Board 319: Integrating Computing Throughout K-12 While Bridging the Digital Divide

Mike Borowczak; Andrea Carneal-Burrows Borowczak

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: June 26, 2024
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 7
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--46898
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46898
Download Count: 76

Paper Authors

biography

Mike Borowczak University of Central Florida orcid.org/0000-0001-9409-8245

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Dr. Borowczak, currently an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida, has over two decades of academic and industry experience. He worked in the semiconductor, biomedical informatics, and storage/security sectors in early-stage and mature startups, medical/academic research centers, and large corporate entities before returning to the US public university system full-time in 2018. His current research interest are focused on automation for design, development, and assessment of resilience, robustness, and security of electronic devices and systems which currently includes topics such as: advanced/novel cryptographic logic primitives, assessment and evaluation of assistive technologies on semiconductor design and post-manufacturing operation, development and detection methods for AI-based sabotage. He and his students have published over 100 journal and conference publications. His research has been funded (~$8.5M since 2018) by federal, national, state, and industrial entities.

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Andrea Carneal-Burrows Borowczak University of Central Florida orcid.org/0000-0001-5925-3596

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Dr. Andrea C. Burrows Borowczak is the Director and a Professor in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE). She received her doctorate degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2011. She has received multiple awards and national grants, published many journal articles and conference works, and continues promoting STEM education and integration in traditional and non-traditional settings. She was elected ASEE PCEE Division Chair for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

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Abstract

There is an ongoing need to integrate computing-related education within existing K-12 curriculum to maintain global competitiveness and security. Our research addresses the challenge of equitable access to concepts from across the computing spectrum - from computing systems to computer science and computational thinking. The research focuses on overcoming the digital divide by enabling K-12 educators to become conduits for computing education, thereby equipping students with essential computational skills and knowledge.

Through two National Science Foundation awards, the team used a mixed-methods approach to develop and assess several traditional and non-traditional teacher engagements. These engagements included a week-long professional development program for K-8 educators and librarians, aimed at designing computing lessons for integration into non-CS disciplines, and a six-week research experience for educators, focused on infusing CS and research concepts into classroom environments. Each of these two engagements was repeated for three consecutive years for a total of six engagements. The assessment of these methods involved qualitative analyses of educator feedback, lesson plan evaluations, and quantitative measures of student engagement and learning outcomes.

Our collected artifacts includes over 300 teacher-created and led, innovative lessons spanning a broad spectrum of subjects and educational levels. These lessons have directly engaged several thousand students, demonstrating a marked improvement in computational thinking skills across diverse student populations. Moreover, the engagements have resulted in a significant shift towards viewing computational thinking as an integral element of K-12 education, rather than a standalone discipline.

This work highlights the process through which educators can become empowered to integrate computing principles across various subjects and also showcases the tangible benefits of such integration. By facilitating the authentic, teacher-led development of computing lessons and their integration into existing curricula, our research underscores the critical role of educators in bridging the digital divide and fostering a comprehensive educational experience that includes topics from across the computing spectrum.

Citation
Format

Borowczak, M., & Borowczak, A. C. (2024, June), Board 319: Integrating Computing Throughout K-12 While Bridging the Digital Divide Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--46898

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - There is an ongoing need to integrate computing-related education within existing K-12 curriculum to maintain global competitiveness and security. Our research addresses the challenge of equitable access to concepts from across the computing spectrum - from computing systems to computer science and computational thinking. The research focuses on overcoming the digital divide by enabling K-12 educators to become conduits for computing education, thereby equipping students with essential computational skills and knowledge.

Through two National Science Foundation awards, the team used a mixed-methods approach to develop and assess several traditional and non-traditional teacher engagements. These engagements included a week-long professional development program for K-8 educators and librarians, aimed at designing computing lessons for integration into non-CS disciplines, and a six-week research experience for educators, focused on infusing CS and research concepts into classroom environments. Each of these two engagements was repeated for three consecutive years for a total of six engagements. The assessment of these methods involved qualitative analyses of educator feedback, lesson plan evaluations, and quantitative measures of student engagement and learning outcomes.

Our collected artifacts includes over 300 teacher-created and led, innovative lessons spanning a broad spectrum of subjects and educational levels. These lessons have directly engaged several thousand students, demonstrating a marked improvement in computational thinking skills across diverse student populations. Moreover, the engagements have resulted in a significant shift towards viewing computational thinking as an integral element of K-12 education, rather than a standalone discipline.

This work highlights the process through which educators can become empowered to integrate computing principles across various subjects and also showcases the tangible benefits of such integration. By facilitating the authentic, teacher-led development of computing lessons and their integration into existing curricula, our research underscores the critical role of educators in bridging the digital divide and fostering a comprehensive educational experience that includes topics from across the computing spectrum.
AU  - Mike Borowczak
AU  - Andrea Carneal-Burrows Borowczak
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 319: Integrating Computing Throughout K-12 While Bridging the Digital Divide
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/46898
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--46898
ER  -