Alliances, Consortia, and Communities of Practice | CS@AIR
Because computer science is a new, exciting, and frequently evolving subject in schools, there is a growing recognition that not a single person or entity has all the answers, resources, or solutions. Alliances and communities of practice are models of collaboration that have become popular in many computer science education circles.
CS@AIR supports several alliances, consortia, and communities of practice. We serve various roles depending on the focus, organization, and membership, including as a facilitator, expert consultant, or evaluator.
Computer Science (CS) for All Teachers
CS for All Teachers is a virtual community of practice, welcoming all teachers from PreK through high school who are interested in teaching computer science. Managed by AIR for nearly a decade, it provides an online home for teachers to connect with one another and with the resources and expertise they need to successfully teach computer science in their classrooms.
Collaborative Research: Evolution of the Institute for African Americans in Computing Sciences (IAAMCS)
The goal of the Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computing Sciences is to increase the number of African Americans receiving Ph.D. degrees in computing sciences, promote and engage students in teaching and training opportunities, and add more diverse researchers into the advanced technology workforce. AIR serves as a research partner of the IAAMCS BPC-AE Alliance, collecting and analyzing original quantitative and qualitative data to address the program’s research goals and characterize the state of the African-American computer science student landscape and report on the findings.
Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education (AiiCE)
The Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education (AiiCE) aims to increase the entry, retention, and course/degree completion rates of high-school and undergraduate students from groups that are historically underrepresented in computing through evidence-based, identity-inclusive interventions. Funded by NSF and led by Duke University, AiiCE’s collective impact approach to broadening participation convenes national leaders in K-16 CS education to transform high-school and postsecondary CS education using innovative strategies that target the people, policies, and practices that directly impact student entry, retention, and course/degree completion. AIR acts as the external evaluator of the alliance.
Hindsight 2020
The purpose of Hindsight 2020 was to analyze and to learn from the unique experience of 2020 professional development (PD) programs for CS teachers. This work resulted in the development of a guidebook for PD providers thinking about switching to virtual PD or wanting to improve their virtual PD offerings. AIR consulted on this project, which was funded by NSF and led by Sagefox Consulting Group.
