In Brian Richard’s mind, a computer scientist isn’t a coffee-fueled young professional basking in the glow of a laptop screen, logging hours creating lines of code. A computer scientist is a kid with so-so math grades who’s excited to participate in a learning activity that requires her to build a LEGO^® basketball robot that can drain 3-point shots.

Teachers like Richard have realized that expanding computer science education to a broader swath of students — not just academic acumen, but also race, socioeconomic status and gender — results in a richer, more creative computer science profession.

During his time as coordinator of career and technology education for the School District of Pickens County, where Clemson is located, Richard has seen that infusing computer science with excitement and engaging content is crucial to attracting a diverse group of students who may otherwise brush the subject off as boring or unappealing. These types of learning activities are the hook for all kids to get into the subject, but especially the disadvantaged ones or those who are underrepresented in the field.

The kids who typically don’t care for computer science are often the best problem solvers, according to Richard. The team of kids constructing that LEGO robot might hate math, but they learn to love it when math nets their robot more three pointers and gets them a better grade in a subject they always assumed wasn’t for them.

“When teachers find a way to get kids to use that brain horsepower in a learning setting, that’s how teachers get their foot in the door and get them interested in the subject,” Richard says. “Students forget about their grades in math. They forget about whether or not their gender or ethnicity is supposed to excel in or enjoy computer science. They forget about their disadvantages — real or imagined.”

Richard, like so many other educators in South Carolina, sees a growing need for computer science concepts to be delivered effectively in classrooms. It’s why he was tapped by Clemson researchers to assist them in developing teaching methods for computer science teachers across South Carolina that better serve the state’s diverse population.

Clemson faculty researchers are using a grant from the National Science Foundation to broaden participation in computer science by improving teaching methods and discovering what does and doesn’t work in computer science classrooms for different student audiences.

Faculty from the College of Education and the School of Computing in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences are working with schools in the Upstate region of South Carolina to gauge the effectiveness of their approaches to instruction. According to Megan Che, associate professor of mathematics education in Clemson’s College of Education, researchers want to equip teachers to engage students in ways that are both rigorous and appeal to a diverse audience.

“As educators, we’re selling students and our discipline short if we’re educating a population of computer science students that isn’t reflective of our state,” Che says. “Computer science can be a tool for any student to express problems around them as well as possible solutions to those problems.”

responsiveness over relevancy

Putting students in the driver’s seat is where the concept of culturally responsive teaching comes in. This student-centered approach identifies and nurtures each student’s unique cultural strengths.

Instead of an educator forcing “cultural relevance” on a group lecture that would inevitably fall short with some or most of the students in a classroom, a culturally responsive approach allows each individual student to connect their daily life experiences with computer science content. Students prescribe their own contexts to projects based on their life experiences.

“Many students respond to teaching that demonstrates computer science changing people’s lives, such as wearable technology that helps someone with a disability complete a task,” Che says, “but students can also code data to measure a social issue, such as the success or failure of trying to improve an underserved neighborhood.”

The educators and administrators from partner districts involved in the project see the potential impact the research can have in their work. Many of them have already managed to attract students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in computer science, from student-athletes to those who are content spending most of their time outdoors. All want to see even more students involved.

Baldwin constantly preaches the importance of reinforcing logic and problem-solving skills through computer science to the teachers and students in Anderson District 5. She sees all contexts — whether they are gaming environments, virtual reality, human centered computing or social discourse — as valid in preparing students for the modern workplace.

“From robotics to 3D printing, there are many different ways students can tweak computer science to meet their interests,” Baldwin says. “In this way, students can be the owners of their own learning.”

Students are constantly tethered to technology, most notably through smartphones, and teachers at participating schools have had success in leveraging that technology into engaging content in the classroom. Teachers have noted how effective it is to bring
“real-world” computer scientists to students via Google Hangouts to discuss principles that relate to subjects in class.

Baldwin says her district is collaborating with others to have career clusters and courses that can provide certification to students that give them an edge in the job market. She believes that once teachers are equipped with the methods to engage students with computer science, districts will notice a sea change in how a larger, more diverse audience of students talks about careers after graduation.

“It’s not just coding; it could be entering the health care field and programming a robotic hand to pick up objects for someone who’s lost one,” Baldwin says. “There are so many opportunities for students to become problem solvers and put their creativity to use, and there’s more potential across all areas of the economy than many people realize.”