University News Last updated 03 September 2014
"The ICT curricula has switched so many of our youngsters off from technology and left many people, including teachers, with no idea about the wider opportunities in technology," – says Duncan Maidens, Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University’s School of Computing, Telecommunications and Networks.
"These new changes are long overdue. We all need to be equipped with the skills to deal with modern technology and truly embrace it's opportunities. Starting with young children doing this is ideal. The learning is not just about computer coding, it is about logical thinking, understanding process and interpreting information and data. These are all skills that have much wider application," added Duncan.
Birmingham City University is part of the CAS (Computing at School) government initiative, providing guidance to teachers about the introduction of coding into the new curriculum through real-life workshops.
"We have already trained a number of 'Master Teachers' who are going out there as evangelists in the education community, helping teachers who had no prior experience of computer science," said Duncan.
More information about the School of Computing, Telecommunications and Networks