Pandemic Python: Teaching and Coding in Place

1:35pm - 2:09pm on Saturday, October 3 in Online

Lisa Tagliaferri

Watch:

https://youtu.be/2zk5_o5X4-s

Description

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Computer Science department of Stanford University rolled out an experimental remote offering of their established intro to Python programming course, CS106A, entitled “Code in Place.” A call for volunteer students and teachers resulted in an incredible learning community comprised of over 10,000 learners and 800 section leaders from 6 continents, in addition to the Stanford-based professors and teaching assistants. Unlike much of the demographics of a typical Computer Science undergraduate course in the United States, Code in Place achieved gender parity and drew from a diverse international community of teachers and learners. As there continues to be uncertainty around what the future of education will look like, both due to the ongoing pandemic and other societal changes, this talk will share lessons learned through creating a distributed online learning community from the perspective of a Python educator and author. We’ll discuss how to center inclusion, how to engage a global audience, and how to create community in a virtual setting while empowering new learners to code in Python.