skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


Title: Computing for communities: An Ethnographic examination of an after-school computing program
Despite recent efforts to increase diversity, female and racially minoritized youth 1 continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our pilot study utilizes culturally responsive frameworks to address the underrepresentation of minoritized youth in computer science (CS) by supporting youth at a local Boys & Girls Club as they develop a sense of competence and belonging in the CS field. Culturally responsive frameworks shape our work with students and inform our research process. This paper examines the context of our pilot study and the positionality of our research team, which includes university researchers and community partners. It also provides a reflexive analysis of our community inquiry process and how it has influenced the development and adaptation of our CS programming.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1649224
PAR ID:
10122664
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
40th Ethnography in Education Research Forum
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; (, FabLearn 2019 Conference)
    In recent years, there has been increased attention on promoting access to computer science among all students. Our study seeks to address the underrepresentation of racially minoritized youth in computer science by offering a culturally responsive after-school coding club at a local public library that serves a racially and socioeconomically diverse community. We analyzed facilitator interviews and student focus groups using qualitative data analysis with a focus on facilitator positionality and culturally responsive frameworks. Findings suggest facilitator positionality helped establish affirming, near-peer relationships with participants and situated facilitators as advocates for expanding and diversifying computer science. Additionally, the culturally responsive frameworks helped students to feel a sense of belonging in both the informal learning environment and in the field of computer science. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; (, Proceedings of the 2024 on RESPECT Annual Conference)
    To broaden indigenous students' participation in Computer Science (CS) education, we conducted a research practitioner partnership (RPP) project, where teachers were taught the CS principles lessons offered by Code.org and asked to integrate mobile application development within their current courses. Additionally, modules and guidance were provided on culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), and an in-classroom implementation of a five-day lesson plan was co-created via a participatory approach. In this experience report, we describe the RPP organization and early findings from our collected teachers' pre/post survey, lesson plans, projects, and students' pre/post survey. The positive outcomes from our RPP project provided valuable teacher learning experiences and actionable, culturally responsive computing lesson plans for the indigenous community. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; (, The Journal of applied instructional design)
    Despite increased attention on promoting access to computer science among all students, female and racially minoritized youth continue to be underrepresented in STEM, often lacking opportunities for computer science due to under-resourced schools and a lack of teacher preparation. As a result, K-12 schools are unable to fulfill the goal of expanding access and broadening participation in computing alone. In this paper, we examine how our university-library partnerships can provide access to computer science instruction while attending to issues of social justice through culturally responsive informal learning design. Findings provide insights related to the design, implementation, and outcomes of informal computing clubs for youth from diverse backgrounds. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; (, TechTrends)
    null (Ed.)
    Despite the value that cultural experts bring to efforts to broaden the participation of racially minoritized youth in US computer science, there has been little research on supporting their knowledge of computing. This is a missed opportunity to explore the diffusion of computing knowledge across local community contexts where underrepresented youth of color spend time. To address this gap, we present one strategy for promoting cultural experts’ early engagement with code, culturally responsive debugging: using culturally situated expertise and knowledge to debug code. We analyzed qualitative data from a professional development workshop for cultural experts to evaluate this strategy. Our findings have implications for broadening participation efforts and supporting non-programmers’ knowledge of code. 
    more » « less
  5. ; (, ACM Transactions on Computing Education)
    Culturally responsive computing (CRC), that centers sociopolitical issues and transformational uses of technology, has been described as valuable for increasing engagement with computing, especially for historically underrepresented minoritized students. But what do high school students think? Through a sociocultural lens prioritizing student voices recorded in 56 interviews over a period of 2 years (1–3 years after students’ first experience with computer science (CS) education through Exploring Computer Science or Advanced Placement CS Principles in high school), this study centers the perspectives of 39 primarily low-income, Latine and Black youth from urban California and rural Mississippi public schools to understand what they perceive as the role of technology in our world and what they subsequently desire of their computing education. While none have studied CRC before, the majority responded with CRC ideas about the kind of pedagogy they believe would make for a more meaningful computing learning experience: They see computing as a form of power that impacts both good and bad in the world and want computing educators to prepare them to take on these issues of equity, ethics, social responsibility, and underrepresentation in the field. The students’ perspectives offer important pedagogical insight into how to support deeper engagement with computing in current CS for All initiatives, while also preparing youth for the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex computing landscape that impacts all of our lives. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email