In a conference paper titled “An Immersive Virtual Experience to Drive Change in Computer Science Education,” presented at the Conference for Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT) in 2021, authors David Amiel and Cynthia L. Blitz of the Rutgers Center for Effective School Practices share an experience report about implementing the multi-day Summer Institute professional development retreat for educators that included strategic planning on issues of equity and rigor in computer science education. They also discuss the ways the event was modified to a virtual experience.
The goals for development and execution of the virtual Summit Institute were to:
Address current challenges faced by teachers during the pandemic
Conduct meaningful professional learning tailored to high school teachers, administrators, and school counselors with varying CSE experience, avoiding information-overload
Provide uncompromising virtual substitutes for in-person networking, relationship-building, and collaboration spaces
Facilitate strategic planning to spark initiatives that reach underrepresented students
May 2021
Conference for Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
DOI: 10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620681
This paper details the center's experiences implementing a five-day professional development retreat that includes strategic planning on issues of equity and rigor in computer science education.
Citation
Amiel, D. J., & Blitz, C. L. (2021). An Immersive Virtual Experience to Drive Change in Computer Science Education. 2021 Conference on Research in Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620681