that among the reasons for this were a shortage of teachers  with the necessary skills and that skills were not implementing effective teaching of computing
“There is a need to improve understanding in schools of the nature and scope of Computing.

In particular there needs to be recognition that Computer Science is a rigorous academic discipline of great importance to the future careers of many pupils. The status of Computing in schools needs to be recognised and raised by government and senior management in schools,” stated the 2012 report.

This latest research study has the big software brands of Google and Microsoft behind it.
Mike Warriner, UK Engineering Director at Google, believes that coding is a really important skill for young people.

“Learning to code will be vital for the jobs of the future, it makes you better at problem solving and logical thinking, and most of all it is great fun. This is a great initiative from the Royal Society to discover new ways to engage the UK’s teachers with computing and give them the skills they need to inspire the next generation of coders,” said Warriner.

According to Hugh Milward, Director, Corporate external and legal affairs at Microsoft UK, the UK economy will require 745,000 additional workers with digital skills by 2017.

“This is why quality computer science education in schools is vital. This project will help shape and inform computer science education best practice and support educators with rich materials to inspire the next generation in whatever career they choose,” said Milward.

The full impact of the project may not be fully felt in classrooms for many years, however it is hoped that pupils will start to benefit as soon as the findings of the launch study are made available to head teachers, teachers and school governors.