Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education | 2021
Pedagogical Possibilities of Critical Engagement in Introductory CS Education
Abstract
Computer science holds the unfortunate distinction, at least historically, as a pragmatic and often non-critical domain of practice - in terms of both theory and praxis. Nonetheless, we are witnessing a growing allegiance to AI and data ethics in both academia and industry, and purportedly, 200 university curricula claim to have complied with tech ethics [2]. This proliferation is a promising step forward and can be a useful corrective against discriminatory consequences concerning algorithmic systems, particularly in technical fields like CS and AI, where ethical issues are not discursively and normatively foregrounded. However, these efforts are more coordinated with conventional business ethics than more critical traditions of social justice [3] expected to prevail in educational settings [5]. It is required of educational systems to enable students to improve their technological sensibilities and skill sets to generate alternative possibilities that would challenge technocratic ideologies that are uncritical and limit innovation to the measures of efficiency and marketability. Nudged by these concerns and energized by the creative possibilities of a classroom, we realize the integration of the critical and social dimensions of computing technologies into introductory CS courses as a key area of attention and propose a pedagogical approach largely through concepts that have their legacies in intersectional feminist activism, collective organizing [1], and critical theory [4]. As reflected in the results from the surveys, this approach has resonated with %95.4 of the studied group of students.