Engineering Students Help Kids Learn to Code

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Matthew Patitz, assistant professor of computer science and computer engineering, talks to students at Butterfield Trail Elementary School and gets them excited for the Hour of Code.

Throughout the week of Dec. 8, 66 computer engineering and computer science students volunteered at elementary schools, teaching kids the basics of writing computer code. Happy Hollow Elementary School, Butterfield Trail Elementary School, and Vandergriff Elementary School participated in the Hour of Code program as part of Computer Science Education Week. Code.org, a national organization that promotes computer science, sponsors this program.

Sarah Stolze, one of the University of Arkansas volunteers, explained why she thought this program was necessary and why she participated. “It's important for kids to understand the basics of how computers work and how to tell computers what to do. Programming, at all levels of skill, is an important foundation for success in any career in the twenty-first century. Additionally, coding teaches kids valuable lessons in logical and analytic problem-solving, which they will use for the rest of their lives, whether or not they continue in the field of computer science and computer engineering.”

Students from all grades at the elementary schools traveled took turns throughout the day visiting computer labs for an hour. They played games and completed tutorials designed to teach programming to kids of all ages. The U of A students walked around the lab to help and encourage the students and to answer any questions.

“My favorite part was seeing the students really happy to be playing games on the computer but also learning new concepts,” said Moises Guerra, another U of A volunteer. “I would definitely recommend them continuing this program in the future.”

“I very much enjoy helping to introduce young students to the science behind computers,” Stolze said. “If I had I been exposed to the world of coding and computer science at an elementary age, I would probably be a much better programmer than I am now.”

Matthew Patitz, assistant professor of computer science and computer engineering, explained the benefits of this program for college students. "Being able to help out with the Hour of Code not only provides excellent experience for the CSCE students, it is also a lot of fun for them.  Watching as they figure out how to explain the basic concepts of programming to the kids, I can see them gain a new appreciation for what they've learned and also begin to understand programming in a broader context.  This is the second year that we've helped out with the Hour of Code, and both years I've heard many positive comments from my students, along with excitement about helping again in the future.  It's a win-win situation for the local elementary schools and the university, and hopefully by exposing more children to programming, we can interest a larger and more diverse pool of future University of Arkansas CSCE students."