Decolonising Computer Science Education - A Global Perspective

Abstract

There is an increasing recognition that computing education and the profession of computing has failed indigenous learners around the world. In this paper we argue for a reform of tertiary education's computing curricula so that they address the needs of both indigenous and non-indigenous learners. To achieve this, we must first consider the role of computing as a negative colonising force that continues to the present. This paper integrates traditional methods of storytelling to provide context for a reframing of computing as a decolonising force. A case study of the New Zealand context where Mori have been underserved by both computing education and the computing profession, is used to identify systemic barriers. We propose a process of partnership that empowers indigenous communities to work with industry and education to imagine a computing profession that positively contributes to thriving decolonised practice. And then how can computer science education contribute to that? We then canvas some potential directions a transformation of computing education might take. This paper is not intended to replace or pre-empt partnerships or indigenous self-determination, but to inspire computer science educators towards developing an approach that improves outcomes for all learners.