broadening accessibility to computer science for k-12 education
Enrollments in computer science and computer engineering have decreased dramatically since the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 even though it is projected that nearly three quarters of all science and engineering jobs in the future will be in these fields. Meeting this demand will require a substantial effort to inspire and motivate students as early as in the elementary school years. The challenge is to provide motivational access to computer science training, particularly for females and minorities in disadvantaged areas. We propose and present three approaches for broadening accessibility to software that teaches computer science fundamentals: (1) virtualization, (2) self-contained live CDs, and (3) web browser-based deployment. While the work is ongoing, initial results are quite promising. Next steps include a more formal and much wider deployment to 3rd-5th grade classes in ten elementary schools in rural Virginia.
k-12 live cd virtual computing, storytelling alice