Bringing Algorithms to Flemish Classrooms: Teaching the Teachers, and some Students

Abstract

Computer science (CS) is currently not yet part of the official curriculum imposed by the Flemish government for secondary education. However, an increasing number of schools offer the topic, or elements of it, in a "free" course, especially in grades 7 and 8, and also in scientific and/or technical profiles in grades 9 to 12. The teachers who develop and teach these courses usually do so with great effort and enthusiasm, but a limited background in CS. The universities of Leuven, Gent and Hasselt, are organising several series of workshops in which teachers' skills and knowledge on Physical Computing and Algorithms are enhanced during in-service training. The approach taken is presented, as well as the results of a small scale teaching experiment on algorithmics in grade 12, and plans for future activities and research in this area.