One of the goals of education is to develop mental capacities. Unlike the traditional school subjects which have become more or less marks-oriented, computer education provides an unique opportunity for boosting natural ways of learning. Lim, et.al. (2002) postulate that integration of ICT into the school curriculum is instrumental in developing a culture of thinking, lifelong learning and social responsibility (Lim, at.al., 2002). This will be instrumental in building indigenous technological capability and greater independence in the long run (Hawkridge, 1990). Given the support for ICT in schools under government schemes such as Sara Siksha Abhiyan, computer education has got a thrust in the past five years. Besides, civil society bodies as well as private computer companies have been instrumental in the process. But compared to developed countries, as well as developing countries such as China, the figures of computers in school are quite low. In India, less than 10 percent of all the schools have a computer and these are skewed in favour of urban areas (26.41%) while the rural areas (6.66%) are marginalized.
However, the emphasis is largely on acquiring the technology (computers) per se and there is little deliberation on what should be the course content and what methodology is best suited to teach it. In light of this, the present paper outlines a model for teaching computer science in elementary schools in a developing country. In addition, it reports preliminary insights gained from field implementation in one pilot school
Literature review
1. Computer science fluency
2. Hawkridge approach for ICT integration into school in third world countries – societal, vocational, computer assisted learning and catalytic
3. Reports of CS in schools from developing countries - Asia (Singapore, china, Nepal), Africa
4. pedagogy + technical aspect in developing a model – 3 tier approach – curriculum, student and teacher with specific guidelines for assessment
Computer Education in Developing Countries: Ape the West or Trek New Paths?
In the West, pedagogical approach has been adopted where computer assisted learning (CAL) and digitally adaptive content for teaching other subjects has been in practice for over two decades. These countries have been the center stage of computer and Internet revolution and educators have used CAL to teach a wide range of subjects. The development of computer education in UK schools during the 1980s was founded on the notion of teaching with or through computers rather than about computers. This included the use of tutorial programs which taught fixed body of knowledge through programs, using application to reduce inauthentic labour (e.g. library database, word processor to create and edit text), simulation and modelling situations (Cloke & Al-Ameri, 2000). Later they graduated to using computers in classroom for individualized instruction. Adopting the catalytic approach, associations of computer science teachers have deliberated on what should be taught at the K-12 level and suggested a model curriculum. The ACM model provides a based for the various schools in the United States around which respective education boards/ schools design the specific topics to be taught at each level. In the past decade, they focused on use of intuitive application to help kids become creators of games, digital stories and 3D worlds in cyberspace. Scratch by MIT and Alice by CMU are examples of 'head fake' applications where students learn to program, and refine algorithmic thinking without realizing that they are learning. These applications enable kids to become creators rather than consumers of edutainment applications. On the other hand, the developing countries have adopted a catching-up approach to computer education. They are still grappling with computer awareness programs for teachers and students.
The turn of century has announced the arrival of information societies and knowledge based economy. Computer and Internet skills have acquired the relevance of life-skills and become benchmarks of literacy along with the traditional 3Rs- reading, writing and arithmetic. There is an added push to acquire technical sophistication due to availability of computer related jobs in IT and ITES sectors. Besides, several pilot projects are set up by corporate players and civil society organizations in these countries. These projects are aimed at widening the computer user base and are packaged to provide technical tools that serve as teaching/ learning aids. Using proprietary products, the developing countries are the markets for multinationals as their own domestic markets are already saturated. Benefits of computer use are considered as commandments, and there is little focus on what applications are appropriate for specific target groups and developing locally relevant content. The novice users are in awe of the computer technology and still treat computer applications as magic tricks. The pressure to acquire computer skills to catch the tech-savvy carrier left little time for grooming them to become creators of technology. We do not mean to rule out the gains that computer and Internet usage can provide, but without the locals moving from users to creators of information, minimal impact can be expected.
Even as there is an agreement across all the developing countries that schools should provide an exposure to computers to the students, there is lack of uniformity on when to begin and what to teach. While several of the countries have computer education at high school level, there is lack of consensus on ‘what’ [topics covered], ‘when’ [in which grade], ‘how’ [pedagogy] and most importantly ‘why’ [rationale of teaching a particular topic]. Of these, the ‘what’ and ‘when’ are widely addressed, and there is a gap as far as how and why are concerned.
