About
Early
Acquisition of Computer Science was created by Stanford University
sophomores Justin Solomon and Peter Rusev as a final project for CS
201: Computers, Ethics, and Social Responsibility, winter 2008.
Abstract:
Numerous studies
have confirmed that skills in language, mathematics, and other fields
are acquired most rapidly at early ages. For instance, preschool language
programs often prove much more effective at helping students achieve
fluency than programs that introduce language at a later age. Even so,
computer science, which lies at the intersection of mathematical formalism
and lingual fluency, usually is not introduced until the secondary or
post secondary levels of education. In this project, we argue that early
exposure to computer science would promote facile acquisition of basic
programming and algorithmic skills. Sample curricula for elementary
and middle school courses in computer science will be presented alongside
studies about early acquisition of language and other skills to argue
that early computer science education is not only advisable but also
feasible as part of a larger curriculum. More practical issues including
teacher education, computer access, and how computer science education
might be integrated with more traditional subject material will be addressed
to introduce the practical aspects of putting such a program into place.
In general, with substantial revision geared toward making computer
science curricula more accessible to younger students and primary school
educators, programming and the algorithmic thought process could be
introduced early on, leaving high school and college computer science
courses for more rigorous and specific treatment of topics in computer
science.
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