EngagingacademicallydiverseK-12learnersincomputerprogramming
andcomputa8onalthinkinginstruc8on
MayaIsraelGeorgeReeseSaadShehab
Quen8nMWherfelMelindaSnodgrass
MoonChungAdamMetzgerEvanRamos
Whyfocusoncompu8ng?
• STEMPipelineArgument:– USDept.ofLaborSta8s8cssaysthatby2020,therewillbe1.4millioncompu8ngjobs,butonly30%willbefilledatthecurrentrate.
• BeyondtheSTEMpipelineargument:– Real-worldapplica8onofmathema8cs,opportuni8estoprac8ceproblemsolving,persistence,collabora8on
– Equity
ResearchStudyContext
Thereisawellestablishedra8onaleforcompu8ngin
K-12.
Fewstudieshaveexamined
compu8ngwithdiverselearners.
NoneatK-12withstudents
withdisabiliAes.
Ourmethodsareexploratory
becausethisisnewterritory…Wehavealottolearn.
OurApproaches
• FocusonUniversalDesignforLearning• Usedifferentcompu8ngpla\ormstoindividualizeforstudents– Example:Graphicallyintui8veblock-basedprogramming
• Teach,model,andreinforcecollabora8onusingaconsistentframework
• Balanceexplicitinstruc8onwithopeninquiry
OriginsoftheCollabora8ve-Compu8ngObserva8onInstrument(C-COI)
Israel, M., Pearson, J. N., Tapia, T., Wherfel, Q. M., & Reese, G. (2015). Supporting all learners in school-wide computational thinking: A cross-case qualitative analysis. Computers & Education, 82, 263-279.
Purpose
Thepurposeofthisstudywastoinves8gatehowelementaryschoolteacherswithlimitedcomputerscienceexperienceinahigh-needschoolintegratedcomputa8onalthinkingintotheirinstruc8on.
WhatcanbedocumentedfromtheC-COI?
QuesAonswewantedtoask: Constructs
Howdoesthestudentrequesthelp?Whohelpedthestudent?
Adap8vevs.Nega8veHelpSeeking
Howdoesthestudentindividuallyproblemsolve?
Persistence
Whatkindsupport(s)didthestudentreceive? Collabora8veProblem-Solving
Didthecompu8ngexperienceresultinskill/conceptacquisi8on?
UnderstandingCSconcepts/vocab.
C-COIPaperVersion
Instrumentcita8on:Israel,Ramos,Wherfel,&Shehab(2015).Collabora8veCompu8ngObserva8onInstrument(C-COI).BoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign.Availableathgp://mste.illinois.edu/c-coi
MeasuringCollabora8veCompu8ng
• Collabora8veCompu8ngObserva8onInstrument(C-COI)– UseScreencas8fysohwaretocaptureallcompu8ngac8vi8esandaudioofstudentcollabora8ons
– Dependentvariablesincludeamountof8mepersis8ngontasks,methodsofhelpseeking,collabora8veproblem-solving,andcompu8ngchallenges.
ValidityandReliability
Phase1:Recognizingtheoccurrenceofanevent
Phase2:Iden8fiedcri8calpathswithineachnodeandsub-nodes
FindingsandTips1. Whenworkingindependently,somestudentsspendaLOT
of8meonasinglelevel,showpersistence,butdonotcollaborateanddonotsuccessfullycompletethelevel.
2. Mostcommoncollabora8veeventsendedwithproblemsnotsolved
a. Studentsarenoteffec8velyusingthecollabora8vescripttosolvetheproblem
b. Studentsarenotwatchingthevideohintsc. Studentslackunderstandingofthecomputerscienceconceptsthat
areassociatedwiththeproblem
3. Lotsofcompe88on,especiallyinCode.orgascomparedtoScratch.
CaseStudiesofStudentswithDisabili8esduringCS/CT
• PartofongoingresearchexaminingequitableandaccessibleCS/CTinstruc8on
• Purposefulselec8onofstudentsdisengagedinCS/CT
• Classroomobserva8ons&interviewswithgeneralandspecialedteachers,andsupportstaff
CaseStudiesofStudentswithDisabili8esduringCS/CT
• RQ:TowhatextentareCT-specificsupportsneededforSWDtoengageinCTinstruc8on&ac8vi8es?
