Computer Science Teachers Association 2023 Conference
Reframing the conversation about equity and diversity in computer science education
[Hey everyone, I hope you are all well, and in good health and spirits as we head into the Fall season. Before leaving the summer completely behind, I wanted to do a quick post and share a few resources related to questions of diversity and equity in computer science education. Earlier this summer I was invited to keynote the 2023 Computer Science Teachers Association conference (which given the subject of my talk was ironically sponsored by Amazon Future Engineers). Before the keynote in July, I was asked to write a blog post to introduce and frame my presentation. And then following the keynote, I was invited as a guest to the One Voice in CS podcast hosted by the CSTA Equity Fellowship. In this post, I am sharing the text from my blog post as well as the podcast episode which was a lot of fun to do.]
Widening the “Learning Tent” of Computing Education (originally published July 2023 on www.csteachers.org)
(text below originally published here)
I’m so deeply honored to keynote CSTA 2023! Drawing on my recent research, as well as my own experiences in computing and engineering, I will make the case that the current moment presents an incredible opportunity and responsibilty to widen what I am calling the “learning tent” of computing education.
While the concept of algorithms and computation have been around for centuries across human cultures and societies, computer science as a unified discipline emerges in the years after WW2. The story of computing, contrary to what many may believe, is not simply solitary (white male) geniuses tinkering away in their garages and unlocking the potential of computers for the benefit of humanity. Rather, computing as a new field is a product of unique historical, sociopolitical, and economic needs and realities. In a post war United States, government agencies including the NSF and the Department of Defense, along with a growing tech industry poured millions into shaping a new discipline that was poised to have transormative implications for the future of war, business, and culture. And yes, for American power and global influence. Yet, this incredibly complicated and fascinating history is seldom visited with students in K12 computer science classrooms. Students have a right to know the complex histories of computing, especially as it pertains to questions of power, ethics, and social justice. Embracing a historical perspective on technology and computing also helps debunk the wild notion that computing is neutral, or that technological progress just naturally occurs without deliberate human actions and societal influences.
This leads us to another key issue. There is a rapidly expanding body of social science research on exactly this topic. Scholars like Ruha Benjamin, Kate Crawford, Safiya Noble, Virgina Eubanks, and Simone Browne, to mention just a few of my personal favorites, have produced remarkable scholarship demonstrating the sociopolitical and racialized impacts of a host of new technologies. But impact of tech is only half the story. Crucially, these scholars have shown how the actual design of technologies can often be traced back to the highly political goals and values of their creators.
I will make the case in my keynote that the histories of computing, as well as the politics and ethics of new technologies, are exactly the kinds of topics that our students need and deserve in computer science classrooms. But don’t just take my word for it. I will never forget the words of Lupe (pseudonym), a 10th grade Latinx student in a Computer Science Academy in Oakland, CA where I was conducting my dissertation research almost a decade ago. Lupe was razor sharp, one of the best students in the class with a clear talent for coding and all things tech. She was also a self-proclaimed feminist and budding activist. I remember her with a copy of bell hooks’ Ain’t I A Woman? tucked under her arms. When I asked her if she was planning on pursuing computer science as a college major and possible career, she told me that while she loves to code she is afraid to go into computer science because she doesn’t want to "become a sell out.” In her mind, computing was too closely associated with what she viewed as an immoral tech industry that was not invested in the well being of communities of color like the one she was from in Oakland, CA.
I’ve since come across so many students like Lupe, both in high school classrooms as well as on college campuses. Students who love technology, but also love their communities. Students who want to become amazing coders and engineers, and stay true to their identities. Sadly, too often students like Lupe leave computing not because they couldn’t “hack it,” but because there wasn’t enough of what I think of as moral substance to nurture their deepest desires and curiosities.
I firmly believe one of the most vital tasks of computer science (and engineering) education in the next decade is figuring out how to attract and retain students like Lupe. This will no doubt be a complex and multi-faceted endeavor. In the keynote this summer, I will share stories from my own research to argue that one promising approach is widening the tent of topics we cover in CS learning environments to include histories of our field as well as the politics and ethics of emerging technologies. I will invite you to imagine with me how this might fundamentally shift the image of computing for the better in the minds of thousands of current and future students.
This was a great followup to your keynote at the CSTA conference. What resonated with me is that we must provide the opportunity for CS education through a variety on fields because the possibilities for what we can do with it are endless. Access to CS is our human right. The fight to widen participation to change our political and ethical landscape is super important.