Recent Posts by Alison Derbenwick Miller

In our attempts to encourage more students in the US to pursue computer science, we may be focusing too much on skills and not enough on the opportunities and stimulating work environments such skills make possible, according to a new study. The findings of the study—conducted by Couragion, funded by Oracle Academy, and based on data from 3,612 students in the US—could influence how we structure K-12 computer science education. For at least two decades, the US public...

Oracle Academy has announced new curriculum offerings and learning modules to advance computing education globally. The latest offerings put Oracle Academy at the forefront of public-private partnerships in education with a variety of enhanced, flexible formats that help educators teach computer science, bring emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into the classroom, and inspire students with lessons from successful innovators...

As my own kids headed back to school recently after a long summer holiday, I have been reminded of the importance—and the challenge—of making a new school term engaging from the beginning.  Here are four things I believe can help beat the back-to-school blahs and start the term off with a bang: 1. Start with a topic that captures the imagination For students of all ages, school breaks are a time to learn whatever is interesting to them. Whether it be building a new world from...

I was fortunate this year to attend the Association for Computer Machinery’s SIGCSE (Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education) conference, where there was a good deal of conversation about what a modern computer science curriculum should include. Technology changes quickly and it can be difficult for academic programs to keep pace. Still, if computer science students are to contribute meaningfully to the field in either industry or research jobs, it’s critical that...

October 3 was a very exciting day for Oracle Academy. From the Oracle OpenWorld main stage, in front of an audience of 8,000 people, Thomas Kurian, Oracle’s president of product development, announced that Oracle Academy will join forces with the Bloodhound Education Foundation. Richard Noble, director of the Bloodhound Project, whose ambitious goal is to break the world land-speed record (763 miles per hour) on its way to exceeding the 1,000-mph mark, underlined the...

At Oracle Academy, Oracle’s flagship philanthropic educational program, we’re proud of the work we’ve done to support computer science (CS) education and make it accessible and engaging to students. Although Oracle is headquartered in the United States, the impact of Oracle Academy’s efforts can now be seen in 110 countries around the world. As we move into summer holidays and planning for our next academic year in the US, I want to share a few examples of our work in other...

The holidays traditionally are a time for sharing good news, and to start December, we have some: Oracle, as part of the new Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition in the EU, plans to invest $1.4 billion to support computing education across EU member states during the next three years.  The Digital Skills Agenda for Europe and the new coalition were initiated this year by the European Commission to extend and expand work started under the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs in 2013.  D...