Educational Technology

Computational thinking is an essential skill for full participation in society in today's world (Wing, 2006). Yet there has been little discussion about the teaching and learning of computational thinking to English learners. In this paper, we first review what computational thinking is, why it is important in education, and the particular challenges faced in teaching computational thinking to speakers of English as a second language. We then discuss some approaches for addressing these challenges, giving examples from two recent K–12 initiatives in which we have been involved.

This paper examines teachers' use of Flipgrid, a student-facing video platform, as a reflection tool to promote computer science language in upper elementary classrooms. We take a case-study approach with three fourth grade teachers: one had a high number of students with special needs, one had substantially more gifted and talented students, and one taught a dual immersion English-Spanish class. Data sources include teacher interviews, design meetings between researchers and teachers, and classroom observations. We find that teachers with different pedagogical visions adopted the tools for reinforcement, student engagement, and formative assessment. We document teachers' iterative improvement strategies and shifts in teacher noticing, particularly the objects (i.e., computer science vocabulary and concepts), level (i.e., whole-class versus individual students), and depth of how they noticed students learning through video reflections. This study contributes to the ongoing work that examines instructional approaches to promoting computing education in diverse K-12 classrooms, especially among teachers with no formal training in computer science education.

Capturing how students develop computational thinking is critical to integrating computer science education into school settings. This paper examines the use of Flipgrid, a student-facing video platform, to invite students to reflect on their programming artifacts and document their computing language and practices. Data sources include 63 reflection videos and 41 programming projects in two fourth grade classes. We apply discourse analysis and find that student displayed enriched discourse in vocabulary and practices, but not CS concepts, in response to explicit prompts. Frequencies of vocabulary use and connection to programming narratives in reflections were strongly correlated with programming artifact scores (overall score; sub-scores in user interactivity, mechanics, and computer science constructs). We discuss implications for leveraging reflection tools in computer science instruction in K-12 classrooms.

Central to the theory of learning are inquiry-based approaches to education. Whereas there is a plethora of research on inquiry learning in the domain of science [19, 20], few studies have analyzed how inquiry-based learning can be applied to computer science education, and how different approaches to inquiry may benefit diverse learners. This is one of the first studies to analyze teacher enactment of inquiry-based learning during the implementation of an upper elementary, computational thinking curriculum, and to explore how teacher approaches to inquiry appear to support or constrain multilingual students' development of computational thinking and computer science identities. Design-based research was used to iteratively develop, test, and refine the inquiry-based curriculum, which aligns with computer science and literacy standards, provides linguistic scaffolding, and integrates culturally responsive materials. We adopt a cross-case mixed-methods design to collect data from five teachers and 149 students including detailed field notes, teacher interviews, student computational artifacts, and student identity surveys. Through analyses of teacher moves, we find that teachers adopt different approaches to inquiry that can be indexed along a continuum ranging from open to closed. Patterns in student data revealed that those who received more structured inquiry lessons developed more sophisticated computational artifacts and showed greater identification with the field of computer science. Findings from this study are being used to add more structured inquiry approaches to the next iteration of our curriculum, including integrating USE/MODIFY/CREATE models into lessons and applying metacognitive strategies from reading research to students' programming activities.

Today’s students will enter a workforce that is powerfully shaped by computing. To be successful in a changing economy, students must learn to think algorithmically and computationally, to solve problems with varying levels of abstraction. These computational thinking skills have become so integrated into social function as to represent fundamental literacies. However, computer science has not been widely taught in K-12 schools. Efforts to create computer science standards and frameworks have yet to make their way into mandated course requirements. Despite a plethora of research on digital literacies, research on the role of computational thinking in the literature is sparse. This conceptual paper proposes a three dimensional framework for exploring the relationship between computational thinking and literacy through: 1) situating computational thinking in the literature as a literacy; 2) outlining mechanisms by which students’ existing literacy skills can be leveraged to foster com...

Computational thinking is an essential skill for full participation in society in today’s world (Wing, 2006). Yet there has been little discussion about the teaching and learning of computational thinking to English learners. In this paper, we first review what computational thinking is, why it is important in education, and the particular challenges faced in teaching computational thinking to speakers of English as a second language. We then discuss some approaches for addressing these challenges, giving examples from two recent K–12 initiatives in which we have been involved.

