How British Columbia Implemented Its Computer Science Education Program

Overview & Synopsis

Computer Science (CS) education helps students acquire skills such as computational thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Since these skills take preeminence in the rapidly changing 21st century, CS education promises to significantly enhance student preparedness for the future of work and active citizenship. Based on prior analysis and expert consultation, the authors selected 11 country, state, and provincial CS education case studies that may apply broadly to other education systems. These cases have come from diverse global regions and circumstances and have implemented CS education programs for various periods and with different levels of success. As such, they have examined information to extract lessons that can lead to successful implementation in other parts of the world. This study will focus on how the Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.) developed its computer science program. B.C. is home to a growing technology industry and is one of the leading Canadian provinces for K-12 CS and computational thinking education (Gannon & Buteau, 2018). Its education system creates opportunities for students to pursue CS education based on their interests, including theoretical and quantitative concepts, practical applications, and problem-solving. Further, the province's approach to teacher professional development and student engagement merits consideration.