Transcript Teaching High School Computer Science

Teaching High School
Computer Science…
… as if the Rest of the World Existed
Problems Implementing Effective Computer
Science Courses at the High School Level
Computer Science is widely confused with Computer Literacy or
CTE vocational courses (the use of computers), when it should
be thought of as a sister ACADEMIC field to Mathematics.
There are no accepted or recognized national or state standards.
There is little research on which to judge the effectiveness of
pedagogical strategies.
The field struggles with a large gender gap and low enrollments
of under-represented minority students (URMs).
There is a lower level of high school STUDENT INTEREST in
and/or ACCESS to Computer Science – by an order of magnitude
– as compared to Calculus, Statistics or Biology, as measured by
those taking the AP Exam.
There is no credible certification process, nor credential training
programs, for Computer Science instructors.
HS CS curricula are all over the map.
Even if we had a standards-based curricula,
there exist no standardized assessment
mechanisms to determine whether we would be
successfully teaching the material to our
students.
(putting aside the question of whether a
pen-and-pencil examination without a
computer-based programming portion
meaningfully assesses whether students
can solve real problems in new contexts)
Subject Sequence (Strands): Math vs. CS
Mathematics
Algebra I
Geometry
Computer Science
AP Computer Science (APCS-A)
need
Algebra II
Trigonometry
Math Analysis
Linear Algebra
Statistics
Calculus
(programming strands)
Standardized Intro
Programming Course
(ECS
need
is an inadequate
attempt to fill this need)
[UCLA-LAUSD]
Standardized Web
Programming Course
HTML / CSS / DHMTL / Javascript
Only APCS-A has recognized &
specific assessable standards.
Typical High School Standards: Math vs. CS
ACM Model Level II Curricular Standards
Standard 6: The connection between elements of
mathematics and computer science, including binary
numbers, logic, sets, and functions. What ARE the specific
For what tasks are you using binary numbers, sets, etc.? connections?
ACM Model Level III Curricular Standards
Topic 1: Program Design and Problem Solving.
14. Iteration. Iteration in what context?
Algebra I
Iteration to do which tasks?
Iteration to solve what kinds of problems?
9.0. Students solve a system of two linear equations
in two variables algebraically and are able to
interpret the answer graphically. Students are able
to solve a system of two linear inequalities in two
variables and to sketch the solution sets.
19. Students know the quadratic formula and are
familiar with its proof by completing the square.
The math standards are specific concepts and skills detailing how students will
demonstrate mastery. The CS standards are general topics.
What might a specific CS Standard look like?
Iteration through a list (array / arraylist):
Students know how to write a loop that uses iteration to:
(1) FIND a specific value in a list.
(2) REMOVE all items in an arraylist that have a specific value.
(3) CALCULATE an AGGREGATE VALUE for items in a list.
How do you create High School Standards?
There is general agreement that we want at least a two-year
sequence for programming.
In CS, we use control structures for many specific purposes. For each
year, determine (1) what specific concepts and skills we want
students to know, and (2) what kinds of problems should they be
able to solve using those concepts and skills?
When we determine exactly what we want our students to know, then
we can devise assessments that will measure whether students have
learned those standards.
Number of US Students
taking AP Exams
(by Subject)
AP EXAM – 2010
Physics C E&M
Government & Politics Comparative
Music Theory
12x fewer students
Computer Science A
took the CS exam
Art History
than
Physics C Mechanics
took Calculus AB.
Economics - Micro
Physics B
Human Geography
Calculus BC
Economics – Macro
Environmental Science
European History
Chemistry
Statistics
World History
Biology
Psychology
Government & Politics United States
Calculus AB
English Literature
English Language
United States History
N
14,191
16,864
17,267
20,120
21,643
31,973
51,601
67,312
68,397
78,998
83,146
86,650
102,629
115,077
129,899
167,789
172,512
177,708
211,681
245,867
353,781
374,620
387,416
At our schools, CS teachers are often the only
people who know – or care – about computer
science education.
