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Computer Science lessons also help improve children’s teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and creative thinking skills.
Across the UK there is currently a computer science skills shortage. We need more young people to be developing the skills needed to do software engineering and many other related careers, to ensure our growing technology sector can continue to thrive.
This alone should be a great reason to encourage kids to engage with computer science, but there is also another reason that may be even more compelling!
Did you know that computer science education not only improves IT skills but also helps children develop a whole range of other hard and soft skills too?
We carried out extensive research into the broader benefits that learning computer science and coding can offer; highlighting the key advantages that young people who engage with this subject can experience.
In 2021, we ran a survey with nearly seven-thousand parents (with kids aged 5-16) and teachers (primary and secondary) and found that children who have been taught computer science skills – such as coding – are more likely to be better at mathematics, problem solving, creative thinking, time management, and teamwork than those who haven’t had these valuable lessons.
Read on to find out more.
What do teachers think?
Nearly all the teachers we surveyed (96%) have seen first-hand evidence that educating children in computer science helps develop other hard and soft skills, alongside IT abilities.
Eight in ten (82%) teachers said that computer science helps enhance a child’s ability to problem-solve, two-thirds (68%) say it develops math skills, and six in ten (60%) feel it improves a child’s ability to think creatively.
See the graph below to see how teachers voted computer science helped develop all subjects at primary and secondary school level.
What do parents think?
The parents of children who have learned coding (or been taught computer science at school) ranked their child’s aptitude for math, writing, creative thinking, communication, and teamwork as ‘above average for their age’ than parents whose children had not learned computer science skills.
The Top Five Broader Benefits of Computing Summarised
- ADVANCE MATHS SKILLS
Mathematics may not be your child’s favourite subject at school, but with coding, maths skills are covertly picked up along the way. - CREATIVE THINKING
Coding is about creating something new, helping children flex their creativity and come up with their own ideas. - PROBLEM SOLVING
Through coding, children learn to analyze and address complex challenges that arise with computer technology. - COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Code is a language, which needs to be understood and broken down in simple terms. - TEAMWORK
Learning to code develops the ability to work alongside others, whether on projects, ideas, or problems that need a collective solution.
Clare Ford, Expert Educator, Founder at SwitchedON! said: “Computer Science Education is fabulous for 'starting with the end in mind' and then reverse engineering - taking logical steps, one at a time, to create a bigger picture. This approach builds a growth mindset.”
Practical Advice for Parents
Coding can be a daunting prospect though, especially for the tech-averse, and parents may find it hard to introduce their child to coding as a hobby if they themselves have little or no understanding of it. Here is our advice on how parents can get started in three simple steps.
- Discover accessible resources to get your kids into coding
There are plenty of cheap and accessible ways to help kids of any age get into coding. It’s all about encouraging exploration – coding can be thought of as a form of play and a creative outlet.
Daisy the Dinosaur is an iPad app suited for primary school children that will get kids acquainted with the basics of coding, using a simple drag-and-drop interface.
In Conclusion
Richard Curtin, SVP of Technology at OKdo added: “We’ve long believed that computer science education gives kids more than just the obvious IT skills – it’s also helping children to improve their confidence in teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and much more.
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