The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014) projected that computer and information technology occupations will be among the fastest
growing jobs through 2022. Notably, nearly three out of four STEM occupations will require significant computing skills and knowledge (U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Moreover, most professional occupations demand at least basic proficiency in computation (Hoffmann,
2012). This job outlook suggests that computing skills and knowledge have become an integral aspect of career readiness for K-12
students preparing for professional occupations in the 21st century (Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012). However, contrary to the increasing importance of promoting computer education, only approximately 10% of K-12 schools offer computer science courses (Westervelt, 2014). A
number of issues regarding the paradoxical trends against promoting computer science education at the K-12 level are well pointed out in
the report entitled “Running on empty: the failure to teach K-12 computer science in the digital age” (Wilson et al., 2010). First, curriculum
standards for computer science education at the secondary level have been established in only 14 states in the nation. Second, only 9 states
regard computer science courses as one of the core subjects required for a student's graduation credits in either math or science, indicating
that computer science courses are classified typically as elective courses in most of the U.S. More startling is the fact that this report showed
that the percentage of secondary schools offering computer science courses at both the introductory and Advanced Placement (AP) levels
has declined substantially from 2005 to 2009, as shown in Table 1. Thus, fewer students than ever have opportunities to access computer
science courses at the secondary level (Ryoo et al., 2013).