• Yin(2009)four-stepprocessforexplana8onbuildingwithinasinglecase:1) Makeatheore8calexplanatorystatementaboutthe
phenomenon(thestudent’sexperienceduringcompu8ng)2) Comparethisstatementtothedatafromasinglecase3) Revisethetheore8calstatementtobegerreflectthecase4) Reviewtherevisedstatementagainstthedatafromthe
case.
CrossCaseAnalysisHoraAo
• 4thgradestudent• Hasau8sm,intellectual
disability,limitedsocialcommunica8on
• Spendsthemajorityofthedayinthegeneraledclassroomwith1-on-1adultsupport
• Lovesplayingrepe88vegamesonthecomputer
• Enjoyshavinghispeerschasehim,butdoesnotini8atesocialinterac8ons
Deacon• 5thgradestudent• Hasfetalalcoholsyndrome
andLDwithassociatedimpulsivity,behavioralandagen8onchallenges
• Spendsthemajorityofthedayinthegeneraledclassroom
• LovesMinecrah!• Enjoyshangingoutwith2
peersinclass
Ini8alExplanatoryStatement• Studentswithdisabili8eswhoaredisengagedduringCS/CTrequireCT-specificsupportstosuccessfullyengageinCTac8vi8es,andwhenthesesupportsarenotavailable,theycannotmeaningfullyengageinthoseac8vi8es.
• Teachers&researchersallhadthishypothesisini8ally.
Hora8o(4thgrade)Ini8alEngagementFinalEngagement
Aherconsistentdaysoflimitedaccessandengagement,wetried:(a)accesstomaterials,(b)verbaldirec8onsaboutwhattodoandhowtodoit,(c)modelsofproblem-solvingtechniques,and(d)modelsofhowtocompletetheassignedwhilethecomputerremainedinfrontofhim.
Snodgrass,Israel,&Reese(underreview)
TeacherInterviewsBeforeSupportsQuotes• Ifeltlastweeklikehehadactually
accomplishedsomethingonCode.org,but...whenIseethoseliglevictoriesandaccomplishments,I’mwondering,howmuchwasithimworkingindependently?Howmuchdoes[theparaeducator]comeintoplay?…I’mafraidit’smorethelager.
GeneralEdTeacherTranscript,p.5
• Ihavetriedtousehand-over-handstrategiesforthecomputerandpeermentoringtokeephimontask.Thesehavenotbeentoosuccessful……Ithinkitmightbehelpfultohavesomeonecomeinandshowhisteachingassistantandmyselfwhatwecandotomakehimmoreindependentwithcoding.
SpecialEdTeacherResponse,p.1
ANerSupportsQuote
• Iwasjustflabbergasted,becausehe’sneverdonethat!…Henevertriedandit’slike[hesaid],‘Giveittome.I’mdoingittoday.’…Thatwasfun!”
ParaeducatorInterviewTranscript,p.9
Snodgrass,Israel,&Reese(underreview)
Planfornextcasestudy“IfastudentisstrugglinginCTthenFirstensurethattheirstudent-specificsupportsareinplaceduringCTinstruc9onandac9vi9es.Ifastudentcon9nuestostruggle,thenexploreaddi9onalCT-specificsupportstoincorporateintothepedagogy.”
NextSteps
• NSFSTEM+Cprojectisstar8nginJanuaryof2016tolookatintegratedcompu8ngandmathinstruc8on
• Lookatindividualandcontent-specificsupportsstudentswithdisabili8esacrosscontentareas(includingCS/CT)
• Con8nuedexplora8onofcollabora8vecompu8ng
• Integratedcompu8ngandscien8ficargumenta8on