In an attempt to pave the way for more extensive Computer Science Education (CSE) coverage in K-12, this researchdeveloped and made a preliminary evaluation of a blended-learning Introduction to CS program based on an academicMOOC. Using an academic MOOC that is pedagogically effective and engaging, such a program may provide teacherswith disciplinary scaffolds and allow them to focus their attention on enhancing students' learning experience and nurturingcritical 21st-century skills such as self-regulated learning. As we demonstrate, this enabled us to introduce an academiclevel course to middle-school students.In this research, we developed the principals and initial version of such a program, targeting ninth-graders in science-trackclasses who learn CS as part of their standard curriculum. We found that the middle-schoolers who participated in theprogram achieved academic results on par with undergraduate students taking this MOOC for academic credit. Participatingstudents also developed a more accurate perception of the essence of CS as a scientific discipline.The unplanned school closure due to the COVID19 pandemic outbreak challenged the research but underlined theadvantages of such a MOOC-based blended learning program above classic pedagogy in times of global or local crises thatlead to school closure. While most of the science track classes seem to stop learning CS almost entirely, and the end-of-yearMoE exam was discarded, the program's classes smoothly moved to remote learning mode, and students continued tostudy at a pace similar to that experienced before the school shut down.
A MOOC-BASED COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL: RESULTS, CHALLENGES, AND THE COVID-19 EFFECT
