CIC: Semester 1, Week 2: Teaching concepts
This week you will be thinking about how to teach computing concepts. Our running example is one of the most fundamental aspects of computing – how do computers work? You’ll learn about teaching definitions using semantic waves, see examples of children’s drawings which reflect their understanding of computers, and then make your own lesson to explain how computers work.
- Draw. You’re going to start by drawing what is inside a computer. Don’t Google it, don’t look up a book but just draw it. Post your picture on the discussion board – don’t be shy!
Analyse. Have a look at the collection of children’s drawings in the pdfs. The children -aged between 6 and 12- were asked to draw what is inside a computer. Drawing tasks are often used as a way to understand and assess what children know, as a first step to deciding how best to teach a topic.
DrawingsBatch1.pdf
Drawings Batch2.pdf- Look at each drawing. Make notes about any misconceptions or bits of missing knowledge which the drawings indicate. Pay particular attention to the link between hardware and software.
- Think about how the children’s drawings compare to your own (expert) drawing. How does the vocabulary in the labels differ? Have you included more components? Have you indicated relationships between parts more accurately?
- Identify a list of common misconceptions and gaps which occur across the drawings.
- Just for fun, use an AI tool to draw what is inside a computer (e.g. DALLE-2). Does the output make any sense? How does it compare to the drawings you have already seen? We'll explore AI tools in more depth during the rest of the course.
- Read my article in which I discuss the children’s drawings. Do you agree with my comments, and why? Did you spot any misconceptions or gaps which I did not write about?
- Read about semantic waves for teaching CS concepts.
Create a video in which you explain to primary school children about how computers work.
- Plan out what you will include in the video. How will you unpack and repack the meanings of the vocabulary you use? What format will you choose e.g. animation? Live presentation?
- You can use any tool you like to make the video.
- Write an EdStem post in which you link to your video. Write briefly about why you chose to explain the concepts in the way you did
- Comment on the posts/videos of other students. Think about how their explanations compare to yours.