Teach Middle East Magazine Sep-Dec 2019 Issue 1 Volume 7 | Page 38

Sharing Good Practice STUDENT ENGAGEMENT CODING - A SUCCESS STORY BY: HSING-WEN WANG M any countries have paid increased attention to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Several countries have also raised the flag about potential shortages in STEM professionals [1]. In the past decades, computer science (CS) has driven innovation in all STEM fields. Computing has become a fundamental part of our daily life and almost every occupation in the modern economy. However, limited K-12 CS programs are implemented worldwide. In US, only about 35% of public high schools teach CS [2]. State and local school districts are now aggressively adopting CS policies [3]. In UAE, a K-12 CS standard was published in 2015 and the Emirati School Model was announced in 2017 to recognize 38 Term 1 Sep - Dec 2019 coding and computer skills as one required skill for any kid to succeed in life [4]. While the CS policy and implementation helps address a lack of access to CS, a lack of engagement to CS or programming/coding could also be problematic. CS is traditionally viewed as being boring [5]. Code.org Advocacy Coalition also recognizes that establishing these policies does not guarantee student success. Great teachers and leaders, as well as access to the devices and network, are also needed [6]. It is important to change K-12 students’ views about computer programming, and at the same time motivate and engage them to start learning text coding, as well as necessary computer management Class Time and knowledge. Many companies/institutes have developed graphic programming products such as Scratch, invented by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, so that children could have fun while learning “computational thinking” at an early age. However, to move students into more serious programming or a CS track, text- coding skills are necessary. Text coding is the basic skill of most professional programming and is believed to require a high degree of rigor. Usually it is not common to teach coding until high school, and often only for students who express an interest in pursuing computer programming as a career or option in higher education.