“What would it mean to apply the concepts of critical thinking and individual judgment in societies which are steeped in habitual deference to age and authority, to rules and to rituals?” His Highness the Aga Khan, Atlanta, USA, at the annual meeting of the International Baccalaureate, 18 April, 2008.
In the digital age, with information and misinformation at our fingertips, in volumes hitherto unimaginable, the evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of information is an essential skill. Critical thinking anchors curricula at the 200 Aga Schools (AKS) located in 11 countries.
Coding has now become a prerequisite for digital literacy, as 57 percent of U.S. high schools1 offer such programs but the rate is considerably lower in local schools in the Global South. Constraints include the availability of digitally literate teachers, computers, and internet access, especially in rural and remote areas.
While the three “Rs” of reading, writing and arithmetic have been the foundation of modern education, this century requires coding skills; one could say that the four “Cs” are now necessary, namely, creativity, concentration, computational thinking, and communication.
The world today communicates not through cursive but through computers. Learning how to interact with computers at an early age engages critical thinking skills and familiarity with new learning technologies. Besides communicating with peers and others, children now communicate with and through computers with coding.
Atifa Sayani, Head of Academic Programs at AKS, explains: “At the Aga Khan Schools, we are committed to leveraging education technology to cultivate 21st-century skills, preparing our students for a rapidly evolving world. By integrating AI and coding into our curriculum, we empower our learners to become innovative thinkers and problem solvers, ensuring they are well-equipped to thrive in the digital age."
AKS piloted its first coding initiative to two cohorts in Pakistan in December 2023, in Karachi and Islamabad, and in more remote Gilgit in the north. This area was chosen as the Aga Khan Education Service (AKES), Pakistan staff had been planning to integrate technology into the curriculum for some time and had the organizational structure to manage the program.
The Coding Iniative
Code.org is an education innovation nonprofit with a vision that every student in every school should have an opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education. Located in Seattle but with activities accessible from anywhere in the world, it offers its “Hour of Code,” for different student levels as well as teachers. It is a one-hour introduction to computer science, using fun tutorials to show that anybody can learn the basics.
Martina Pometlova, Head of Global Partnerships at Code.org explains “The focus of the program is on computational thinking, and we create materials adequate for different developmental stages. We begin with algorithms, repeatable sequences of steps to complete a task. Organizing steps to reach an objective are the fundamental building blocks of coding and computer science.”
Experimenting with coding basics provides an understanding and a level of comfort that can also assist in other subjects. Martina states that more than 1.8 billion Hours of Code have been offered over the past ten years, reaching over 15% of the global student population. Females account for half of the participants.
Participants develop problem-solving skills and understand the elements of coding as children connect blocks together to make programs. They break down problems into smaller components, using images of animals, games, and more advanced features for others. As students get older, they learn text-based programming languages, such as Java Script, or learn more complex concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
Atifa remarks that coding was integrated into classes with a focus on AI projects. Minecraft Adventurer! and Star Wars-themed coding projects such as “Building a Galaxy with Code,” were offered to offline schools. “The collaborative efforts and diverse projects make this campaign a source of pride for all involved, bringing coding and AI projects to the forefront of education.”
Impact of the Program
Surprisingly, the response was beyond expectations. Over 8,500 students, aged six to seventeen from 65 schools, and teachers and other leaders joined the program, with an even distribution between males and females. The majority of them participated online, while those without internet or computer access, chose to use printed materials. Twenty percent of the students expressed a desire to follow computer science as a career after this brief introduction.
Gul Shireen, a primary school teacher in Chatorkhand, a small town near the Afghan border and Nanga Parbat, the 27,000 ft. “Killer Mountain,” teaches English and Social Studies. She comments that “The coding program helped my students in critical thinking and made learning fun. I noticed a positive impact on the students, in their interest in learning, and it boosted their confidence.”
“The campaign had a transformative effect on both educators and students alike,” Atifa says, and that “…the ICT labs buzzed with excitement as students, ranging from curious first graders to ambitious seniors, eagerly embraced the presented by coding in the diverse projects.”
The coding curriculum is administered without charge to the students by AKES, Pakistan, who now have an opportunity to understand new informational technology and explore it further. Currently, two coding classes a week are included in the curriculum for students in grades six to ten.
The Hour of Code program will be offered again in December 2024 when AKES, Pakistan expects an enrollment of 13,000 students and others. With the success of this initiative, it may be expanded to more schools in other countries.
The success of the program has interested the Government of Pakistan, which has asked AKES, Pakistan to be a technical advisor to introduce a similar initiative in its Smart schools, to be established in Islamabad by Google.
This initiative was made possible through the Agreements of Cooperation signed by His Highness the Aga Khan, enabling collaboration between agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network and institutions in the USA in areas of mutual interest, such as education.
Innovation in technology has revolutionized the teaching profession. The use of computers and the internet have increased availability and access to information; greater student engagement and motivation; more personalized pedagogy; the possibility of remote learning; and increased collaboration and communication between peers, students, and teachers.
Coding to enhance critical thinking skills is just one significant innovation that AKS is always searching for to improve student academic achievement.
For additional information see: click here
Footnote: Education Week: 1 November, 2023 click here
