Training rural teachers to engage students in coding across the disciplines — that is the goal of Missouri State University’s Computer Science Opportunities, Development and Education in Rural Schools (CODERS) project.

An interdisciplinary project among faculty members from Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH), College of Education (COE) and College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS), CODERS integrates coding skills with literacy, music, languages and computational thinking.

CODERS works with students in grades 3-8. It is funded by a five-year, $4 million Education, Innovation and Research Early Phase grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Project director Dr. Keri Franklin, professor of English and director of the Center for Writing in College, Career and Community, oversees the evaluation design and overall project.

Drs. Tammi Davis (COE), Diana Piccolo (COE), Andrew Homburg (RCASH), Judith Martinez (RCASH) and Razib Iqbal (CNAS) develop CODERS modules and teacher training.

Training teachers

CODERS offers teacher training on the Missouri State campus every summer and four times during the school year. So far, the project has worked with 54 rural teachers, over 3,000 students and nearly 20 rural school districts.

During a training session, teachers first learn about coding. They then use fun, standards-based procedures to apply their training to microbits, cutebots, drones and Robodogs, Franklin explained.

“Writing to learn” strategies and a Model-Practice-Reflect instructional cycle support the process, Franklin added.

Franklin said these strategies reinforce learning in all disciplines by activating prior knowledge, making connections, synthesizing new learning and reflecting on ways to “debug” and modify coding projects.

And teachers are taking that training back to their classrooms, Franklin confirmed.

“Our most recent program evaluation found that 100% of returning CODERS teachers spent class time teaching coding, up from 44% before they enrolled in the program,” she said. “And 89% of returning CODERS teachers intentionally integrated writing into their STEM courses, compared with 47% who did so before enrolling in the program.”

Driving students’ growth and interest

Teachers who participate in CODERS report more enthusiasm for math and science among their students.

Stephanie Fuller, a teacher from Exeter Middle School, noted she has seen improved attendance and increased interest in her classroom.

“Some of my students have found a new passion,” added Carissa Willey, a teacher at Purdy R-II School District. “While they seem to struggle with some other school activities, they enjoy coding and see it as something worth working for.”

In addition, project data show that CODERS is having a significant impact on student test scores, Franklin said. Students from districts who participated in CODERS increased their overall science and math standardized test scores.

“Reviewing state standardized test data from 2022-2023 shows that over 800 students increased science scores by 42% and math scores by 10%,” Franklin said.

Test scores were taken before CODERS was implemented.

Bringing STEM to rural Missouri

The CODERS project has also increased students’ interest in coding and other STEM-related subjects, according to Franklin.

“CODERS has created opportunities that support academic success for students in rural area schools,” she said. “In this computerized and globalized world, rural students receive a competitive advantage that allows them to qualify for opportunities, whether they live on a farm or in a small, rural town.”

Also, thanks to CODERS, students from rural Missouri schools have been able to visit the Missouri State campus.

“I love bringing the students to campus so they can experience it firsthand,” Franklin said. “For most of them, it’s their first time on campus.”

One of Franklin’s favorite campus events is the Coding Olympiad. During an Olympiad, visiting students have two hours to complete coding challenges created by Iqbal. 

Franklin said events like the Olympiad and teacher-created family coding nights encourage a high level of student engagement.

Looking ahead

As the first grant period closes, teachers, schools districts and the CODERS team hope to collaborate to renew the grant, Franklin said. New grant goals include adding more schools to the program and impacting more students.

“Over the past five years, we’ve focused on developing teacher-leaders and coding and writing across curriculum. Now, we’re working toward sustaining growth for the future,” Franklin said.

As an example, Franklin said getting more microbits into rural classrooms, especially in southern Missouri, would be a CODERS success story.

“For us as Missouri State faculty to partner with the U.S. Department of Education to put tools in the hands of rural teachers and students that they would not normally be able to have is a huge success,” she said.

Learn more about CODERS

News submitted by Damilola Oyedeji and edited by the Reynolds College Communications Team.