Other teachers (and administrators) are not
only ignorant of the possibilities of potential
application of CS to their subject matter, they
are oftentimes indifferent .
This can be a lonely state of affairs.
The upside, however, is that this also gives
CS instructors a great deal of freedom in what
and how they teach.
HOWEVER…
With GREAT POWER
comes GREAT
RESPONSIBILITY . . .
Spider Man - With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.flv
Broadening the Scope of CS in Course Content
A research study1 of differences between men and women CS students at CMU found:
Curriculum helps set the tone and, unfortunately, most computer science programs
in their early years are narrowly focused on programming and the more technical
aspects of the field, with applications and multidisciplinary projects deferred to the
very end. This gives beginning students the false message that computer science is
"only programming, programming, programming," abstracted away from real
world contexts.
Feminist educator Sue Rosser [1990], from her investigation of gender and science
education, argues that "insuring science and technology are considered in their
social context…may be the most important change that can be made in science
teaching for all people, both male and female" (p.72.) Computer science professor
Dianne Martin [1992], in her article In Search of Gender Free Paradigms for
Computer Science Education, discusses "a premise for the gender bias in computer
science: the existing educational paradigm that separates studies of science,
math, and computer science from studies of the humanities, starting in the
secondary schools." She speculates that an integrated approach to computer
science would attract more women students, and that "greater attention [should
be paid] to values, human issues, and social impact as well as to the mathematical
and theoretical foundations of computer science."
1. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/project/gendergap/www/papers/IEEE99.html
Caring About Connections: Gender and Computing (1997). Jane Margolis, Allan Fisher and Faye Miller.
1. The pervasiveness of computer games in recent decades, as well as instructors'
embrace of gaming as a central curricular theme for attracting young people,
reinforces a badly skewed perception of CS as both (a) an arena of hypercompetition and (b) a field having limited application to areas outside of CS itself.
If an academic field can be said to exist within a context, then:
The context of CS is popularly believed to include
a very narrow slice of human knowledge and activities.
2. Consider that, at the undergraduate level, women are either overrepresented
or have high representation in the fields of Environmental Science (a subfield of
the geosciences), the Life Sciences, Psychology, the Social Sciences, Education
and the Arts. Were CS curricula to add content whose contexts included, but
were not limited to, these subjects, it would more fairly represent the influence
and scope of CS in matters of potential interest to a broader swath of students.
Hypothesis #1: Interdisciplinary CS curricula that emphasize
connections with academic subjects where the representation of
women is more balanced might increase
enrollment numbers of women (and URMs) in CS courses.
Women are overrepresented or have high representation in the
Life Sciences, Psychology and the Social Sciences.
(Environmental Science not shown)
