Computer Science is an interesting subject which helps students to develop their problem solving and computational thinking skills. The problem solving and algorithmic nature of computer science also promotes students’ creativity and innovation. However, teaching of computer science is different from other science subjects and requires special pedagogical skills. This presentation covers these aspects.

1. Prof. Dr. M. Anwar-ur-Rehman Pasha
Chairman
Department of CS & IT
University of Sargodha

2. Computing as a
Discipline
Computer Engineering (CE)
focuses on computing
hardware and associated
computing aspects.
Computer Science (CS)
focuses on computing theory,
methodology, innovation,
development (programming)
of technologies and
applications, and applying
computing to new
disciplines.

3. Information Systems (IS) focuses on
applying computing in organizations
and organizational information
management.
Software Engineering (SE) focuses on
developing large complex software
systems.
Information Technology (IT) focuses on
solving organizational computing
challenges by integrating technologies
into solutions and deploying and
maintaining the solutions.

4. Computing: A Historical
Perspective
 Before 1990’s: Computer Science (CS), Computer
Engineering (CE), and Information Systems (IS)
 By 1990s: Software Engineering (SE)
 By the end of 1990s: Information Technology (IT)
 Emerging Disciplines:
 “Computational-X”: Computational Mathematics,
Computational Physics, Computational Finance, etc.
 “X- Informatics”: Bio-Informatics, Dental-Informatics,
Clinical-Informatics, Agro-Informatics, etc.

5. Five Reasons Why CS Learning is
Critical for Students
1. Thinking is Good for Thinking.
Computer Science promotes algorithmic thinking
which involve sequencing, analysis, and testing
processes in time and space. It helps students to
develop their habits of problem-solving which help
them in other domains as well.

6. Five Reasons Why CS Learning is
Critical for Students (Cont.)
2. Sustaining the Next Generation of Creators and
Innovators.
Computers can engage students in creative play,
innovation, and exploration through entertainment,
communication, and social applications. Computing
power and the skills to harness this power are the
“Engines of Innovation”.

7. Five Reasons Why CS Learning is
Critical for Students (Cont.)
3. Empowering Students to Change the World.
Computer Science empowers students to apply their
creativity and skills to solve problems. These learning
experiences promote their perceptions of themselves
as innovators capable of changing the world.

8. Five Reasons Why CS Learning is
Critical for Students (Cont.)
4. Preparing Students for Future Endeavors.
In a CS course students begin to master fundamental
concepts and practices. The knowledge of these
concepts and practices empower them to create
innovations, tools, and applications.

9. Five Reasons Why CS Learning is
Critical for Students (Cont.)
5. Collaboration, Communication, and Teamwork—
Key 21st Century Skills. Computer Science promotes
collaboration. Collaborative problem solving prepares
students to work in teams and builds supportive
partnerships.

10. Pedagogical Guide Lines
- Before the start of the course consider: What do you
expect students to know? At what level? And where are
the students expected to learn required knowledge
and skills?
- Assume that students know nothing coming into the
course
- Make students aware about the time-consuming nature
of computing discipline
- Survey the class on their perceived knowledge of
various computing concepts

11. Pedagogical Guide Lines (Cont.)
- Don't forget the needs of the advanced students.
Introduce them to each other. Suggest more
challenging work that they can explore.
- Must take care of Computing Labs (Open labs/Closed
labs/ Frustrating labs. Remember Labs are new for
students not for you.)
- Explicitly teach how to get onto the Internet, use
electronic mail and the World Wide Web

12. Pedagogical Guide Lines (Cont.)
- Must be aware of “Tools vs. Toys" Approach: Some
students look at computers as toys, others as tools.
Some students want to play with computers but others
want to do something useful with them.
- Computer science course usually aims to measure
students improvement in logical thinking & problem
solving skills. It must teach to the students “What
should I do?” (ethics) and “How should we decide?”
(politics), as well as, “What can I be certain of?”
(knowledge).

