Guide to Teaching Computer Science: An Activity-based Approach

Focusing on the teaching of computer science in the generative A.I. (GenAI) era, the 4^th edition of this Guide to Teaching Computer Science aims to contribute to the urgent effort to rethink and redesign computer science education.

This Guide to Teaching Computer Science is intended for all computer science educators, from elementary, middle and high school to academia. It is organized in a way that enables an immediate application of its main ideas. This goal is achieved by presenting the rationale for addressing a variety of computer science education topics, as well as their detailed actual teaching process (including activities, worksheets, topics for discussions, and more). The rise of GenAI necessitates immediate changes in computer science education, even as we recognize that predictions about the future of the discipline of computer science—and of educational systems more broadly—must be made with caution.

·         The guide focuses on computer science education – teaching and learning.

·         The guide is organized in three parts: Overview of Contemporary Computer Science Education; Computer Science Education Pedagogy: Research and Implementation; and Teacher Preparation Frameworks.

·         Each chapter presents a pedagogical topic along with its meaning, importance and relevance in the context of computer science education, its basic pedagogical principles, and how it can be applied in computer science education in general—and in the Methods of Teaching Computer Science (MTCS) course in particular.

·         Topics addressed in this guide include the following in the context of computer science education: research in computer science education; learners’ alternative conceptions; types of questions; assessment; teaching methods and learning spaces; lab-based teaching; teaching planning; teacher preparation programs; and prospective teachers practicum.

The 4^th edition of this highly useful guide includes 232 activities. This unique resource can be used by many people involved in computer science education:  in particular, instructors of an MTCS course, instructors of in-service teachers’ professional development programs, and teachers across all levels and students.

Dr. Orit Hazzan is Professor at the Department of Education in Science and Technology at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Her other publications include the Springer titles Application of Management Theories for STEM Education, Risk Management of Education Systems, The MERge Model for Business Development, Agile Anywhere, and Agile Software Engineering.

Dr. Noa Ragonis is a researcher in the field of computer science education, focusing on cognitive aspects of teaching and learning, particularly in relation to logic programming, object oriented programming, and computational thinking. She has authored ten computer science high-school textbooks and teachers' guides.

Dr. Tami Lapidot is Executive Manager of Machshava – the Israeli National Center for Computer Science Teachers.

All three authors have extensive experience of teaching, management, research, and involvement in computer science teacher preparation programs, as well as of participation in national initiatives and policy-making committees. They have taught courses on computer science and on computer science education to high school pupils, undergraduate students, and pre-service and in-service teachers. The research the authors have conducted examines a variety of computer science education topics, including teaching methods, learning processes, teacher preparation, and social and organizational issues of computer science education.