CS for Social Good

CSE

In this 3-6 hour online course, participants will watch three talks by Computer Science professionals and participate in three hands-on activities highlighting the connection between CS and society. Participants will learn to recognize computer science as a tool for solving social problems and counsel students in choosing computer science courses based on social justice and global impact.

More sessions coming soon

About This Course

First, learn about the role of CS in global education from Pamela Fox, who currently works for the non-profit educational organization Khan Academy. Pamela Fox describes the digital divide, the educational gap between underprivileged and wealthier students. She teaches the value of being conscious consumers of educational tools by describing the social impacts of each tool.

With Carl Shan, learn about personal and social skills that are integral for Computer Scientists to make positive social change. Carl Shan studied Statistics at UC Berkeley and is now a Data Scientist. He has worked on issues involving homelessness, social services, and high school dropouts. In his presentation, he discusses what social impact means and its connection to personal values.

Finally, David Lee presents the importance of approaching problems with an open mind. David Lee is an Assistant Professor of Computational Media at UC Santa Cruz. He describes how bias creates interdisciplinary problems such as inaccurate results in data modeling and over-polarized opinions in political science. He concludes with a need-finding activity that demonstrates how to find the needs of people in different scenarios.

This course was created by high school students who want their teachers and counselors to make connections between computer science courses and career opportunities.

What you will learn

Analyze impacts of computing: Analyze how people influence computing through their behaviors, cultural norms, and social interactions, as well as how computing impacts society in both positive and negative ways.
Model continuous learning: Model willingness to learn from others and to continuously develop new skills. Demonstrate comfort in problem solving and perseverance when encountering new or challenging content.
Commit to the mission of CS for all students: Develop a personal teaching philosophy reflecting that all students can and should learn CS.
Build connections between CS and other disciplines: Design learning experiences that make connections to other disciplines and real-world contexts.
Plan projects that have personal meaning to students: Plan opportunities for students to create and share open-ended and personally meaningful projects.