Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities
Abstract Informal learning environments, such as libraries and museums, are key areas for supporting computational thinking (CT) with young children and their families. Educators in these environments are working to offer CT‐related experiences and activities for families of young children, often in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Future in Educational Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/fer3.47 |
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| author | Kathleen Campana J. Elizabeth Mills Jeeyeon Chun Jessica Ickes |
| author_facet | Kathleen Campana J. Elizabeth Mills Jeeyeon Chun Jessica Ickes |
| author_sort | Kathleen Campana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Informal learning environments, such as libraries and museums, are key areas for supporting computational thinking (CT) with young children and their families. Educators in these environments are working to offer CT‐related experiences and activities for families of young children, often incorporating aspects of sociocultural learning such as scaffolding and dialogic practices. Because the parent/caregiver is typically present with their young child in these environments, there is an opportunity to provide them with CT information and support so that they can then actively engage in and encourage their child's CT learning, thereby extending their child's capabilities in a zone of proximal development. Previous research by Ohland et al. offers an initial framework of parental roles in CT experiences that serves as a foundation for this study's analysis of interviews with 18 libraries and museums from across the United States. The goal was to understand informal educators' goals for caregiver participation in CT activities with young children and their strategies for enabling caregivers to embody these different roles. Findings reveal that educators want caregivers to play a variety of roles with their child(ren) in these CT experiences. Furthermore, educators are implementing a variety of methods that explicitly encourage interaction, collaboration, and more. The connections between these goals and methods begin to build a model of caregiver encouragement, empowerment, and education in CT experiences in informal learning environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-58c13e7c00734236b41a214cb484c251 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2835-9402 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Future in Educational Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-58c13e7c00734236b41a214cb484c2512025-02-06T15:35:24ZengWileyFuture in Educational Research2835-94022024-12-012443945710.1002/fer3.47Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activitiesKathleen Campana0J. Elizabeth Mills1Jeeyeon Chun2Jessica Ickes3School of Information Studies Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USAIndependent Researcher Seattle Washington USASchool of Information Kent State University Kent Ohio USASchool of Information Kent State University Kent Ohio USAAbstract Informal learning environments, such as libraries and museums, are key areas for supporting computational thinking (CT) with young children and their families. Educators in these environments are working to offer CT‐related experiences and activities for families of young children, often incorporating aspects of sociocultural learning such as scaffolding and dialogic practices. Because the parent/caregiver is typically present with their young child in these environments, there is an opportunity to provide them with CT information and support so that they can then actively engage in and encourage their child's CT learning, thereby extending their child's capabilities in a zone of proximal development. Previous research by Ohland et al. offers an initial framework of parental roles in CT experiences that serves as a foundation for this study's analysis of interviews with 18 libraries and museums from across the United States. The goal was to understand informal educators' goals for caregiver participation in CT activities with young children and their strategies for enabling caregivers to embody these different roles. Findings reveal that educators want caregivers to play a variety of roles with their child(ren) in these CT experiences. Furthermore, educators are implementing a variety of methods that explicitly encourage interaction, collaboration, and more. The connections between these goals and methods begin to build a model of caregiver encouragement, empowerment, and education in CT experiences in informal learning environments.https://doi.org/10.1002/fer3.47computational thinkingeducatorslibraries and museumsparents/caregiversyoung children |
| spellingShingle | Kathleen Campana J. Elizabeth Mills Jeeyeon Chun Jessica Ickes Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities Future in Educational Research computational thinking educators libraries and museums parents/caregivers young children |
| title | Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities |
| title_full | Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities |
| title_fullStr | Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities |
| title_short | Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities |
| title_sort | encouraging empowering and educating informal educators caregivers and children as partners in computational thinking activities |
| topic | computational thinking educators libraries and museums parents/caregivers young children |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/fer3.47 |
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