Why Computer Science Classes Should Double Down on AI and Data Science

If you're not in the know, artificial intelligence and data science may sound like especially nerdy subsets of the already pocket-protector infused field of computer science. But anyone who is serious about expanding computer science education--a list that includes Fortune 500 company CEOs and policymakers on both sides of the aisle --should be thinking carefully about emphasizing AI, in which machines are trained to perform tasks that simulate some of what the human brain can do, and data science, in which students learn to record, store, and analyze data. That means making sure kids have access to well-designed resources to learn those subjects, bolstering professional development for those who teach them, exposing career counselors to information about how to help students pursue jobs in those fields, and much more. That imperative is at the heart of a list of recommendations by CSforALL, an education advocacy group presented last month at the International Society for Technology in Education's annual conference. Leigh Ann DeLyser, CSforALL's co-founder and executive director, spoke with Education Week about some big picture ideas around the push for a greater focus on AI and data science within computer science education.