Computer Science Majors Declining
Could Game Design be a Catalyst to Renewing Student Interest?
Computers have become an integral part to American life, but career interest is declining. Can a renaissance be found in something as simple as a video game?
Computer Science departments in high schools, colleges and universities across the United States have documented declines in enrollment and majors for computer science courses. For many institutions the steepest drop coincides with the dot-com bust in 2001; however the trend can be seen as starting as far back as the early 1990s. Theories are abundant as to why; outsourcing, career prospects, and the declining interest in math and science being a few. A popular one is the perception that the average student considers computer science almost as exciting as a mold culture.
Current High School Computing Issues
How can high school teachers introduce computer science in an interesting fashion? On average, a high school has a limited budget for computing expenses. Most public schools have technology plans to replace computers every four to five years, but budget constraints can easily postpone the replacement. Students view their school computer labs as old and outdated compared to the new computer they use at home. Where is the excitement in using an old machine that you cannot even IM your friends from, let alone play the latest game release?
Available courses in each school vary dramatically. Students in technology centers, math and science magnet schools and even large high schools have choices that vary amongst programming, business, computer hardware, networking, and even robotics. Smaller high schools might be able to offer a course in word processing and spreadsheet applications.
Schools who participate in programs such as Virtual High School are able to offer a large variety of courses without needing to fill an entire classroom. Although students are required to have some exposure to and proficiency with different computing technologies, this can frequently be satisfied with a keyboarding course. Students do not always have the motivation, encouragement or available courses to pursue further computer science interests, yet cannot be pulled away from their video games when home.
Create Video Games in School
Perhaps that is the key; a new twist on something students enjoy. Today’s average teen lives in a technical world, surrounded by information 7/24, their social scene dominated by their technical assistants, video games their primary entertainment choice. Since studies show that children enjoy learning when the lesson is turned into a game, then perhaps high school students would enjoy computer science if they learn how to create video games.
Software tools to make this possible are already available. Alice, also known as Storytelling Alice, is freely distributed and provides an interactive environment that is gaining in popularity. A recent grant from the National Science Foundation promoted the development of educational support materials, including a text book. Game Maker is also available for free and has educator developed support material.
In both cases, the environments are easy for both middle and high school students to learn and can be used on older computers. Teachers are already providing workshops for learning to use the software and sharing the initial success.