Percent Women by Field and Degree Level
2007 Degree Conferrals
Associate's
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate's
Parity Line: 50%
Biological
Sciences
Computer and
Information
Sciences
Engineering
Secondary source: Jan Cuny, NSF
Mathematics
Physical Sciences
Psychology
Social Sciences
CPST, 2008
2010 AP-Exam Gender Balance Data by Subject
AP EXAM - 2010
Computer Science A
Physics C E&M
Physics C Mechanics
Physics B
Calculus BC
Music Theory
Economics - Micro
Economics - Macro
Chemistry
Calculus AB
Government & Politics Comparative
Statistics
Government & Politics United States
European History
United States History
Human Geography
World History
Environmental Science
Biology
English Language
English Literature
Psychology
Art History
Male
Female
16,293
3,827
10,933
3,258
23,609
8,364
43,747
23,565
46,976
32,022
9,889
7,378
29,472
22,129
45,709
37,437
61,317
53,760
126,849 119,018
8,684
8,180
64,385
65,514
100,464 111,217
48,572
54,057
179,313 208,103
31,225
37,172
76,109
91,680
38,635
48,015
72,793
99,719
141,409 233,211
130,311 223,470
64,997 112,711
7,107
14,536
%F
19.0%
23.0%
26.2%
35.0%
40.5%
42.7%
42.9%
45.0%
46.7%
48.4%
48.5%
50.4%
52.5%
52.7%
53.7%
54.3%
54.6%
55.4%
57.8%
62.3%
63.2%
63.4%
67.2%
If Prof. Dianne Martin were correct, namely that separating the curriculum into
discrete academic subjects - with a major demarcation between the STEM fields
and the humanities – contributes to gender inequities, then one would expect
gender disparities to show up in all STEM areas across the board. From the
2010 AP Exam data shown below, this is not the case.
AP EXAM (2010)
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Computer Science A
Economics – Macro
Economics – Micro
Environmental Science
Physics B
Physics C E&M
Physics C Mechanics
Psychology
Statistics
N
172,512
245,867
78,998
115,077
20,120
83,146
51,601
86,650
67,312
14,191
31,973
177,708
129,899
% Female
57.8%
48.4%
40.5%
46.7%
19.0%
45.0%
42.9%
55.4%
35.0%
23.0%
26.2%
57.3%
50.4%
However, the 2010 AP Exam data for the STEM fields do show a positive
correlation between the NUMBER of students who take a particular subject
exam and the participation of female students in that high school course.
AP EXAM (2010)
Physics C E&M
Computer Science A
Physics C Mechanics
Economics – Micro
Physics B
Calculus BC
Economics – Macro
Environmental Science
Chemistry
Statistics
Biology
Psychology
Calculus AB
N
14191
20120
31973
51601
67312
78998
83146
86650
115077
129899
172512
177708
245867
% Female
23.07%
19.0%
26.2%
42.9%
35.0%
40.5%
45.0%
55.4%
46.7%
50.4%
57.8%
57.3%
48.4%
Correlation of % Females with
Absolute Numbers of STEM Test Takers
% Female Students Taking AP Exam
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0
Thousands 50
100
150
200
Total Number of Students taking an AP Exam in STEM
250
So one question that arises is:
What are those subject areas doing
that CS is NOT doing? … or ….
What is CS doing that is TURNING OFF STUDENTS ?
But the data also suggest a different strategy for addressing
gender and ethnic inequities:
If we increase the participation of ALL students
in Computer Science, will that by itself
bring about an increase in
the percentages of females (and URMs)?
In deciding whether to pursue this line of attack, it may be
instructive to look at the narrowing/elimination of the
gender gap in mathematics and try to understand why that
area has experienced an improvement in gender equity.
Women and Math, the Gender Gap Bridged
Social equality frees women to match men
Based on the Research of Luigi Guiso, Ferdinando Monte, Paola Sapienza And Luigi Zingales
June 2008, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
http://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/index.php/Kellogg/article/women_and_math_the_gender_gap_bridged
Regardless of which measure of gender equality they used, Sapienza and her
colleagues found that improved social conditions for women were related to
improved math performance by girls. For example, the math gender gap almost
disappeared in Sweden (GGI = 0.81), while girls scored nearly 23 points below
boys in math in Turkey (GGI = 0.59). Not only did average girls’ scores improve
as equality improved, but the number of girls reaching the highest levels of
performance also increased. In Iceland, for example, there were 117 girls for
every 100 boys among the top 1 percent of math students.
“We establish that in some countries the gender gap in math disappears. But
there’s a big tension. Is it emancipation of women, or is it something else?” said
Sapienza. “One possible explanation is wealth.”
To learn whether the math gender gap shrank as a result of girls in richer
countries performing better than those in poorer countries, the researchers
incorporated each country’s gross domestic product (GDP) into their
mathematical model. Regardless of national differences in per capita GDP, the
relationship between gender equality and the math gap remained. Improved
roles for women in society, not simply economic development, predicted more
gender-equal achievement in math. For example, Sapienza pointed out, “In
some countries like Philippines or Sri Lanka, which aren’t particularly wealthy,
women are fairly emancipated. On the contrary, some wealthy countries, like
Italy, are among the less gender equal societies.”
Though these findings are fascinating and extremely important, they raise as
many questions as they answer. It is not yet clear how important education is
compared with other social features. “The big, important question is, ‘What’s
the mechanism?’ ” said Sapienza. “What are these northern European countries
doing so that there is no gap? Is it happening through role modeling? The kinds
of jobs women get? Is it more acceptable for a woman to be a physicist in
Sweden than in other countries? We simply do not know.”
