Goals of the Callysto Project

The immediate goal for the Callysto project is to create publicly accessible Jupyter notebooks (and other online resources) that demonstrate the merging of computational thinking into the K-12 curriculum for Alberta, BC and eventually across Canada.

A Jupyter notebook is a computer file that combines text, graphics, and computer code as a platform to deliver online content that is easily accessible through any web browser. A rich source of examples are here: Jupyter Gallery

Each Jupyter notebook will address an outcome of the K-12 curriculum as specified by documents curated by the project leaders, and will incorporate both text and visuals to address the curriculum outcomes. Ideally they would include interactive features and could access live data from the web for creating up-to-the-minute information sources and analysis.

Imagine, for instance, a webpage that can download live Statistics Canada data and make analyses of population trends, income disparities across the country, patterns of home ownership, and so on. Or a webpage that demonstrates basic laws of physics, such as Newton's laws of motion, with a visual and computational component that shows these laws. These webpages would be live and interactive, so students and teachers can manipulate the computations, see the physical laws in motion, or apply their own analyses to the data. They can also use the notebooks as a model for creating their own tools for computational studies and content creation.

The project is funded into 2019, and will consist of three stages.

Stage 1 (Present, to June 30, 2018): First suite of demos

The target is to convene 15 to 20 teams to work for four months creating demo notebooks and other deliverables specified below. Coordination and funding for the operations are provided by PIMS and Cybera, with a grant from CanCode. In this stage, teams will be formed under the supervision of site directors at PIMS institutions.

Stage 1 Deliverables:

• 100 Showcase Modules (5 to 10 per team) including curriculum modules identified by our K-12 advisors

• Examples of machine conversion of standard OER textbooks

• Validation of technology palette

• Scaffolding for scaling the whole project

• 100 daily users of the Callysto Hub

Stage 2 (Summer 2018): Validation

Focus is on distributed content creation, delivery, and improvement process validated by face-to-face meetings and workshops. With 20 or more Callysto Teams in PIMS network in operation through the summer, aim to expand the audience of K-12 teachers through workshops and partner networks. Callysto Teams launch outside of the PIMS network. PIMS and Cybera are co-investing in the operations. Other partners may begin to contribute to Callysto.

Stage 2 Deliverables:

• Deployment and testing of resources with K-12 teachers and students

• Validation of resources with K-12 teachers and students

• Workshops for K-12 teachers (run with the help of creators and developers)

• Validation of authoring workflows

• Validation of K-12 and postsecondary collaboration model

Stage 3 (2018-2019): Scaling

Callysto gains momentum with national and international partners. Teaching and learning enhancement funds align with the production and delivery of Callysto resources. Modules are showcased through K-12 and postsecondary networks. PIMS, Cybera, and other partners put forward funding to support Stage 3 and explore plans to sustain the Callysto Mission.

Stage 3 deliverables:

• Deployment and testing of resources with postsecondary instructors and students

• Computational Thinking assessment and effectiveness study performed by Professor Catherine Adams (University of Alberta)

• Validation of resources with postsecondary instructors and students

• Exploration of Callysto toolchain in research and data science activities in postsecondary