Lighthouse for CS (LH4CS)

The mission of Lighthouse for Computer Science (LH4CS) (www.lh4cs.org) is to improve computer science diversity through faculty professional development. Our professional development is offered through summer workshops, online learning, and blended learning combining face-to-face meetings with online learning. By educating Computer Science (CS) educators, we can ultimately affect many more people than direct intervention with students would reach. Validated professional development contents motivate CS educators to reflect on and modify classroom-teaching practices to improve diversity in computing. Common to all of our efforts are providing research-proven strategies, evidence-based practices, and pedagogy for: attracting more and diverse students to Computer Science classes; influencing students, colleagues, counselors, and administrators on the importance of Computer Science and the opportunities the field provides; engaging students in the exciting and rewarding field of Computer Science. Our major efforts are currently directed to high school (Tapestry Workshops and Lighthouse HS) and community college faculty (Lighthouse CC). We seek to expand our reach through professional development to new faculty at four-year college institutions (Lighthouse NF). Tapestry Workshops (www.tapestryworkshops.org) are highly successful face-to-face high school computing teacher professional development workshops that focus explicitly on improving diversity in computing. Over the last eight years there have been twenty-one Tapestry Workshops nationwide with over 550 teachers participating. External evaluation shows that more than 80% of the teachers report enrolling more computer science students in general, and more female and underrepresented minority students in particular. Within two months of a workshop, participating teachers collectively recruit on average more than 400 net new students into their AP CS classes, including approximately 100 more female students and 75 additional underrepresented minority students. Tapestry teachers now reach more than 11,000 students every year, many of whom would never have previously considered studying computer science. For sustainability and scalability, Lighthouse HS is modifying the Tapestry Workshop three-day format by developing a light-weight regional workshop hosting framework that brackets online learning. For maximum sustainability Lighthouse CC (www.lh4cs-cc.org) provides comparable professional development for community college faculty using a MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses). The MOOC is carefully designed for the needs of community college faculty using research-based methods and incorporates relevant instructional design principles. Before adapting for online learning, the applicability and efficacy of the proposed content is tested during 1½ half-day face-to-face workshops. The MOOC is currently in beta testing.