Engaging academically diverse K-12 learners in computer programming - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Engaging academically diverse K-12 learners in computer programming and computa8onal thinking instruc8on Maya Israel George Reese Saad Shehab Quen8n M Wherfel Melinda Snodgrass Moon Chung Adam Metzger Evan Ramos

Roadmap • Introduc8ons and Overview • Collabora8ve Compu8ng • Students with Disabili8es • Next Steps

First…this is a collabora8ve effort

Why focus on compu8ng? • STEM Pipeline Argument: – US Dept. of Labor Sta8s8cs says that by 2020, there will be 1.4 million compu8ng jobs, but only 30% will be filled at the current rate. • Beyond the STEM pipeline argument: – Real-world applica8on of mathema8cs, opportuni8es to prac8ce problem solving, persistence, collabora8on – Equity

Research Study Context Few studies have examined There is a well Our methods are compu8ng with established exploratory diverse learners. ra8onale for because this is compu8ng in new territory… We None at K-12 K-12. have a lot to learn. with students with disabiliAes.

Our Approaches • Focus on Universal Design for Learning • Use different compu8ng pla\orms to individualize for students – Example: Graphically intui8ve block-based programming • Teach, model, and reinforce collabora8on using a consistent framework • Balance explicit instruc8on with open inquiry

Origins of the Collabora8ve-Compu8ng Observa8on Instrument (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 The purpose of this study was to inves8gate how elementary school teachers with limited computer science experience in a high-need school integrated computa8onal thinking into their instruc8on.

Help Seeking Collabora8ve & Individual Problem-Solving Persistence

What can be documented from the C-COI? QuesAons we wanted to ask: Constructs How does the student request help? Adap8ve vs. Nega8ve Help Seeking Who helped the student? How does the student individually problem Persistence solve? What kind support(s) did the student receive? Collabora8ve Problem-Solving Did the compu8ng experience result in skill/ Understanding CS concepts/ vocab. concept acquisi8on?

Collabora8ve Compu8ng Conceptual Framework Israel, Wherfel, Shehab, Ramos, & Reese (under review)

CompuAng Flow Chart (ParAal Screenshot)

C-COI Paper Version Instrument cita8on: Israel, Ramos, Wherfel, & Shehab (2015). Collabora8ve Compu8ng Observa8on Instrument (C-COI). Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Available at hgp://mste.illinois.edu/c-coi

C-COI Online Version

Measuring Collabora8ve Compu8ng • Collabora8ve Compu8ng Observa8on Instrument (C-COI) – Use Screencas8fy sohware to capture all compu8ng ac8vi8es and audio of student collabora8ons – Dependent variables include amount of 8me persis8ng on tasks, methods of help seeking, collabora8ve problem-solving, and compu8ng challenges.

Validity and Reliability Phase 1 : Recognizing the occurrence of an event Phase 2 : Iden8fied cri8cal paths within each node and sub-nodes

C-COI Instrument Directed Graph: One Student’s Paths Weighted Directed graph Detailed Directed graph

C-COI Instrument Directed Graph: Mul8ple Students’ Paths Weighted Directed graph Detailed Directed graph

Findings and Tips 1. When working independently, some students spend a LOT of 8me on a single level, show persistence, but do not collaborate and do not successfully complete the level. 2. Most common collabora8ve events ended with problems not solved a. Students are not effec8vely using the collabora8ve script to solve the problem b. Students are not watching the video hints c. Students lack understanding of the computer science concepts that are associated with the problem 3. Lots of compe88on, especially in Code.org as compared to Scratch.

Case Studies of Students with Disabili8es during CS/CT • Part of ongoing research examining equitable and accessible CS/CT instruc8on • Purposeful selec8on of students disengaged in CS/CT • Classroom observa8ons & interviews with general and special ed teachers, and support staff

Case Studies of Students with Disabili8es during CS/CT • RQ: To what extent are CT-specific supports needed for SWD to engage in CT instruc8on & ac8vi8es? • Yin (2009) four-step process for explana8on building within a single case: 1) Make a theore8cal explanatory statement about the phenomenon (the student’s experience during compu8ng) 2) Compare this statement to the data from a single case 3) Revise the theore8cal statement to beger reflect the case 4) Review the revised statement against the data from the case.

Cross Case Analysis HoraAo Deacon • 5 th grade student • 4 th grade student • Has fetal alcohol syndrome • Has au8sm, intellectual disability, limited social and LD with associated communica8on impulsivity, behavioral and • Spends the majority of the day agen8on challenges in the general ed classroom • Spends the majority of the with 1-on-1 adult support day in the general ed • Loves playing repe88ve games classroom on the computer • Loves Minecrah! • Enjoys having his peers chase • Enjoys hanging out with 2 him, but does not ini8ate peers in class social interac8ons

Ini8al Explanatory Statement • Students with disabili8es who are disengaged during CS/CT require CT-specific supports to successfully engage in CT ac8vi8es, and when these supports are not available, they cannot meaningfully engage in those ac8vi8es. • Teachers & researchers all had this hypothesis ini8ally.

Hora8o (4 th grade) Ini8al Engagement Final Engagement Aher consistent days of limited access and engagement, we tried: (a) access to materials, (b) verbal direc8ons about what to do and how to do it, (c) models of problem-solving techniques, and (d) models of how to complete the assigned while the computer remained in front of him. Snodgrass, Israel, & Reese (under review)

Teacher Interviews Before Supports Quotes ANer Supports Quote I felt last week like he had actually • I was just flabbergasted, • accomplished something on Code.org , because he’s never done but... when I see those ligle victories and accomplishments, I’m wondering, how that! … He never tried and much was it him working independently? it’s like [he said], ‘Give it to How much does [the paraeducator] come into play? … I’m afraid it’s more the lager. me. I’m doing it today.’ … General Ed Teacher Transcript, p. 5 That was fun!” Paraeducator Interview • I have tried to use hand-over-hand Transcript, p. 9 strategies for the computer and peer mentoring to keep him on task. These have not been too successful… … I think it might be helpful to have someone come in and show his teaching assistant and myself what we can do to make him more independent with coding. Special Ed Teacher Response, p. 1 Snodgrass, Israel, & Reese (under review)

Deacon (5 th grade) Snodgrass, Israel, & Reese (under review)

Snodgrass, Israel, & Reese (under review)

CT Instruc8on Evalua8on and Refinement Framework Snodgrass, Israel, & Reese (under review)

Plan for next case study “If a student is struggling in CT then First ensure that their student-specific supports are in place during CT instruc9on and ac9vi9es. If a student con9nues to struggle, then explore addi9onal CT-specific supports to incorporate into the pedagogy.”

Next Steps • NSF STEM+C project is star8ng in January of 2016 to look at integrated compu8ng and math instruc8on • Look at individual and content-specific supports students with disabili8es across content areas (including CS/CT) • Con8nued explora8on of collabora8ve compu8ng • Integrated compu8ng and scien8fic argumenta8on

For More Informa8on: hgp://ctrlshih.mste.illinois.edu/