All Roads Lead to Computing: Making, Participatory Simulations, and Social Computing as Pathways to Computer Science

• Published in: IEEE transactions on education Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 59 - 66
• Main Authors: Brady, Corey, Orton, Kai, Weintrop, David, Anton, Gabriella, Rodriguez, Sebastian, Wilensky, Uri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.02.2017; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Attitude Change; Collaboration; Collaborative learning; Computation; Computational modeling; Computer Science; computer science (CS); Computer simulation; Context; Cooperative Learning; Disproportionate Representation; Educational Technology; Females; gender diversity; Girls; high school; Information Storage; Internet; Learner Engagement; making; participatory simulations; Programming profession; Secondary School Students; Seminars; Simulation; Social computing; Sociology; STEM Education; Student Attitudes; Student Projects; Student Surveys; Students; Technology Uses in Education; Thinking Skills; underrepresented students; wearable technology

Computer science (CS) is becoming an increasingly diverse domain. This paper reports on an initiative designed to introduce underrepresented populations to computing using an eclectic, multifaceted approach. As part of a yearlong computing course, students engage in Maker activities, participatory s...