Summary of CS at the High School Level
CS has one of the lowest enrollments of the STEM fields.
(College Board data)
In the STEM areas, there is a positive correlation between
absolute numbers / enrollments of all students and
gender equity. (College Board data)
On a country-by-country basis, there is a positive correlation
between the narrowing of the gender gap in
mathematics achievement with higher levels of gender
equity in society as a whole. (Sapienza et al.)
A gender gap no longer exists in many STEM subjects.
(College Board data)
CS curricula are widely taught without significant
connections to other academic disciplines, and
abstracted away from real world contexts. (Margolis et al.)
The most important areas of real world application of CS are
widely believed to be limited to gaming, the Internet, social
networking, and hand-held devices. That is:
The popular perception is that the SCOPE of CS is NARROW.
Inferences
The fact that girls participate in equal or better numbers in
several STEM subjects indicates that the social conditions
already exist in the U.S. for girls to participate and succeed in
Computer Science on a par with boys.
Increasing the absolute numbers of all students in CS may
have a positive effect on gender equity.
Low enrollments may be due to a problem in PR. Low overall
enrollment numbers may mean that all students – not just
girls and URMs – see little value to CS in the real world.
REVISED HYPOTHESIS: Suppose we were to provide MEANINGFUL
CONTEXTS in CS curricula connecting Computer Science to other
academic subject areas, and human interests and activities. If we
devise curricula that connect CS to a FULL spectrum of topics –
and strive to include topics that students study in their other classes
– in a SERIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT WAY, the absolute numbers of
students taking CS courses may increase, and the proportion of
females and URMs should also rise.
COURSE CONTENT
AP Computer Science A and AB are two courses whose basic
content has no substantial differences from college courses
taught in the 1980s. Although as part of a college sequence,
one could make an argument for retaining these courses, few
seem to question why one should teach high school students
the specific content in these courses.
For example, APCS-A requires that students learn certain
SORTING algorithms. This content might make sense for
students to learn at the beginning of a comprehensive course in
algorithms. However, given the breadth of fascinating CS
applications that have appeared over the previous decades, one
would be hard-pressed to make a case as to WHY high school
students should be learning this [relatively drab and boring]
material, especially in isolation and with no further follow-up.
While the course content in subject areas such as Biology have
kept pace with new discoveries, CS content seems to be stuck.
PEDAGOGY
In CS Education, new student software tools appear at a relatively fast
clip, e.g. Alice, Scratch, BYOB/Snap, but little collective thought is
focused on how best to use these tools. In high school educational
settings, these tools are primarily used to engage students using
story-telling or games, and lesson content is often shallow.
When curricula are developed for these tools, they employ the SAME
PEDAGOGICAL PARADIGM that has been used for the last 30
years. That is, students learn CS constructs and control structures,
then practice using these concepts in short problems divorced from
substantial real-world applications.
Moreover, curricula fail to explore and fully exploit in new ways
the possibilities that these tools offer. The strength of Alice and
BYOB is their ability to visually model real-world problems and clarify
the algorithms used for their solution. Using Alice, students can build a
replica of the solar system to calculate the trajectory of a space
mission to Mars, or construct biologically important molecules to
illustrate disease in BYOB. Tasks such as skaters performing
pirouettes around holes in the ice tend to trivialize CS in pursuit of a
perceived trade-off for engagement at the expense of rigor (though
this instructor found students quickly tiring of make-believe scenarios.)
PEDAGOGY
An alternative to a CS-concepts-first curriculum is one whose units
revolve around a CENTRAL PROBLEM which students solve over a
period of several weeks using whatever CS tools are needed.
In mathematics, IMP1 (Interactive Mathematics Program), created
with the support of NSF in the 1990s, is such a curriculum. IMP is
a 4-year program of problem-based mathematics that replaces the
traditional Algebra I-Geometry-Algebra II/TrigonometryPrecalculus sequence.