13. Pedagogical Guide Lines (Cont.)
 Computer science can't be taught in the same manner as high history,
English, or even math. It requires:
 Create more interaction (give aid where needed )
 Design activities which promote critical thinking skills and high-order
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creativity
Provide maximum practice opportunities
Offer more exploratory hands-on activities
Design in-class exercise to be fun
Create engaging homework assignments
Adopt easy-to-harder but interesting problem solving approach
Introduce small-group exercises
Less teaching (just lectures, reading or text-based assignments), more
stress on problem solving and skill development.
Introduce interesting extra credit problems encourage a student to
practice computer science in her spare time

14. What is Expected from a CS
Teacher
Knowledge
 Historical development of computing disciplines
 Different domains of computing discipline
 Historical evolution of computer and its hardware,
software components
 Computer science core body of knowledge
 the knowledge and skills that students must have to
enable them to thrive in the 21st Century global
information economy
 Application of computers in society

15. What is Expected from a CS
Teacher (Cont.)
Knowledge
 Use of social media and global knowledge resources
 Legal, social, and ethical issues of computing in
society
 Current Trend, Practices, and innovations
 Addiction to computers and the Internet
 Advertising and censorship on the Internet
 Digital finger print and hacking on the Internet
 Plagiarism, privacy, security, and Internet preying

16. What is Expected from a CS
Teacher (Cont.)
Pedagogical aspects
 Acquaint with the aims and objectives of teaching
computer science in secondary and higher secondary
schools
 Ability to plan learning activities according to those
objectives.
 Having skills relating to planning lessons and presenting
them effectively.
 Familiarity with the various methods that can be employed
for the teaching of computer science.
 Understanding of the principles of curriculum
construction.
 Assessment and Evaluation skills

17. Instructional Strategies
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Lecturing
Role Playing
Jigsawing Activities
Games
The CS-unplugged
Approach,
Rich Tasks
Concept Maps
Pair and Small-group
Collaboration
Structured Tinkering
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Multiple Solutions
Modeling Simulations
Multimedia Presentations
Journal Reflections
Different Forms of Class
Organization
 Interdisciplinary
Connections
 Mentoring Software
Project Development

18. Caution: Awareness of Disability
 Disability is the consequence of an impairment that
may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory,
emotional, developmental, or some combination of
these.
 A disability may be present from birth, or occur during
a person's lifetime.

19. Caution: Awareness of Disability
 Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering
impairments, activity limitations, and participation
restrictions.
 An impairment is a problem in body function or
structure;
 an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an
individual in executing a task or action;
 while a participation restriction is a problem
experienced by an individual in involvement in life
situations.

20. Ultimate Goal: Computational
Thinking
“CT is an approach to solving problems in a way that can
be implemented with a computer. Students become not
merely tool users but tool builders”. It is a problemsolving process that includes:
 Formulating problems in a way that enables us to use a
computer and other tools to help solve them;
 Logically organizing and analyzing data;

21. Ultimate Goal: Computational
Thinking (Cont.)
 Representing data through abstractions such as
models and simulations;
 Automating solutions through algorithmic thinking (a
series of ordered steps);
 Identifying, analyzing, and implementing possible
solutions with the goal of achieving the most efficient
and effective combination of steps and resources; and
 Generalizing and transferring this problem-solving
process to a wide variety of problems.

22. Computational Thinking
Dispositions
 Confidence in dealing with complexity;
 Persistence in working with difficult problems;
 Tolerance for ambiguity;
 The ability to deal with open-ended problems; and
 The ability to communicate and work with others to
achieve a common goal or solution

23. Important Considerations
The student does not just passively take
in knowledge, but actively constructs it
on the basis of his/her prior knowledge
and experiences.

24. Important Considerations (Cont.)
The learning outcomes of any teaching depend not
only on what the teachers do but also on the
knowledge, the purposes, the motivations and the
beliefs that the learners bring with them to the
classroom.

25. Important Considerations (Cont.)
Quality learning is most likely to happen when it is
student-centred, because that is where the
responsibility lies.

26. Any Question Please