DOI: 10.5176/2251-2195_CSEIT16.40
Authors: Kauna Mufeti and Joseph Mutonga, William Sverdlik
Abstract: Computer science education, as exemplified by programming, is typically first introduced to Namibian students at the first year of university education. As such, most young Namibians enter the major without any prior hands-on experience; their choice is largely dictated by second hand knowledge of the field. Additionally, secondary school instructors typically lack the technological education to facilitate introduction of programming skills in high schools. This paper describes the NAMTOSS (Namibian Technology Outreach to Secondary Schools) initiative, a pilot program aimed at addressing both of these issues. NAMTOSS has been designed as a teacher-training program with the goal of introducing computer programming skills and computational thinking to high school learners. Additionally, NAMTOSS attempts to rectify several of the structural and systemic issues raised by previously unsuccessful outreach efforts in Southern Africa.
Keywords: Technology education; secondary education; outreach; Nambia; Africa; computing; programming
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