"IMP units are generally structured around a complex central
problem. Although each unit has a specific mathematical focus,
other topics are brought in as needed to solve the central problem,
rather than narrowly restricting the mathematical content. Ideas
that are developed in one unit are usually revisited and deepened in
one or more later units."
For example, although the real-world application is a stretch, the
complex problem posited by IMP’s High Dive (Year 3) unit has
students calculate at what point a circus performer on a turning Ferris
wheel should dive so as to land in a tub of water on a moving cart.
1
http://www.mathimp.org/general_info/intro.html
http://www.mathimp.org/curriculum/AppendixA.html (Unit Summary)
IMP: Interactive Mathematics Program
The HIGH DIVE problem. Students extend right-triangle trigonometric
functions to the circular functions, learn about the graphs of the sine and
cosine functions, study polar coordinates, inverse trigonometric
functions, and the Pythagorean identity, and study the physics of falling
objects.
Guidelines for Interdisciplinary Problem-Based CS Curricula
1. Computer Science’s natural relationship to other disciplines is known as
Software Engineering, a field which uses programming and CS concepts,
along with expert knowledge of specific target topics, to model and solve
societal problems and needs. The topic areas for which software
engineering methods might be applied may themselves be within the realm
of CS, however the vast majority are not.
2. Each unit lasts several weeks and revolves around solving a central
problem in the target topic area. A software solution evolves in a
scaffolded way, utilizing whatever CS concepts and control structures may
be required. Various strategies are attempted at each step to solve
problems, discussing their advantages and disadvantages. Drill-like short
practice problems (in the spirit of Codingbat.com) are used to integrate CS
concepts and skills whenever they are introduced or used in new ways.
3. One way instructors can foster connections is by having students create
small scale versions of engaging and complex real world applications.
With little imagination, students should be able to envision logical
extensions of their projects to the already existing and more complex
programs from which student exercises were inspired.
Guidelines for Interdisciplinary Problem-Based CS Curricula
4. In order to solve a unit’s central problem, students may need to review or be
introduced to new concepts in geometry, trigonometry, biology, physics and so
forth. This reflects typical considerations that software engineers encounter in
their day-to-day work, i.e. programmers must not only be proficient in their
own field, but must have knowledge of the specific (non-CS) systems they are
modeling in order to write accurate, robust and logically organized programs.
The pedagogic advantage for students in needing more than token exposure to
other academic fields to solve a central problem is that the multiple CONTEXTS
allow students more handles to recall and integrate what they learn.
5. Units also place the central problem within a SOCIAL or HISTORICAL
CONTEXT. This helps students to not only understand how to solve the central
problem, but provides them an explanation why solving the central problem is
important in the first place. These so-called back-stories may utilize Literature,
Theatre, History, Social Studies, Economics, Film and Art in making those
connections. This is NOT done in a tokenistic way. This part of the unit may take
up to several days and in some cases more than a week of class time. Students
are assessed on this material in a serious way, such as writing an essay in
response to a choice of several prompts. One goal should be for instructors to
make connections to topics students learn in other academic courses.
Units written (1st draft) and taught (Spring 2011) 1
1. Around the World in 24 Days (Geography).
Relativity of Time Perception when Circumnavigating the Globe
Excerpts from Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days.
2. Joshua at Giv’on, Commanding the Sun to Stand Still: Galileo's Revolution (Astronomy).
Modeling the Copernican and Ptolemeic Planetary Systems to illustrate the phases
of Venus and retrograde planetary motion (using Alice). The Inquisition and
Galileo's Recanting of the Copernican Model. Bertolt Brecht's play Life of Galileo.
3. The Right to Vote (History).
Optical Scan Technology and Voting Machines. Democracy in the context of both
the women's suffrage movement and the contested 2000 Florida Presidential
election (Bush vs Gore).
DIscussion of the films Recount and Iron-Jawed Angels.
