Introducing Programming to Middle School Students to Increase Knowledge and Interest in Computer Science

Abstract

Our poster covers the organization, curriculum design, and assessment of two summer camps we organized in Summer 2021 to teach middle school students fundamental programming concepts to increase their knowledge and interests in computer science. We designed several hands-on projects using the SparkFun Inventor's Kit, Scratch, and Makers Empire 3D Design Software. Scratch was used to teach fundamental programming concepts such as arithmetic operations, strings, conditional statements, and loops. The SparkFun Inventor's Kit provides a powerful and in-depth programming experience for middle school students. The Mission to Mars Design Challenge Activity utilized Makers Empire 3D Design Software and Scratch and allowed students to explore and determine the specific needs of a mission to Mars while challenging them to brainstorm, design, and create an invention or new tool. Those hands-on programming experiences helped students to develop and build creative confidence, design thinking skills, and problem-solving skills. Our program assessment results showed that camp participants increased their knowledge and interests in subjects related to programming and computer science. Our poster provides detailed information about organizing similar summer camps at other institutions to increase general participation in computer science.