EducationComputer ScienceHigher EducationDistance EducationE-learningOnline Higher EducationComputer Science EducationDistance LearningOnline CollaborationOnline Course DesignOnline InstructionOnline LearningComputer Science CurriculumComputer Science PedagogyFirst-generation StudentsOnline Learning CurriculumRepresentation Of Underrepresented GroupsUndergraduate Computer Science EducationUnderrepresented Groups ParticipationUnderrepresented Populations
As high schools begin to offer more distance learning courses, universities have an opportunity to establish partnerships to deliver online computer science courses. As we face declining enrollment, these partnerships offer the ability to reach a significant portion of students who may not otherwise consider computer science. Particularly for underrepresented groups, such as African-Americans, Hispanics, women, and first-generation college students, these partnerships offer the potential to recruit additional students into computing fields. This paper describes the first portion of a multi-year partnership between a large university and multiple high schools in a metropolitan area. CyberTech I is an online introduction to computer science course offered to high school students by university faculty. Initial results indicate that students were generally satisfied with their online course experience and plan to continue to participate in the program. We describe the curriculum introduced and discuss some of the challenges faced and the lessons learned.
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