A new specialization in Computer Science for teaching

Alain Herzog © EPFL 2021 - As computer science emerges as an important new high school subject across Switzerland, EPFL and HEP, the teacher's training college in Vaud, have joined forces to launch a Master with specialization in Computer Science for teaching. From shopping and eating to banking and communication, computers touch nearly every aspect of our modern daily lives and as a result, understanding computer science is of increasing importance. This is particularly true for young people who will continue to live through what is sometimes described as the fourth industrial revolution - in which disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, robots and virtual reality are changing the way we live and work. In response, from 2022 across Switzerland, computer science will be a compulsory subject in high schools, driving a need for teachers who can inspire students in this broad subject. To fast track teacher training in this field, EPFL and HEP-VD have jointly developed a new Master with specialization in Computer Science for teaching , where students obtain a Computer Science, Communications Systems or Data Science master's, as well as a teaching diploma in Computer Science at the high school level. "This new specialization is about the right balance of subjects and classes to ensure that students can earn sufficient credits on the one hand from computer science and then on the other, the pedagogical side. The feedback we have had is that the balance is working and that the program is in good shape," said Olivier Lévêque, a senior scientist in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) who led the development of the new master's program.