COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION - 2021/2
Module code: COM3027
Module Overview
This module is for students with an interest in entering teaching, and involves a weekly placement in a local secondary school or college. The purpose of this module is to introduce students to aspects of Computer Science education through practical classroom experience and to reflect on this through the development of a research project related to their findings. Students will engage both in a formal observation and in various teaching activities.
Module provider
Computer Science
Module Leader
KAZAMIA Stella (Elec Elec En)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 6
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Personal Tutorial Hours: 1
Workshop Hours: 10
Clinical Placement Hours: 6
Independent Learning Hours: 90
Lecture Hours: 8
Practical/Performance Hours: 30
Module Availability
Semester 2
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
None
Module content
Indicative content includes:
- Introduction to Teaching and Learning
- Lesson Planning
- Classroom Management
- Assessment and Feedback
- Reflection and Research in pedagogy
Other:
- Training and basic skills: The students will be given an initial introduction to relevant elements of the National Curriculum and its associated terminology, (eg 'Key Stage 3' etc.). Basic training in working with young pupils, and induction to the schools will be conducted in the school/college environment prior to the commencement of the module. This will allow the students to familiarise themselves with the new environment, expectations of the role etc. The students will undergo a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) or CRB (criminal Record Bureau) check prior to entering the classroom, for safer placement decisions.
- Classroom observation and Teaching assistance: Students will be paired with a specific teacher at a local school/college who will work with them to identify their objectives and expectations for the term. Initial contact with the teacher and pupils will be as a classroom assistant, watching how the teacher handles the class, observing the level of computing concepts taught and the structure of the lesson, and offering practical support to the teacher in lesson preparation or administrative work. As the weeks go by, the students will be assigned actual teaching tasks dependent on the school needs (for example offering problem-solving/programming coaching to groups of students, teaching one topic for the whole class etc.)
- Extra-curricular activities The student may be supervised by the teacher in running an out-of-timetable activity (if appropriate), such as an after-school maths club or special coaching periods for higher ability students.
Further details are given in the module handbook.
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Practical based assessment | Teaching Assessment 1 (Progress Log, Mentor's Assessment) | 30 |
| Practical based assessment | Teaching Assessment 2 (Formal Observation) | 20 |
| Coursework | Individual Educational Research Project | 30 |
| Oral exam or presentation | Individual Presentation | 20 |
Alternative Assessment
Teaching Assessment: The teaching assessment could be replaced (only if necessary) by the informal assessment of the lesson plan together with a rationale for its creation and delivery. This could be arranged by the module leader and/or placement supervisor/mentor. Individual Educational Research Project: If a student fails the assessment, they will repeat the same assessment taking into account the feedback received. Individual Presentation: The individual presentation could be replaced (only if necessary) by the submission of a brief project proposal outlining research methods that may be appropriate to improve the development of computer science education (teaching and learning processes). If a student needs to give the presentation at an alternative assessment period, they may do so in front of the module convenor and one or more academic colleagues. Upon successful completion of the reassessed unit, the mark awarded for the unit shall be the University pass mark (40%). For resubmission assignments, participants will be informed of the deadline for each piece of work.
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they have achieved the module learning outcomes, through different types of assessment.
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
- A reflective teaching assessment/practical-based assessment (Progress Log) that summarises the individual student’s targets identified and their personal teaching development as the module progresses. It takes the form of a journal and captures any discussions undertaken between the students and their mentor/ module leader/colleagues and the progress made over the duration of the placement.
- A teaching assessment/practical-based assessment(Formal Observation) which includes the production of a lesson plan, the teaching material used in the lesson and an evaluation of the session’s effectiveness. This will be based on the observation undertaken by the module tutor and workplace mentor/teacher to ensure consistency of standards.
- Technical Content: The content should be factually accurate and relevant to the National Curriculum (GCSE or A-level).
- Differentiation: There should be a variety of teacher-led and pupil activities. The latter should be suitable for the age and ability of pupils, including readability.
- Assessment and Feedback: The resource and accompanying lesson plans should include an outline of the way pupils’ learning will be assessed, using assessment for learning and/or assessment of learning methods.
- Reflection
- An individual educational research report which includes a critical analysis of a topic relates to Computer Science Education, for example:
- Motivating underachievers in computer science/programming
- The impact of feedback (type of feedback) in learning programming
- “Exams are the only way to test someone’s programming skills or understanding of computer science topics” Discuss.
- Gender gap – Girls not undertaking GCSE/A-level Computer Science
In writing the report, there will be a need to read material (books, journals, conference papers etc.) to ensure that there’s enough supporting evidence.
- An individual presentation of the educational research topic and critical discussion. At the end of the module, a short presentation will be made to academics (including the module tutor) and to other undergraduates undertaking the same module.
Module aims
- This module critically considers the relationship between Computer Science and Education through a placement in a educational setting. It aims to provide an opportunity to final year students to gain first-hand experience of teaching computer science (and similar concepts) in a secondary school setting. The classes may vary from Year 7 to Year 12.
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Apply theory to practice, and to consider barriers to doing so | CKT |
| 002 | Get a better appreciation of the level of own expertise in Computer Science, and build upon this through the process of explaining core ideas and concepts to others | CKT |
| 003 | Understand the key roles of a class teacher in terms of preparation and delivery of teaching materials, pupil management and in dealing with teaching colleagues | CKT |
| 004 | Communicate Computer Science/CIT ideas and practical skills to students in the classroom, both on a one-to-one basis as well as to a larger audience as appropriate | CKT |
| 005 | Plan, research and deliver an educational activity based on the needs of the school, and to communicate the results of this activity to their peers | CKPT |
| 006 | Plan, research, write and correctly reference an extended essay on a topic related to Computer Science education | CKPT |
| 007 | Demonstrate literacy skills, including gathering relevant references and perform critical literature review, citing references properly, and understand plagiarism and copyright | KPT |
| 008 | Analyse the solution to evaluate the associated results | C |
| 009 | Demonstrate the ability to time manage tasks | T |
| 010 | Demonstrate the ability to present the project work | PT |
| 011 | Reflect constructively on their experience in the classroom and on the feedback they receive from pupils and teachers alike | CPT |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
- Provide an introduction to and practical experience of the roles and responsibilities of a computer science teacher at school/college.
- Enable students to independently research and reflect on wider topics in computer science education, and to give practice at communicating their ideas to teachers, pupils and peers.
The learning and teaching methods include:
- Practical training before going in to the placement school/college
- 8 hours of Lectures introducing key concepts of teaching and learning (2-hour and 1-hour sessions)
- 10 x weekly Placement school visits of approximately 3 hours ( total of 30 hours of practical work).
- 5 x 2-hour Workshops on research, academic writing, referencing and essay writing.
- Meetings as appropriate with the departmental contact (mentoring/support scheme)
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: COM3027
Other information
There are only a limited number of places available.
Requires an enhanced Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) check. Not available to visiting and exchange students. Number of places on the module contingent on the availability of school and/or college placements.The students are expected to undergo a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) or CRB (criminal Record Bureau) check prior to entering the classroom, for safer placement decisions.
Students choosing this module must also commit to attend a full-day training event and a short interview. Both of these sessions will take place in the department in Semester 1 (prior to the beginning of the module) that will support the selection and allocation to schools.
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.