Computing Education: An Overview of Research in the Field

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In May 2016 the Royal Society announced it was commissioning a study, funded by Google and Microsoft, to understand the challenges faced by educators delivering computing and computer science and share best practice which can be adopted more widely. The research will establish the progress that has been made since the introduction of the new English computing curriculum (Department for Education, 2013) in September 2014 – as well as recognising related curriculum and qualifications reforms across the rest of the UK – identify areas that still need to be addressed, and will be used as the basis of a wider action plan to transform computing in schools. This new project builds upon the Royal Society’s impactful work in this space, Shut Down or Restart? (Royal Society, 2012), a review of ICT and computing education in schools in the United Kingdom (UK). The introduction of a new computing curriculum for 5-16 year-olds in England has, for the first time anywhere, established computer science and computational thinking as foundational subjects alongside English, mathematics and the sciences. England is in effect pioneering a brand new school subject from the age of five, with the rest of the world watching to see the impact. This is alongside a number of national and international initiatives to reinforce computer science’s position as a mainstream Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) discipline (Guzdial and Morrison, 2016) At the same time, the government is standing back from guiding everyone about how to implement this seismic curriculum change in England, and inviting, employers, universities, professional societies, and educational establishments themselves to play the leading role on how to deliver this curriculum. Academia, industry, parents and educators have responded enthusiastically with a range of initiatives such as code clubs and informal networks for professional development. But there are limits to informal activity; a subject in its infancy needs high-quality teacher training and development, best practice in the classroom, and reliable materials for students; it also needs solid, evidence-based research about what works, proper co-ordination of activity, and effective dissemination of best practice.Â