Personalized Computational Thinking for Grades 3-8

Terc Inc, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The Computer Science for All movement focuses on providing all students, including those with special needs, with computational thinking and computer science learning opportunities. This project is a Researcher Practitioner Partnership (RPP) between Braintree Public Schools (BPS) and EdGE at TERC. The shared purpose of this RPP is to build a strong foundation for the teaching and learning of Computational Thinking (CT) in upper elementary and middle schools throughout BPS, and in doing so, to inform a scalable and generalizable model of personalized CT education for a broad audience of diverse learners in grades 3-8 with cognitive differences. To meet this shared purpose, the RPP will design and develop CodePlay--a suite of digital tools, activities, assessments, and professional development experiences that infuse CT into existing curriculum in grades 3-8. CodePlay tools include a Playlist Generator for teachers to build individualized playlists of activities that guide learners through a CT learning progression, layered with opportunities for interest-driven and customized learning. CodePlay activities are immersed within science, math, and other existing disciplinary content; and prepare learners for project-based learning using coding tools such as Scratch and BlocksCAD (for 3D printing). A year of design-based implementation research (DBIR) will enable the RPP to curate and co-design classroom activities that support teaching and learning of CT for a diverse audience of learners in grades 3-8. A subsequent pilot study of about forty classes in BPS will study how CodePlay can support CT teaching and learning in elementary and middle school classes throughout the district. CodePlay will leverage several facets of EdGE's previous NSF supported research including: a growing partnership with BPS, expertise from leaders in CT research, a preliminary CT learning progression and curriculum activities; and a unique automated assessment data architecture called Data Arcade. The RPP will also co-design professional development and community support structures to build capacity that can sustain systemic change within the district.