When designing CS courses for total novices, integrate activities based on students’ pre-existing interests to engage them.

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  • These interests might include designing and building games or making animations.
  • Some teachers have found it more effective to express the fundamentals of computer science “in a context that aligns with student interests”. Try to use students’ existing interests such that “core CS knowledge is taught ‘as answers to questions that the students naturally develop when working with the media program’ (Guzdial 2003, p. 105).” (Kolikant 547)

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"Computer science as a cultural encounter" by Yifat Ben-David Kolikant, under "Research on teaching and learning difficulties in CSE"

"Promising new pedagogical approaches for teaching high school computer science" by Chris Stephenson, under "Gaming"

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