This article illustrates the potential for hackathons to serve as an innovative educational tool in addressing the underrepresentation of minority communities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Using Merced, California--a region recognised for its agricultural economy, socioeconomic disparities, and diverse…

Digital technologies are an integral facet of human existence, changing how humans find information, the way humans communicate and even human behavior. This transition applies to education as well, with the continued growth of artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping the higher education landscape at two- and four-year institutions alike. AI is…

High schools in California--and around the country--increasingly offer computer science (CS) and often would like to expand CS offerings further. However, these expansions pose a number of challenges for administrators and policymakers, especially if they are going to happen effectively and equitably. We consider four of the most pressing…

To build educational capacity for the rapidly evolving science and profession of geocomputation, the American Association of Geographers piloted an Encoding Geography research-practice partnership (RPP) composed of geography and computer science educators and researchers. This commentary describes the process, known as Collective Impact, that was…

The aim of this report is to highlight efforts to develop a digital badging and e-portfolio environment that will illuminate and validate curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular learning in cybersecurity. This effort includes Cal Poly Pomona and Coastline College, which are both designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense…

As Artificial Intelligence within education becomes increasingly important, Digital Promise reviewed the guidance documents released by seven states--California, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Washington state, and West Virginia--on how to approach artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Throughout this report the authors summarize the…

Cloud computing has grown immensely in the past decade and is becoming increasingly important to organizations. The Computer Information Systems (CIS) program at Cal Poly Pomona has gone through a re-visioning process that included the addition of a course on IT infrastructure to address the growth of cloud computing and resulting changes in IS/IT…

Allowing high school students to fulfill a math or science high school graduation requirement via a computer science credit may encourage more student to pursue computer science coursework. This Education Trends report is an update to the original report released in April 2015 and explores state policies that allow or require districts to apply…

The industry-wide emphasis on cloud computing has created a new focus in Information Systems (IS) education. As the demand for graduates with adequate knowledge and skills in cloud computing is on the rise, IS educators are facing a challenge to integrate cloud technology into their curricula. Although public cloud tools and services are available…

Getting called into the boss's office isn't always fun. Memories of trips to the school principal's office flash through one's mind. But the day last year that the author was called in to meet with their division vice president turned out to be a very good day. Executives at his company, Microsoft, had noticed the program he created in his spare…

When VCRs became affordable, the film industry worried that people would stop going to the movies. Theaters have not gone away, but they have changed, with many now focused on delivering spectacles that can be seen only in a grand setting, with a big screen and booming sound. Traditional colleges now face a similar challenge, thanks to free or…

Broadening computer science learning to include more students is a crucial item on the United States' education agenda, these authors say. Although policymakers advocate more computer science expertise, computer science offerings in high schools are few--and actually shrinking. In addition, poorly resourced schools with a high percentage of…

As embedded software systems have grown in number, complexity, and importance in the modern world, a corresponding need to teach computer science students how to effectively engineer such systems has arisen. Embedded software systems, such as those that control cell phones, aircraft, and medical equipment, are subject to requirements and…

In order to stem the decline of female majors and encourage the persistence of all students in the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department at Cal Poly Pomona (CPP), the department faculty is instituting a new course to introduce incoming freshmen and transfer students into the major. This course will incorporate the career exploration that…

The Berkeley Foundation for Opportunities in Information Technology is a decade-old endeavor to expose pre-college young women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities to the fields of computer science and engineering, and prepare them for rigorous, university-level study. We have served more than 150 students, and graduated more than 65…