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Abstract: It is critical that we understand the systemic issues that have led to the historic marginalization of students in K-12 computer science education (CSEd) to the degree that we can design equity-centered policy and actions. Investments in CSEd have expanded rapidly through local interventions and state policy, however the data required to understand the impact of this expansion continues to lag or be insufficient. This paper takes a retrospective look at efforts to measure broadening participation in computing (BPC) approaches and identifies equity-explicit strategies moving forward, Over the last two decades, efforts to measure BPC have evolved from ad-hoc grassroots methods to more systematic and sustainable approaches. BPC, often interpreted as access and participation, does not address the inherent inequality embedded in the K-12 American public education system. Current data efforts often focus on the student, obscuring the systems and practices that contribute to inequities in CSEd. This paper concludes with recommendations for prioritizing data utilization and the development of holistic data systems that are woven into strategic plans that lead to systems change and equitable student access, participation and experiences in computing.
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This content will become publicly available on June 8, 2027
Collaboration as Equity Work in Computing Education: Theoretical Perspectives on Participation and Power
Collaboration is widely promoted as a strategy for advancing equity in computing education, yet the claims are rarely theorized. This Perspectives paper synthesizes sociocultural, interdependence, and identity-based theories to offer theoretical insights and provocations that guide equity-centered research, instructional design, and community discourse. We argue that collaboration can foster sustained participation in computing by redistributing epistemic authority and supporting learners’ sense of belonging, but may also reinforce inequities when roles, norms, and interactional structures go unexamined. We focus on upper-elementary contexts as critical sites where inequities in computing participation begin to take shape, particularly for learners historically marginalized in computing, including girls, Black and Latinx students, rural learners, and students with limited prior access to computing.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2500509
- PAR ID:
- 10705899
- Publisher / Repository:
- ACM
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 9798400725104
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 321 to 327
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- collaboration computer science education elementary school
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Chicago , IL , USA
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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