4. The Discovery of the DNA Double Helix (Biology / Biophysics / History of Science)
Computer Graphics and Molecular Modeling Software as applied to the
Hydrogen Bonding of bases between the two anti-parallel strands of a DNA
molecule. Using this structural model to explain point mutations. History of
the complex interactions/clashes between the discoverers of the structure of
DNA: Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, Frances Crick and James Watson.
DIscussion of the BBC film Life Story / Double Helix.
1
Moodle Course: http://dmhsport.mdl.gnomio.com/course/view.php?id=2
Click on the Login as a guest button.
Enrollment Key: portnoffBYOB
Units in the planning stages
5. Computer Science Ethics: IBM's Strategic Contribution to the Efficiency of Nazi
Germany's Final Solution (History)
Before the invention of computers, PUNCH CARD TECHNOLOGY was used to solve
database-related problems. The sorting and tallying algorithms used with these
cards were direct precursors of methods used for present-day databases. IBM and
its German subsidiary were active participants in the processing of census data used
to identify, transport and exterminate the Disabled, Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals and
Communists throughout Europe from 1933 through 1945. Excerpts from the book:
IBM and the Holocaust. Film: Diary of Anne Frank.
6. Evolution and Social Reaction (Evolution, Genetics, Bioinformatics).
Using Genomic Databases to Align DNA sequences from related species and Build
Phylogenetic (Evolutionary) Trees. Discussion of the play Inherit the Wind.
7. The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple (Environmental Science)
Predator-Prey Population Simulation Software, and the unintended
consequences of human activity, such as overfishing.
8. On the Road (Geometry / Math) GPS and Routing Programs
- A GPS program based upon triangulation of satellite data, equations for
calculating longitude and latitude on a sphere, and a geographic database.
- A routing program using Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm (like MapQuest).
9. Player Piano (Music Theory)
Using timers to synchronize the voices / staffs in Fur Elise coordinated with a
keyboard that simulates the keys that would be played.
Film: In Search of Beethoven (documentary 2009)
IBM’s Role in the Holocaust
IBM and the Holocaust http://www.ibmandtheholocaust.com/
Bioinformatics Resources
Teacher Seminar on Bioinformatics:
Computer Science in a Biological Context
Location: Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA (85 miles west of Philadelphia)
Dates: Last Week in June, 2½ Day Workshop, Application, Stipend
Contact: Prof. Ellie Rice ([email protected])
http://www.fandm.edu/bioinformatics/high-school-teacher-opportunities
Databases, Online Resources
NCBI: National Center for Biotechnology Information
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
ENSEMBL (west): Joint project of Welcome Trust Sanger Institute & EMBL-EBI
http://uswest.ensembl.org/index.html
PDB: Protein Data Bank
http://www.pdb.org/pdb
Bioinformatics Activity Bank
http://teachingbioinformatics.fandm.edu/
The Clinic for Special Children, Strasburg, PA
Studying and Treating Genetic Diseases of the Old Amish & Mennonite Communities
http://www.clinicforspecialchildren.org
Through My Window – Remarks at the 125th Year Celebration of Children’s Hospital of Boston:
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/22042890/334253992/name/Holmes+Morton+Through+My+Wi
ndow.pdf
Books on Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics for Dummies
Authors: Jean-Michel Claverie Ph.D., Cedric Notredame Ph.D.
http://www.dummies.com/extras/bioinformatics_fd/
An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms
Authors: Neil C. Jones & Pavel A. Pevzner
http://bix.ucsd.edu/bioalgorithms/
Exploring Bioinformatics: A Project-Based Approach
Authors: Caroline St. Clair & Jonathan E. Visick
http://biology.jbpub.com/bioinformatics/
Computing Occupations Are Well Paid
Annual Mean Wage, May 2009
$78,000
$76,000
$74,000
$72,000
$70,000
$68,000
$66,000
$64,000
$62,000
$60,000
computer & math
arch & engr
business & financial
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Secondary source: Joanne Cohoon, UVA
life, phys, soc
More Growth Expected than for
any other Professional Occupation
Predicted Job Growth, 2000-2018
Computer and Mathematical Sciences Occupations
22%
Healthcare Practiontioners and Technical Occupations
21%
Life, Physical, and Social Sciences
19%
Community and Social Services
17%
Legal
15%
Education, Training, and Library
14%
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
12%
Architecture and Engineering
10%
0%
5%
10%
NCWIT. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Secondary source: Joanne Cohoon, UVA
15%
20%
25%
Expected Number of Job Openings Is High
thousands of job openings
1200
Bachelor-Level STEM Jobs due to Growth and Replacement for 2018
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Computer specialists
(programrs, softw engrs,
analysts, db & netwk admins…)
All Engineers
Life, Physical, & Social Scientists
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections Table 1.6
Secondary source: Joanne Cohoon, UVA
Workforce Needs Could Go Unmet
…unless we
attract more
students
Secondary source: Joanne Cohoon, UVA
CS Careers
(dotdiva.com): Fodder for Unit Topics
Advertising
Augmented reality ads that virtually bring products to life.