Capturing how students develop computational thinking is critical to integrating computer science education into school settings. This paper examines the use of Flipgrid, a student-facing video platform, to invite students to reflect on their programming artifacts and document their computing language and practices. Data sources include 63 reflection videos and 41 programming projects in two fourth grade classes. We apply discourse analysis and find that student displayed enriched discourse in vocabulary and practices, but not CS concepts, in response to explicit prompts. Frequencies of vocabulary use and connection to programming narratives in reflections were strongly correlated with programming artifact scores (overall score; sub-scores in user interactivity, mechanics, and computer science constructs). We discuss implications for leveraging reflection tools in computer science instruction in K-12 classrooms.

Developing student interest is critical to supporting student learning in computer science. Research indicates that student interest is a key predictor of persistence and achievement. While there is a growing body of work on developing computing identities for diverse students, little research focuses on early exposure to develop multilingual studentsâĂŹ interest in computing. These students represent one of the fastest growing populations in the US, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in computer science education. This study examines identity development of upper elementary multilingual students as they engage in a year-long computational thinking curriculum, and follows their engagement across multiple settings (i.e., school, club, home, community). Findings from pre-and-post surveys of identity showed signiicant diferences favoring studentsâĂŹ experiences with computer science, their perceptions of computer science, their perceptions of themselves as computer scientists, and their family support for computer science. Findings from follow-up interviews and prior research suggest that tailored instruction provides opportunities for connections to out-of-school learning environments with friends and family that may shift studentsâĂŹ perceptions of their abilities to pursue computer science and persist when encountering challenges.

Effective and equitable CS teaching is contingent on teachers' robust understanding of equity issues in CS classrooms. To this end, this study examined high school teachers' perceptions of equity during their participation in a CS teacher certificate program over two years. The participants are from various disciplines and from schools that serve under-represented students. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted content analysis of the teachers' written reflections and responses to semi-structured interviews. Based on the justice-centered framework, we analyzed the major themes that emerged from the content analysis. The findings provide insights into high school CS teachers' understanding of equity, the strategies that teachers use to address equity issues, and how teachers interpret the causes of inequities in CS classrooms. This research presents frameworks for examining teachers' conceptualization of equity and can inform the implementation of future prof...

Effective and equitable CS teaching is contingent on teachers’ robust understanding of equity issues in CS classrooms. To this end, this study examined high school teachers’ perceptions of equity during their participation in a CS teacher certificate program over two years. The participants are from various disciplines and from schools that serve under-represented students. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted content analysis of the teachers’ written reflections and responses to semi-structured interviews. Based on the justice-centered framework, we analyzed the major themes that emerged from the content analysis. The findings provide insights into high school CS teachers’ understanding of equity, the strategies that teachers use to address equity issues, and how teachers interpret the causes of inequities in CS classrooms. This research presents frameworks for examining teachers’ conceptualizations of equity and can inform the implementation of future professional developmen...

Background: There has been a dearth of research on intersectional identities in STEM, including the fields of computing and engineering. In computing education research, much work has been done on broadening participation, but there has been little investigation into how the field of computer science (CS) presents opportunities for students with strong intersectional identities. This study explores the strengths and connections among the unique identities and the symbiotic relationships that elementary Latina students hold in CS identity attainment.

Central to the theory of learning are inquiry-based approaches to education. Whereas there is a plethora of research on inquiry learning in the domain of science [19], [20], few studies have analyzed how inquiry-based learning can be applied to computer science education, and how different approaches to inquiry may benefit diverse learners. This is one of the first studies to analyze teacher enactment of inquiry-based learning during the implementation of an upper elementary, computational thinking curriculum, and to explore how teacher approaches to inquiry appear to support or constrain multilingual students' development of computational thinking and computer science identities. Design-based research was used to iteratively develop, test, and refine the inquiry-based curriculum, which aligns with computer science and literacy standards, provides linguistic scaffolding, and integrates culturally responsive materials. We adopt a cross-case mixed-methods design to collect data fr...