Elaborating on how different countries vary on what they seek to teach school students, it found that a course in computers is included in schools, at higher secondary level (Grades XI –XII; 15 to 17 year olds) in the UAE, at secondary level (Grades VI-VIII; 11 – 13 year olds), in Pakistanat primary level (Grades I –VI; 6 – 11 year olds), in Mauritius at lower secondary level (Grades VI- X, 11 – 15 year olds) in Singapore where it is an optional subject offered for students who enroll in normal-technical course [refer Table 1]. Besides, computer education course is called by a variety of names such as computer science, information technology, computer awareness, etc. depending upon the objectives and scope of the syllabus covered. It may be noted that international schools in these countries have aped the model of developed countries and are way ahead of government and other private schools.
Table 1: Grade, Content and OS implemented by Select Developing countries*
Country / Grade / Age group / Optional/ compulsory / Content covered / OSUAE / XI / 15 -17 years / compulsory / One year computer awareness course – data processing, structure of the computer, operating system, word processing and paint brush / DOS-based using AT and XT technologies
Mauritius / I –VI / 6 – 11 years / Compulsory / computer system (uses of computer, sectors where it is used, identify parts, types of computers), computer operations (functions of computer parts, mouse control, keyboard usage, open/close/minimize window, use of files/folders/drives), word processing (write, edit, format, add tables, header/footer, produce text in French and English, search synonyms, spell check, word count, superscript/subscript, insert picture/special character, use drawing toolbar), graphics and multimedia (draw/edit/colour using graphic program), computer ethics, health and safety (use computers identify dangers of Internet and measures to avoid viruses, use antivirus software, secure passwords, differentiate between legal and illegal copying, list computer crimes), handling and modeling information (interpret pictograms, use spreadsheet, perform simple arithmetic calculations, design and manipulate database), control/measure (simple instructions to control device, start logo, use repeat commands, draw shapes), file management (create/delete folders, restore files from recycle bin), electronic communication (use web browser, navigate through the web, use backspace/forward/refresh/hyperlinks, search on the Net, save and use the information searched for on local disk, communicate using e-mail, attach file to an e-mail, download attached file, create web page using predefined web page format, create hyperlink) / Curriculum well defines, with pre-requisites, competencies and skills neatly outlined for each level. The curriculum is OS independent, though the window based lingo are uses, for example word art, auto-shapes
Pakistan / VI-VIII / 11-14 years / compulsory / GOALS:
a)computer and information literacy
b)productivity through technology (productivity tools –words, excel, PPT, paint, e-mail)
c)algorithmic thinking and problem-solving
Four units for each level –
Grade VI- introduction to computers, windows, commonly used software, WWW/ search engines, safeguard against computer threats and viruses.
Grade VII- hardware (RAM, ROM, ALU, expansion cards and slots, cutting edge technologies – barcode reader, fingerprint reader, robot)and software basics(file manager, image viewer, disk scanner, entertainment, productivity and education software), customizing word document, multimedia, presentation, e-mail.
Grade VIII- networks and communications(LAN/WAN/MAN, modem, network card, physical transmission media – twisted-pair/coaxial/fiber-optic cable, cutting edge techs – cellular/ satellite communications, GPS, bluetooth), computer security threats(virus/worms/hardware/hacker, scan computers for virus using anti-virus software), spreadsheets in Excel (using formulas/functions),problem-solving(express problem in correct sequence, draw flowcharts using appropriate symbols), computer programming(write programs in BASIC) / Windows based, learning outcomes and benchmarks clearly outlined.
Unit-wise weightages and time (theory-lab) distribution of each sub-unit. Suggestion for textbook, teacher’s manual, workbook and web-based resources.
Zimbabwe / XI-XII / 15-17 years / Optional, computer studies as one of the commercial subjects. (other commercial subjects are accounts, commerce, economics) / Computer awareness program
Seychelles / Information technology (IT)–as an object of learning process- computer awareness and literacy(social and economic impact of IT, historical evolution of computer technology), IT as an aspect of learning process- productivity tool in other subjects (word-processors, spreadsheets), resource tools- database systems, IT as a medium for learning process - use of educational software for individualized learning. / National curriculum
Nepal / IX – X / Computer awareness program
Bhutan / IX -X / Computer awareness program
* only those countries that provided details of CS curriculum in their schools are included.