Leveraging Multilingual Identities in Computer Science Education

Jacob, Sharin; Garcia, Leiny; Warschauer, Mark

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-34212-8_12

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…While the survey results indicated that students did not signiicantly increase their interest in CS, the interviews painted a diferent picture. Findings from the interview are consistent with previous indings that self-expression [17,63,101] and the ability to leverage their varied resources [74,78,79] are key contributors to developing student interest in computing. The personal choice integrated into Scratch-based activities and projects played an integral role in disrupting stereotypes about who does CS [69].…”

Section: Studentsâăź Interest In Computer Sciencesupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Another study, a year long upper elementary CS-integrated computational thinking and literacy curriculum, aligned with the grade 3-5 English Language Development Standards and Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, was developed to increase both CS learning and literacy development among predominately Latinx, multilingual students [65]. This curriculum helped to facilitate these studentsâĂŹ expression and creativity, and when combined with structured instructional practices, it appeared to support their development of computational thinking skills and overall identiication with the ield of CS [63,64].…”

Section: Background 21 Identity Studies In Cs Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Building on their work, we argue that multilingualism and plurilingualism facilitate learning [47], and that multilingual students have an advantage over their monolingual counterparts in that learning involves the growth of both linguistic and subject matter competencies [103]. Multilingual studentsâĂŹ identities are assets that can be leveraged to facilitate learning, and contribute to these studentsâĂŹ active participation in the ield of CS [63]. Therefore, we will use the term multilingual throughout this study to refer to students who use more than one language in their daily lives and may be learning English in school.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining the What, Why, and How of Multilingual Student Identity Development in Computer Science

Jacob

Montoya

Nguyen

et al. 2022

ACM Trans. Comput. Educ.

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Developing student interest is critical to supporting student learning in computer science. Research indicates that student interest is a key predictor of persistence and achievement. While there is a growing body of work on developing computing identities for diverse students, little research focuses on early exposure to develop multilingual students’ interest in computing. These students represent one of the fastest growing populations in the US, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in computer science education. This study examines identity development of upper elementary multilingual students as they engage in a year-long computational thinking curriculum, and follows their engagement across multiple settings (i.e., school, club, home, community). Findings from pre- and -post surveys of identity showed significant differences favoring students’ experiences with computer science, their perceptions of computer science, their perceptions of themselves as computer scientists, and their family support for computer science. Findings from follow-up interviews and prior research suggest that tailored instruction provides opportunities for connections to out-of-school learning environments with friends and family that may shift students’ perceptions of their abilities to pursue computer science and persist when encountering challenges.

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Section: Studentsâăź Interest In Computer Sciencesupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Background 21 Identity Studies In Cs Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining the What, Why, and How of Multilingual Student Identity Development in Computer Science

Jacob

Montoya

Nguyen

et al. 2022

ACM Trans. Comput. Educ.

Self Cite

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“…Computing education studies primarily address specific groups (women, students of color, multilingual students, students with disabilities) [18,21,23,29,32,37]. However, limited research explores how these identities intersect and influence computer science (CS) learning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intersectional Factors that Influence K-2 Students’ Computer Science Learning

Jacob,

Gillen,

Ojeda-Ramirez

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Much computer science education research tailors curricula to specific demographic groups, yet often overlooks students with intersecting backgrounds. This paper explores the implementation of the Coding as Another Language curriculum for predominantly Latine, multilingual, and low-socioeconomic students. To evaluate student performance, we used a pre-and-post-test design on a validated coding assessment using a hierarchical linear model with fixed effects to control for teacher, grade-level, and parents’ educational attainment. Findings indicated that students began the curriculum with wide disparities in initial coding abilities. Looking at the intersection of language, gender, and socioeconomic characteristics, we found pre-test average score differences between intersectionally identified groups of up to 1.81 with a large effect size of 1.13. Many group differences in the average pre-test scores were significant with medium to large effect sizes. The post-minus-pre-test difference demonstrated significant improvement in all students' coding scores after exposure to the curriculum, with an effect size of 2.63. We found significant heterogeneity in these gains, with greater increases for students who entered the curriculum with lower initial pre-test scores. The largest post-test average score difference of 1.15 with a medium effect size of 0.72 was smaller than pre-test average score differences, mostly representing statistically insignificant differences with trivial effect sizes. This convergence in post-test average scores demonstrates that differential improvements mitigated pre-existing disparities in initial coding abilities. Our results prompt a compelling discussion on the curricular foundations that effectively mitigate disparities among students with diverse and intersecting backgrounds.

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“…This condition might be the result of the common misconception that MLLs are not able to learn content, especially STEM content, until they are fluent in English (Lee & Stephens, 2020). Yet, research has shown that MLLs can learn language and STEM content simultaneously (Celedón-Pattichis & Turner, 2012; Lee et al, 2013), especially when they are encouraged to translanguage (Vogel et al, 2019) and leverage their complex linguistic and social identities (Jacob et al, 2020). CS education must therefore be thoughtfully planned and widely available, and teachers who work with MLLs must be prepared to provide quality CS instruction.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Design Principles in Computational Thinking Instruction for Multilingual Learners

Pozos

Severance

Denner

et al. 2022

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

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Background: Multilingual learners have been overlooked and understudied in computer science education research. As the CS for All movement grows, it is essential to design integrated, justice-oriented curricula that help young multilingual learners begin to develop computational thinking skills and discourses. Purpose: We present a conceptual framework and accompanying design principles for justice-centered computational thinking activities that are language-rich, with the aim of supporting learners’ agency and building their capacity over time to use computing for good in their communities. Setting: Our work takes place in a research–practice partnership centered in an elementary school in California with a significant multilingual Latinx population. Research Design: We have engaged in two cycles of design-based research with preservice and in-service teachers at an elementary school. Through analysis of one case study during the second and most recent cycle, we examined the potential of teachers using our design principles for supporting multilingual learners’ language development through engagement in computational thinking. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that multilingual learners will engage in productive discourse when computational thinking lessons are designed to (1) be meaningfully contextualized, (2) position students as agentic learners, and (3) promote coherence over time. However, more research is needed to understand how teachers use these principles over time, and what additional supports are needed to ensure coordination between stakeholders to develop and effectively implement coherent learning progressions.

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Leveraging Multilingual Identities in Computer Science Education

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

Examining the What, Why, and How of Multilingual Student Identity Development in Computer Science

Examining the What, Why, and How of Multilingual Student Identity Development in Computer Science

Intersectional Factors that Influence K-2 Students’ Computer Science Learning

Exploring Design Principles in Computational Thinking Instruction for Multilingual Learners

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