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Pythons and Martians and Finches, Oh My! Lessons Learned from a Mandatory 8th Grade Python Class

Published: 26 February 2020 Publication History

Abstract

As computing technologies continue to have a greater impact on daily life, it becomes increasingly important for the K-12 education system to prepare students for the computerized world. In this paper, we present the curriculum design, implementation, and results from a one-trimester introductory Python course that is mandatory for all 8th graders in our school district. This course is a crucial component of the K-12 computational thinking pathways we are developing at our school district, which take students from block-based programming and computational thinking (elementary school) to text-based programming and applications of computer science (high school). Our mandatory 8th grade course serves as a bridge between these two components. We present qualitative results that highlight the challenges that arose from teaching a course for all students -- not just those with a prior interest in computing -- and how the instructor overcame those challenges. We also present quantitative results that demonstrate the course's positive impact on students' attitudes towards computer science, their intent to re-engage with computer science in the future, and the gender gap with regards to confidence in computer science.

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Cited By

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  • (2025)Ambientes coeducativos STEM que combinan Robótica Educativa y Pensamiento ComputacionalCampus Virtuales10.54988/cv.2025.1.159914:1(215)Online publication date: 31-Jan-2025
  • (2021)Students’ Debugging Behavior Analysis in Game-Based LearningProceedings of the 2021 7th International Conference on Computing and Artificial Intelligence10.1145/3467707.3467760(348-359)Online publication date: 23-Apr-2021
  • (2021)Delivering Virtual K-8 Computing Professional Development in Rural KY2021 Conference on Research in Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620568(1-2)Online publication date: 23-May-2021

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  1. Pythons and Martians and Finches, Oh My! Lessons Learned from a Mandatory 8th Grade Python Class

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          cover image ACM Conferences
          SIGCSE '20: Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
          February 2020
          1502 pages
          ISBN:9781450367936
          DOI:10.1145/3328778
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          Published: 26 February 2020

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          1. computational thinking
          2. k-12 computer science education
          3. robotics

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          View all
          • (2025)Ambientes coeducativos STEM que combinan Robótica Educativa y Pensamiento ComputacionalCampus Virtuales10.54988/cv.2025.1.159914:1(215)Online publication date: 31-Jan-2025
          • (2021)Students’ Debugging Behavior Analysis in Game-Based LearningProceedings of the 2021 7th International Conference on Computing and Artificial Intelligence10.1145/3467707.3467760(348-359)Online publication date: 23-Apr-2021
          • (2021)Delivering Virtual K-8 Computing Professional Development in Rural KY2021 Conference on Research in Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620568(1-2)Online publication date: 23-May-2021

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