skip to main content


This content will become publicly available on June 17, 2025

Title: Redesigning EarSketch for Inclusive CS Education: A Participatory Design Approach
This study conducts a novel approach to redesign EarSketch, an expressive computer science (CS) learning environment that inte- grates music composition into computing education, with a specific focus on inclusivity for blind and visually impaired (BVI) learners. This approach centers on the participation of teachers, students, and the community as co-designers, leveraging their insights and ex- periences to enhance the program’s accessibility and effectiveness. By actively involving the stakeholders in the development process, the study aims to address the unique educational challenges and needs of learners who are visually impaired more effectively. The participatory design approach is expected to not only maintain the intrinsic appeal of EarSketch but also to expand its accessibility, ensuring that it becomes a more inclusive tool in computer sci- ence education. The ultimate goal is to establish a more adaptable and inclusive educational paradigm within STEAM, particularly in computing education and music, that is responsive to the diverse needs of all students, including those with visual impairments. The contributions of this paper are design recommendations based on our data that can be applied to the design of EarSketch and other expressive CS environments for BVI learners.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2300631
PAR ID:
10508200
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
ACM
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Interaction Design and Children (IDC ’24)
ISBN:
979-8-4007-0442-0
Format(s):
Medium: X
Location:
Delft, Netherlands
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. EarSketch is an online learning environment that uses the Web Audio API to teach computer science and computational thinking through music technology, production, and remixing. It is designed to broaden participation in computer science and music education for beginning learners by providing a free, web-based application coupled with curricula for informal and formal learning contexts and a library of audio content spanning multiple popular genres. This paper describes an analysis of EarSketch’s accommodations for students who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) and initial improvements to the system to improve accessibility. This paper also presents the findings of a user study designed to determine the biggest accessibility issues for EarSketch users who are BVI, and a discussion of how accessibility improvements can help broaden participation in computing and music education and, more broadly, how all web audio application developers can integrate accessibility considerations into their work. 
    more » « less
  2. null (Ed.)
    We describe a tangible block editor for the educational programming language Scratch that allows blind and visually impaired (BVI) students to learn computer programming concepts alongside their sighted peers in mainstream classrooms. In this late breaking work, we provide a description of the design that incorporates many of the key elements of the Scratch visual code editor that promote engagement and lower hurdles to programming. The environment allows a BVI student to work collaboratively with other BVI and sighted students, being accessible to all. Key elements of the design include: the use of magnets and local shape to ensure only blocks with valid syntax can be connected, the allowance of nested expressions through expansion of code structures with telescoping tubing, and a channel grid work surface that provides structure to aid students working with the much narrower field of view of haptics, as compared to vision. 
    more » « less
  3. Computer Science (CS) is not introduced equitably across K-12 schools, yet it is increasingly a necessary skill regardless of vocational pathway. Co-curricular activities such as summer camps have become a popular way to introduce CS to K-12 students. Researchers at our institution, through partnerships with other educational institutions and practitioners, developed a transdisciplinary approach of teaching CS in K-12 informal learning environments. Building on positive results in the K-12 informal learning environment, researchers are exploring the applicability of the transdisciplinary modules in formal instruction for early college learners in CS0 and CS1 courses. This paper explores self-efficacy data collected from multiple CS0 and CS1 courses. Learners include freshmen in computing majors and in non-computing majors. We compare their self efficacy growth in computing across race and gender, considering their formal or informal CS education experiences prior to entering college. This work is a part of a larger effort to redesign CS0 and CS1 courses to introduce more complex concepts and important design concepts such as parallel and distributed computing earlier in the curriculum. The authors’ longer-term goal is to investigate active learning strategies that will introduce higher level computer science topics early in the curriculum to enable students to recognize content applicability earlier in their college pathway. 
    more » « less
  4. Computer science (CS) education is plagued by a gender divide, with few girls and women participating in this high-status discipline. A proven strategy to broaden participation for girls and other underrepresented students interested in CS is the availability of teacher preparation that requires classroom teachers to grow their knowledge of CS content as well as the pedagogical practices that enhance inclusive learning opportunities for historically underrepresented students. This case study describes the design and impact of an Online Professional Development (PD) for CS teachers, a year-long PD program aimed at broadening participation in the United States. Using survey and observation data from more than 200 participants over three years in PD settings, this paper examines how the design of an online learning community model of PD provides an inclusive venue for teachers to examine their belief systems, develop inclusive pedagogical practices, and collectively transform the culture of CS classrooms to places that support all learners. Findings suggest that purposeful facilitation creates a transformative culture of “shared experience” whereby facilitators and groups of teachers engage in collaborative lesson planning and debriefing discussions, in both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. This case study can inform other online PD efforts aimed at broadening participation in computing. 
    more » « less
  5. null (Ed.)
    This article examines the tools and techniques currently available that enable blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals to visualize three-dimensional objects used in learning chemistry concepts. How BVI individuals engage with and visualize molecular structure is discussed and recent tactile (or haptic) and auditory methods for visualization of various chemistry concepts are summarized. Remaining challenges for chemistry education researchers are described with the aim of highlighting the potential value of educational research in further enabling BVI students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. 
    more » « less