A digital fashion show with customizable models that match the
consumer's clothing size and body type.
Video billboards that let advertisers change their messages daily.
Archaeology & Anthropology
Software that helps archaeologists determine the age of ancient
Mayan jewelry.
An online oral history project that collects songs and stories from
Native American cultures.
A 3-D virtual museum of religious objects from indigenous
communities around the world.
Art & Art History
A database to preserve images of fragile paintings and sculpture.
A virtual tour of an ancient Greek or Chinese temple.
A 3-D drawing and painting program that lets an artist simulate
mixed media.
Astronomy & Space Exploration
Powerful telescopes that offer high resolution imaging of our earliest
galaxies.
Sophisticated explorer robots that collect samples on other planets.
A GPS-enabled sky chart app to easily locate stars, planets, and
constellations.
Business
High-definition videoconferencing that makes it feel as if everyone is
in the same room.
A cloud computing platform that hosts a company's technology
infrastructure, saving huge amounts of time and money.
A data visualizer that transforms dull spreadsheets into interactive
graphics.
Communications
A communications device with voice synthesis and a touch screen
that enables speech-impaired stroke patients to carry on
conversations.
Software that allows military and government agencies to instantly
share classified data about potential terrorist attacks.
Computer Graphics & Media
A 3-D simulation of the rise in sea levels around the world from
global warming.
Crowd flow models to ensure the safety of cars and pedestrians
during parades, concerts, and sporting events.
Cooking
Internet-enabled refrigerators and cabinets that monitor your food
supplies and organize your shopping list based on the recipes
you select.
A digital cookbook that guides you from the beginning of a recipe to
the end, and includes a question-and-answer capability.
A sensor that lines the bottom of a cake pan and notifies you when
your cake is done to perfection.
Disabilities
A program that helps people with physical disabilities create art,
even though they may no longer be able to hold a paintbrush.
A computer chip that enables people who are paralyzed to move their
limbs.
GPS systems for people who are blind.
Education
Interactive whiteboards that are even more interactive.
Software for medical schools that features 3-D virtual patients.
Digital research labs that link international scientists virtually,
allowing them to collaborate on pressing global issues.
Engineering
Software that can predict the durability of bridges during earthquakes.
A "smart" wheelchair with a GPS navigator for severely handicapped
people.
Solar design software that analyzes the type of solar panels that
would work the best in a green building.
Environment
Software that can monitor the spread of pollution through the Great
Lakes.
Wireless sensors that can track endangered polar bears in the Arctic.
Environmental forecasting that allows scientists to collect and analyze
climate change data from every corner of the world.
Fashion & Design
A shopping app that helps you choose styles—and then recommends
matching accessories, and where to buy them.
A home design program that records a room's parameters and helps
the user redesign realistically and within budget.
Film, TV & Theatre
A digital set design program that lets you add virtual actors to the set
and visualize how all the elements interact.
Internet TV that lets you talk to your friends, browse web sites, and
update social media, all while watching the program of your
choice.
Forensics & Detective Work
A DNA scanner that can instantly sift through the files of crime
suspects.
A mobile forensics lab for on-the-spot analysis of evidence at crime
scenes.
