Programming in the UK education system

Computing education and programming empower students to navigate our digital world. But is our current approach effective enough? And how can it be improved? Mark Martin MBE, assistant professor in computer science and education practice, shares his thoughts

With technology having a huge influence in day-to-day life, using it effectively is critical in education. During the global lockdown we realised the importance of tech skills as we saw that learning does not solely take place in one space. Being able to use technology properly allowed students to learn both online and offline and introduced a new blended way of learning that should be normalised. Jisc’s 2021/22 digital experience insights survey of higher education students revealed that 45 per cent of students would like a mix of on-site and online learning and 13 per cent wanted to be taught mainly online –highlighting how important it is to integrate technology in the learning process. Technology also allows us to work more collaboratively. Post lockdown, teachers have found dividing and conquering really useful: not everyone needs to do everything, and certain software allowed teachers to teach the E