Computer Science Education

Computer Science in Iowa

There is a growing demand for computer science courses, including advanced placement courses, across the United States, and a growing demand for teachers with computer science knowledge to teach them.   Slowly but surely people are figuring out that understanding computer science (and, yes, programming) is an important skill for all students.

The computer science department at the University of Northern Iowa offers multiple classes to assist teachers in gaining this appropriate knowledge.  Whether you want to take a workshop to learn how to get started or want to take a complete set of coursework to earn a computer science endorsement on your state license, the CS Ed program at UNI has something to offer you.

 

Online and in-person instruction

While the majority of the instruction and work is completed online, we feel strongly that you need time to interact with your professors and your peers.  Thus, each course includes a limited number of face-to-face sessions to facilitate this interaction.  These sessions are a combination of synchronous online meetings and when applicable, actual face-to-face meetups at an AEA near you!

All in all, CSEd@UNI is the right mix of content, interaction, and sustained inquiry to help you succeed as a CS teacher.

‌CSEd@UNI is the recipient of a three year, $1,000,000 award from the National Science Foundation. This award will expand access to UNI’s 5-12 Computer Science Endorsement (#278) coursework through partnerships with the state’s nine AEAs and hundreds of scholarships to make the program completely FREE. All of the scholarships for 2023 have currently been awarded. But we are taking information from teachers interested in participating in the next cohort starting June of 2024. Get more information on the CSED@UNI partners with Iowa’s AEAs page.

Professor teaching Computer Science Endorsement Course

Why CSEd@UNI?

It just makes sense to study computer science at UNI – the state’s leader in teacher preparation.

The CSEd@UNI program was the first teacher preparation program in the state and is built on over a decade of work with in-service and pre-service teachers.  Our courses were carefully designed to align with CSTA Standards for K-12 Students as well as the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers.  These are courses designed specifically for educators and carefully address the knowledge needed to work with today’s students. 

Teaching computer science is no more about creating more software developers than teaching English is about creating more novelists.

Alfred Thompson