The debate over what constitutes computer science has historically been a topic of contention. What to include or exclude varies based on who you talk to, and as new fields such as Quantum Computing, Internet of Things and Cybersecurity emerge, it has gotten even cloudier. This problem is one of many when considering district course coding systems, and how decisions are made to label a course as computer science or some other subject name. While one school district may consider Robotics, for example, as computer science (CS) and code it as such, another district has the autonomy to not consider Robotics as CS at all. Even when all students involved may get the same curriculum and content, according to the state of Ohio, USA data, students enrolled under a non-CS course code will have no state record of engaging in the course.

The plethora of definitions used by departments of education, school districts and organizations to define computer science has greatly contributed to the confusion over what courses should be offered and exactly what should count towards readiness in the field. Adding to the confusion regarding what should be considered as computer science is the fact that the speed of technology and innovation moves faster than knowledge transfer.

This session will take a comprehensive examination of the many definitions of computer science and the discuss the need for a unified, global definition. Participants will be invited to share their definitions, and we will discuss and attempt to come to a consensus on what should and should not constitute a definition of computer science.

Keywords: Computer science, definition.