ERIC Number: EJ1252911
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1049-4820
EISSN: N/A
Equitable Approaches: Opportunities for Computational Thinking with Emphasis on Creative Production and Connections to Community
Pinkard, Nichole; Martin, C. K.; Erete, S.
Interactive Learning Environments, v28 n3 p347-361 2020
Decisions about participation in computer science and engineering opportunities are often made prior to high school, and these decisions are frequently mediated by prior experience, interest, and sense of fit with community. In this article, we investigate how the Digital Youth Divas, an out-of-school program for middle school girls from non-dominant communities, engaged participants in computational thinking linked to their broader interests, home networks, and continuing opportunities. Results indicate increases in knowledge measures for girls with and without prior learning experiences and provide evidence that through project work and a strong focus on building community, girls engaged in computational practices in ways that shifted or provided new computational perceptions about themselves and the domain. This exploratory study of the Digital Youth Divas program emphasizes the importance of understanding and supporting computational perceptions alongside deepening knowledge and experience.
Descriptors: Middle School Students, Females, Computation, Thinking Skills, Extracurricular Activities, Minority Group Students, Prior Learning, Identification (Psychology), Student Projects, Student Interests, STEM Education
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1433838