Background: The pedagogy of computational thinking has gained extensive traction across numerous nations globally, with a particular emphasis on nurturing computational thinking in the formative years of early childhood. Nevertheless, the efficacy of diverse instructional approaches in the domain of programming education, with regards to fostering…

To address racial and gender inequality in K-12 computer science (CS) education, there needs to be a multi-pronged approach. In addition to curricula that are culturally responsive and sustaining inclusive, K-12 CS teachers need to be equipped to implement the curriculum, pedagogy, and instruction to mitigate the racial and gender gaps in…

The research objectives were to 1) study the current conditions, problems, and good practices regarding teaching and learning 2) develop a blended instructional model using problem-based learning with graphic organizers to enhance systems thinking skills in computational science for students in lower secondary school and 3) study the results of…

The Advancing Culturally-Relevant Computing Project is a collaboration between researchers and practitioners in Hawai'i focused on preparing elementary teachers to meaningfully incorporate culturally relevant Computer Science (CS) into their classrooms. This paper introduces a hybrid instructional design framework designed to facilitate the…

Background and Context: Although computing is a highly sought-after skill set in our modern economy, certain individuals are under represented in computer science (CS) courses and careers. The integration of visual and performing arts in K-12 CS education has been gaining "STEAM" as a viable strategy for making computing more inclusive.…

Deep learning is a very popular topic in computer sciences courses despite the fact that it is often challenging for beginners to take their first step due to the complexity of understanding and applying Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Thus, the need to both understand and use neural networks is appearing at an ever-increasing rate across all…

RoblockLLy is an educational robotics simulator designed for primary and secondary school students, whose goal is to increase their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In the particular case of computer science, it allows developing computational thinking skills. It has been designed with ease of use in mind. This free…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was suddenly necessary to shift college courses online. Many instructors without experience teaching online were faced with decisions about how to structure their courses and support students during the pandemic. In the three introductory STEM courses described in this article, instructors chose to include online…

Multilingual learners, also known as English learners (ELs), are underrepresented in K-12 computer science (CS) courses, where they often struggle. This paper demonstrates how a Computer Science for English Learners (CSforEL) professional development (PD) program supported Advanced Placement CS Principles (APCSP) teachers in attending to both…

This study investigated how Chicago Public Schools (CPS) computer science (CS) teachers and instructional coaches navigated remote professional development (PD) during the pandemic. Analyzing multiple sources of qualitative data, we explored how coaches adapted PD to address teachers' unique needs and how teachers experienced remote PD. We found…

Young people need digital competency and confidence to effectively harness computing power to solve problems and design solutions; a core component is improving young people's computational thinking. Unfortunately, access to computer science education is lacking for all youth, and in particular for youth who live in lower-income households, who…

This paper describes the implementation of a STEM scholarship program which utilized a holistic approach to providing a multi-dimensional student support system. The program has been successful in encouraging and supporting women in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science by offering a diverse suite of extracurricular opportunities, actively…

The purpose of this research project was to design, deliver, and informally assess the content and methodology of an introductory online course for the educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students (N=20) that focused on the block-based coding language, Scratch. Prior work by The Playful Learning Lab examined various STEM resources and their…

This study aimed to integrate the results of prior studies on the effectiveness of AI education in K-12 Korean classrooms to draw systematic and comprehensive conclusions. To achieve this goal, a review of 64 studies on AI education in Korea that were conducted from 2019 to 2023 was subjected to a meta-analysis. The total effect size of AI…

This study explored factors impacting the decision for gifted females to pursue a career in computer science. The study used a phenomenological approach to delve into the experiences of ten gifted alumnae of The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science (Gatton), a residential STEM program, aiming to reveal nuanced insights into factors shaping…