Software that can create a 3-D visualization of blood spatter based on
the type of weapon used and the proposed orientation of the
murderer and victim.
Gaming
Video games that rely more on a teen's brainpower than finger
dexterity.
Games that speak to the interests and experiences of girls and
women.
Computer games designed to address the social and educational
needs of autistic children.
Health & Fitness
A wearable device that calculates how many calories a person burns
each day.
Interactive simulations that demonstrate yoga sequences—and
modify the poses according to one's level of experience.
A pharmaceutical app that helps you identify thousands of drug
interactions and potential side effects.
Human Rights
A secure database to record human rights abuses that shields the
identity of victims or witnesses.
Online petition software that can instantly collect signatures about
urgent causes.
A mobile toolkit that allows human rights workers to discreetly video
and document abuses in remote or dangerous areas.
Humanitarian & Disaster Relief
Proximity-location devices to keep relief workers and separated
families connected during disasters.
A camera phone microscope that can diagnose diseases in remote
areas without access to hospitals.
Internet Technology
A single interface that gathers and streams together all the social
media we use.
A personalized search engine so accurate it seems to be reading our
minds.
Journalism
A mobile device that lets reporters research and fact-check stories as
they write them, without having to open a separate search
engine.
A real-time news feed that provides updates in five, ten, or twentyminute intervals for news-hungry readers.
A recording device that picks up an interviewee's voice even when
there's lots of ambient noise—and provides a highly accurate
transcription.
Languages
Audio language translators that sound like a native speaker instead of
a robot.
A smart recorder that translates your question into another language,
and then translates the response of a native speaker into
English.
A wearable computer for people who are deaf that translates American
Sign Language.
Law
A web portal with a database of pro bono lawyers and other legal
services for low-income people.
A mobile app that puts all state and federal laws at a lawyer's
fingertips.
An online small claims court site that helps people prepare, file, and
serve a claim quickly and cheaply.
Literature
E-readers that hold an entire library of books.
Children's e-books with animated illustrations.
A cyber bookstore that's "device neutral," and lets users download
content to any smart phone.
Math
Software that analyzes DNA sequencing in plant and animal
genomes.
Global climate models to predict how Earth's climate is changing.
A data mining tool that measures poverty and income inequality
around the world.
Medicine
Video-conferencing allowing for a real-time consultation among
doctors in different parts of the world.
A smartphone-based fetal monitor for rural areas.
Music
A cloud computing storage platform for your entire music collection,
so you can play anything anytime from any device.
On-line guitar instructor that lets you know when you’re out of tune
or if your rhythm is off.
Politics
A news app that collects and organizes articles and videos about the
political issues you care about.
A mobile tool allowing urban dwellers to report potholes, trash, and
other local annoyances directly to city hall.
Virtual political communities that mobilize people to meet and organize
in real life.
Poverty & Social Justice
A program that identifies available shelter space for the homeless
within a city.
A web-based tool to monitor the safety of blood supplies in
developing countries.
Psychology
A phone app that helps people deal with stress and reinforces basic
cognitive therapy techniques.
Brain imaging software that helps analyze schizophrenia.
An interactive program that teaches psychologists how to have effective
conversations with their patients for short-term therapy.
Public Safety
An airline accident simulator that can pinpoint a plane crash and help
rescue people faster.
An early emergency warning system in your car that can anticipate a
collision.
Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
Security systems with face, speech, and handwriting recognition.
A robot than can perform brain surgery while a patient is in an MRI
machine, making impossible operations possible.
Science
Software that evaluates the genetic make-up of individuals with
predispositions to disease.
Simulations that can predict the strength, velocity, & path of a tornado.
Undersea vehicles that are capable of exploring the depths of the
ocean floor.
Social Networking
Group texting that's easy and fast, so you can form new groups
instantly.
A charity network that lets you team up with others to support a cause.
Sports
An app that offers real-time updating on scoring, stats, and other
info for baseball.
A wearable monitor that provides verbal feedback on your skiing
technique.
A marathon app that provides you with a customizable training
program, records your progress, and gives you a daily pep talk.