The KCL Report on the future of Computing Education

It is no secret that I was never in favour of the Computing Programme of Study introduced in 2014. Like many others, I thought it would alienate girls (especially). Moreover, it was based on misinformation in my opinion. There was a general understanding that the then ICT Programme of Study was too focused on Microsoft Office and contained no programming. Having been a Principal Officer in ICT at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, I had visited many schools the length and breadth of the country and saw brilliant work going on. As for the “lack of programming”, the Computing Programme of Study did contain programming, so it was disappointing that so many people in positions of interest seemed unable to read through it thoroughly.

Well, the Computing curriculum report from Kings College makes some great recommendations for fixing the failures of the current curriculum. Strangely enough, they’re not too dissimilar to the kinds of things many of have been saying for years.

Here are the report’s recommendations, plus a summary provided by AI.

Here are the six recommendations from the report "The Future of Computing Education: Considerations for Policy, Curriculum and Practice":

The sources provide significant detail about each of these recommendations throughout the report.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Reform the Computing Curriculum

• Reform the GCSE provision for Computing: Review the GCSE qualification space to ensure it covers a wider range of topics, appealing to a more diverse student population and the needs of society. 

• Review of relative difficulty: Ofqual to look urgently at the relative difficulty of GCSE Computer Science compared to other subjects. 

• Explicitly widen the Key Stage 3 Computing Curriculum: Place a greater emphasis on different areas of computing study, such as digital literacy, project work, digital media and data science. 

• An entitlement to a computing education for all students at Key Stage 4: Expectation placed upon schools to provide a regular and broad computing education for all students. 

• RECOMMENDATION 2: Promote and Enhance Teacher Training and Professional Development 

• Support recruitment and retention of computing teachers: Review the measures that support the recruitment and retention of computing teachers, including an increase in bursaries and the exploration of 'early career payments'. 

• School-level investment in staff professional development: Teacher entitlement to self-defined CPD. Empower school senior leaders to invest in professional development, resources and time for teachers and leaders to support inclusive computing education and subject knowledge. 

• RECOMMENDATION 3: Support Inclusive Computing Education in Schools 

• Foster inclusive learning environments: Support the policies and structures to ensure that all computing classrooms promote a sense of belonging for young people. 

• Whole school approach to equity in computing: Ensure school policies and strategies demonstrate a holistic and consistent approach to inclusion across the school, including CPD opportunities, pedagogy, learning resources, pastoral care, and acknowledging diverse contributions in computing and STEM fields. 

• RECOMMENDATION 4: Reframe the Computing Narrative 

• Reframe narratives surrounding computing: Employers and organisations to share narratives of those working in computing that encompass a broader spectrum of individuals, especially those working for social good, beyond tech entrepreneurs and historical figures. 

• Launch a sustainable national campaign: A campaign aimed at showcasing diverse role models in computing, highlighting a variety of traits and skills beyond traditional stereotypes, especially relatable and contemporary role models, such as alumni and community members. 

• RECOMMENDATION 5: Showcase Diverse Digital Opportunities 

• Improve subject-specific career guidance: Ensure young people and their families and teachers have access to and understand the importance of computing education for a diversity of opportunities in computing and beyond. 

• Improve access to experiences of the workplace: Enhance collaboration between employers (especially within the STEM sectors) and schools so that all young people have meaningful experiences of the workplace. 

• RECOMMENDATION 6: Increase Access to Informal Digital Making 

• Inclusive informal learning spaces: Ensure access to informal learning spaces across the education system are supportive and inclusive for all young people and include a broad range of activities such as project work, digital media activities and programming. 

• Coordinated efforts to ensure equity of access: Schools and organisations recognise the challenges and work with teachers and families to ensure equity of access to digital devices and extracurricular activities that encourage digital making, using free and open-source resources where possible. 

Summary

The source is a research report from the Subject Choice, Attainment and Representation in (SCARI) Computing project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. It explores the current state of computing education in England, focusing on the decline in computing provision and the underrepresentation of girls in computing qualifications. The report highlights the need for curriculum reform to broaden the scope of computing, enhance teacher training, challenge stereotypes, and improve access to informal learning opportunities. The authors offer six recommendations to address these issues and foster a more inclusive and equitable computing education system in England.

And here is a discussion:

KCL Computing Education report

The big reveal

The summary, recommendations and the discussion were created by Artificial Intelligence: Google’s Notebook LM. Do give it a try, it’s remarkable.