Navigating Computer Science Education in the 21st Century

Students often face challenges in a swiftly advancing Computer Science Education (CSE), where technologies evolve rapidly, and concepts unfold with overwhelming intricacies. As society becomes interwoven with technology, how essential is the integration of CSE into the educational framework to adequately equip future generations for the complexities of the digital era? Navigating Computer Science Education in the 21st Century advocates integrating CSE into curricula, underlining its crucial role in early childhood development. The book grapples with the challenge of introducing children to technology responsibly, addressing concerns about unmonitored screen time while emphasizing the necessity of evidence-based approaches for educators. Within these pages, effective teaching strategies are linked to successes in CSE. The book explores learner-centered teaching methodologies in computer science, emphasizing individualized instruction, active learning, and collaborative approaches. It evaluates the effectiveness of traditional lecture-based teaching against more innovative strategies such as game-based learning and collaborative approaches. By presenting studies that delve into the impact of these strategies on student engagement and motivation, the book equips educators with the insights needed to make informed decisions tailored to diverse learning environments.

Prof Chantelle Bosch is an NRF-rated researcher and Associate Professor in the School of Mathematics, Science and Technology. She leads the Computer Science Education subject group and focuses her research on blended learning environments that promote self-directed and cooperative learning. She is an executive member of the UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and leads the blended learning sub-area in the Self-Directed Learning research unit.

Leila Goosen is a full professor in the Department of Science and Technology Education of the University of South Africa. She holds a C2 rating via the South African National Research Foundation. Prof. Goosen was an Associate Professor in the School of Computing, and the module leader and head designer of the fully online signature module for the College for Science, Engineering and Technology, rolled out to over 92,000 registered students since the first semester of 2013. She usually supervises around ten Masters and Doctoral students, and has successfully completed supervision of 43 students at postgraduate level. Previously, she was a Deputy Director at the South African national Department of Education. In this capacity, she was required to develop ICT strategies for implementation. Before that, she had been a lecturer of Information Technology (IT) in the Department for Science, Mathematics and Technology Education in the Faculty of Education of the University of Pretoria. Her research interests have included cooperative work in IT, effective teaching and learning of programming and teacher professional development.

Jacqui Chetty is a Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (UoB) since September 2020, with a focus on teaching and learning in computer science. Her skills profile includes teaching undergraduate courses such as object-oriented programming (Java, Python), full-stack programming, and projects for 3rd-year students. She has also taught a variety of past undergraduate courses including Information Systems, Programming (Java, C#, Python), Computer Systems, Web Development, Systems Analysis & Design, and Internet Programming. Additionally, she has experience teaching postgraduate and honors courses and supervising PhD and Masters students. Jacqui has held various management and administrative roles, including EDI lead at UoB and line manager for project officer student success at UoK. She is actively involved in committees related to equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI), and she has served on the Athena Swan committee. Her educational background includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in Computer Science Education from the University of Johannesburg, as well as a PGCHE from the University of Kent. Jacqui has received several awards and distinctions for her academic achievements and has secured research funding for her projects. She has published numerous book chapters, journal papers, and conference papers, focusing on topics such as computer programming education, pedagogy, and information security. Her research interests include improving programming skills for students and developing pedagogical strategies for teaching computer programming.