Let's teach informatics- empowering pupils, students and teachers

Abstract

Our goal is to develop a didactical structure for a compulsory informatics course. This structure depends on certain fundamental elements, and these will remain in the long run. Results from curriculum research on informatics in secondary education are used to decide which aspects must be included in the subject teaching of informatics. After describing the didactical structure the paper focuses on how successful teaching and learning processes should be organised to enable students to take an active role in long- term learning, express their requirements as users of modem technology; and learn skills and acquire competences in using informatics systems. We propose a modular course to fulfil these requirements. This has been set up to enable some modules to be taught at the secondary I-level (K5-10) and others at secondary II-level (K11-13). These modules enable schools to determine the manner in which informatics will be taught. Our research findings are based on evaluation of informatics as a compulsory course for 6th graders at a German Gymnasium, evaluation of a curriculum for 11th graders at a comprehensive school, and a survey of teachers' opinions on teaching informatics. The paper concludes by stating how the project will move forward and identifies the key questions that will be addressed. © 2003 by Springer Science+Business Media New York.