Blogs (19) >>
Thu 16 Mar 2023 11:35 - 12:00 at 803 - TOCE Papers: Identity and Diversity Chair(s): Amy Ko

Performing arts computing environments have received little attention in the educational sphere; yet, they offer opportunities for learners to validate their efforts, ideas, and skills through showcasing their work in a public-facing performance. In this work, we explore an out-of-school dance and computing educational program run by the organization, STEM From Dance. The organizational mission is to create an equitable learning experience for young women of color to engage with computing while exposing them to STEM careers. Through an analysis of eleven interviews with youth participants, instructors, and the executive director, we examine how the social, cultural, and political dimensions of the learning environment facilitate identity work in computing and dance. Our findings point to three primary activities used by the organization to promote equity: (1) providing psychological safety through a supportive community environment, (2) meaningfully engaging with learners’ social and cultural context through creative work with constructionist artifacts, and (3) actively promoting identity work as women of color in computing and STEM through both artifact work and community events. Applying the constructs of identity and psychological safety we explore the tensions and synergies of designing for equity in this performing arts and computing learning environment. We demonstrate how the seemingly contradictory elements of a high-stakes performance within a novice learning environment provides unique opportunities for supporting young women of color in computing, making them non-negotiable in the organization’s efforts to promote equity and inclusion. Our work illustrates how attending closely to the sociocultural dimensions in a constructionist learning environment provides lenses for navigating equity, identity work, and support for inclusive computing.

Thu 16 Mar

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10:45 - 12:00
TOCE Papers: Identity and DiversitySister Sessions at 803
Chair(s): Amy Ko University of Washington
10:45
25m
Talk
Can Computing Be Diversified on “Principles” Alone? Exploring the role of AP Computer Science courses in students’ major and career intentionsMSIK12
Sister Sessions
Linda Sax UCLA, Kaitlin Newhouse North Carolina State University, Joanna Goode University of Oregon, USA, Tomoko Nakajima UCLA, Max Skorodinsky University of Oregon, Michelle Sendowski UCLA
Link to publication DOI
11:10
25m
Talk
Examining the What, Why, and How of Multilingual Student Identity Development in Computer ScienceMSIGlobalK12
Sister Sessions
Sharin Jacob University of California, Irvine, Jonathan Montoya University of California, Irvine, Ha Nguyen University of California, Irvine, Debra Richardson University of California, Irvine, Mark Warschauer University of California, Irvine
Link to publication DOI
11:35
25m
Talk
“Go[ing] hard. . . as a woman of color”: A case study examining identity work within a performative dance and computing learning environment MSIK12
Sister Sessions
Kayla DesPortes New York University, Kathleen McDermott New York University, Yoav Bergner New York University, William Payne New York University
Link to publication DOI