The COVID-19 pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of our lives, including the way in which we approach learning. Our reliance on computational technologies and digital devices have expanded significantly, thus drawing more awareness towards the societal implications of computing in the post-pandemic world. For future educators, this is a pivotal time to develop a knowledge base around the impacts and contributions of technology in the world. “Teaching Computation in the Digital World,” a fully remote course offered through UC Online, provides a critical analysis of the uses and impacts of computing devices on society, economy, and culture. Through a “problem-based” approach, students will be able to understand the cultural impacts and technical underpinnings of computing necessary to contribute to the education of K-12 aged students.

Teaching Computation in the Digital World utilizes cognitive and educational theories and evidence-based practices to allow students to successfully evaluate, critique, and augment lesson plans and online learning resources.

The immersive nature of this course allows students to analyze and communicate about varying impacts of computing on society and employ this understanding to their future educational endeavors. They will explore pedagogy and lesson plans for supporting the teaching of these topics in informal learning spaces, such as the digital learning environment we are currently living in, and traditional classroom spaces.

This course is open to all UC students and is conducted completely online. While it does include programming components, prior programming and coding experience is not required. There are no prerequisites for this class, and it is open to all students of any major. Students must attend one weekly synchronous discussion section, however the course itself is asynchronous and to be completed on the student’s own time. Learning will be assessed through interactive readings, discussion prompts, peer reviews, and several project assignments. The final exam in this course is split into two portions: a self-paced portion and an E-proctored exam. For more information about the course requirements and final exam, please refer to the syllabus.

Teaching Computation in the Digital World is the perfect course for those looking to enhance their understanding of educational studies in the digital world. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply the knowledge they have gained to their own uses of technology and recognize the impacts and contributions these computational systems have on society. The next generation of educators and computing intellectuals are in this class!