Implementing a cross-curricular digital project into a PGCE computer science initial teacher education course

Abstract

The aim of this research is to open discourse over the matters, processes and skills of the subject of Computer Science in the new English National Curriculum of 2013. The challenge for graduate computer scientists enrolled onto a Post Graduate Certificate of Education Initial Teacher Training course in the North of England was to develop a cross-curricular digital technology project using Raspberry Pi hardware and peripherals that could sense and record data to enhance pedagogy in any other English National Curriculum subject. The results of the research were unexpected and highlight the need for “soft skill” development within the Computer Science curriculum.