The UK’s skilled physique for the IT workforce has referred to as for a extra “inclusive” digital literacy age-16 qualification alongside Pc Science, which it says is “theoretical and demanding.”
In its submission to the federal government’s overview of the college curriculum, the British Pc Society mentioned faculties wanted a brand new digital literacy qualification targeted on AI and trendy tech expertise, alongside an improved Pc Science GCSE.
In England, Wales, and Northern Eire, schoolchildren take GCSEs when they’re 16. Pupils ought to purchase digital expertise and be taught to get the perfect out of instruments like ChatGPT to allow them to reach life and trendy careers, the chartered institute mentioned.
Nonetheless, too many have been postpone by the present Pc Science GCSE. A BCS evaluation of Division for Training knowledge discovered that 94 p.c of ladies and 79 p.c of boys in England drop computing as quickly as they’ll, at 14 years previous.
To keep away from so many pupils probably lacking out on digital expertise, the BCS proposes a brand new qualification to take a seat alongside pc science, which might proceed to show the basics of computing.
The BCS defines digital literacy because the data, expertise, and behaviors wanted to make assured, artistic, and efficient use of digital applied sciences and methods, and make well-informed essential judgments in regards to the implications and affect of how digital know-how – together with AI and social media – is used.
Julia Adamson, BCS training and public profit managing director, mentioned: “The computing curriculum is summary and unmotivating, and it does not present youngsters how the topic may be utilized to unravel the world’s large challenges. The curriculum wants updating to replicate this and to incorporate areas like AI and knowledge evaluation, in addition to an understanding of the large social and financial affect of computing.
“We have proposed an accessible digital literacy qualification for everybody alongside the [Computer Science] GCSE; not everybody will go on to develop into pc scientists or work as builders however everybody deserves to have the ability to do the fundamentals to stay and work. There may be house to deal with each these ambitions.”
The GCSE contained out-of-date content material about networks and web protocols that may very well be faraway from the specification to make manner for extra thrilling materials, Adamson mentioned.
In response to the Division for Training’s curriculum overview, BCS mentioned the present Pc Science GCSE works for a slender group of scholars as a result of its theoretical focus.
It mentioned that sensible assessments, akin to on-computer exams, would higher characterize college students’ programming expertise and align with real-world functions, encouraging lecturers to combine extra hands-on programming duties alongside principle.
“The present GCSE in Pc Science is theoretical and demanding, emphasizing recall of information fairly than software, and never serving the topic nicely. A lot of the content material, akin to CPU performance and fetch-decode-execute cycles, is summary and difficult for college students, overshadowing sensible publicity to rising applied sciences like AI,” the submission [PDF] mentioned.
It additionally identified that it’s attainable to cross the GCSE Pc Science course whereas doing little or no – if any – programming on a pc.
“Essentially the most genuine solution to assess candidates’ sensible software of their data and expertise is thru creating actual packages,” the submission mentioned.
Earlier this yr, a research [PDF] by King’s Faculty London, the Nuffield Basis, and Studying College additionally really helpful broadening the GCSE curriculum and higher instructor coaching {and professional} growth within the topic. ®