The National Academies Press: Cultivating Interest and Competencies in Computing

Introduction

The field of computing has changed the way society functions, interacts, and works in a fundamental way and is widely used in both personal and professional life. And, in order to thrive in this digital world, it is imperative that all students develop computing competencies.

The well-documented lack of diversity in the computing workforce and in programs that engage learners in these fields highlights the critical need for a broad push to expand access, engagement, and learning around computing especially those in underrepresented groups.

To address the gap in knowledge, the Board on Science Education of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a committee with expertise in the design and construction of learning spaces in formal and informal STEM and computing educational settings, to examine the evidence on the ways in which authentic STEM experiences develop interest and competencies for computing.

The report, Cultivating Interest and Competencies in Computing: Authentic Experiences and Design Factors, identifies authentic experiences for computing, or experiences that reflect professional practice and connect learners to real-world problems that they care about, as an approach for reaching a broader range of learners. The report addresses issues of design and institutional/organizational infrastructure to highlight the particular contexts that may best support the development of learners’ interests and competencies for computing.

What Does Authentic Learning for Computing Look Like?

Authentic learning for computing may include recreational pursuits such as playing and modifying games or engaging with online creative communities as well activities in out-of-school learning and classroom settings. The social interactions that occur during these activities can be important drivers for engagement and continued participation for learners.

In addition, these types of learning experiences in computing that are designed to closely mirror professional practice – professional authenticity – may engage some learners. While those that are designed with attention to learners’ interests, identities, and background – personal authenticity – may attract and retain more learners from underrepresented groups in computing than those focused solely on professional practice.

The design of authentic experiences for computing should carefully consider whether the experience is appropriate for the context in which it will be implemented given that experiences can be both personally and professionally authentic at the same time.

For more information about authentic learning, see Chapter 2: Barriers and Supports for Learners in Computing & Chapter 3: How Learning Happens in Authentic Experiences for Computing

Design Principles

Learning is an active process that is social, embedded in a particular context, and enhanced by intentional support provided by knowledgeable individuals, be they peers, mentors, or teachers. When designing authentic experiences for computing that attract and support diverse learning, there are several features, or characteristics of design, that are important to consider. For each of the design considerations listed below, click on each one to see some important questions to ask and issues that need to be addressed.

Who are the learners, including their demographics, prior experiences, current circumstances, etc.?
How are the prior experiences of learners acknowledged and incorporated, particularly in relation to computing?

How do facilitators/educators support a learner? How is the learning of facilitators/educators supported?
How does the community of people, and the experiences they bring, influence the learning environment?
What ways of knowing are valued within the community? What identities are being navigated within the space?

What goals and outcomes are expected from learners as they engage in the activity? How are those skills, competencies, and understanding made visible, and how are they valued?
In what ways do activities incorporate previous experiences of learners or relate to skills and projects in the computing profession?

What characteristics of the environment are unique and support learning in distinct ways? What aspects of the environments can be further designed to better support learning?
How accessible is the physical environment? Is it supportive and inclusive of all learners?

How are the total time and frequency of the learning experiences related to the desired learning outcomes?
What duration-related constraints are presented by the learning setting for persona and/or professional authenticity in computing?

How does the design incorporate learning from each design iteration?

What assumptions are made about the accessibility and affordability of tools?
Do the tools reflect commitments to personal authenticity and/or professional authenticity in computing?

For more information about design principles, please see Chapter 7: Designing Authentic Experiences for Computing.

Where Does Computing Happen?

Experiences can occur in a wide range of settings. Each setting brings constraints as well as affordances with the potential to provide experiences that combine both personal and professional authenticity.

IN-SCHOOL SETTINGS

Computing in schools has the potential to reach learners who otherwise may not have sought them out. Factors within schools such as time in the curriculum, access to technology, and the expertise of teachers may make it difficult to provide learning opportunities that address both personal and professional authenticity.

For more information about these programs, see Chapter 6: Computing Experiences in Schools.

OUT-OF-SCHOOL SETTINGS

Programs in out-of-school settings often have the flexibility to design learning experiences in computing that reflect the interests and identities of the learners and communities they serve. This flexibility may provide an opportunity for greater attention to personal authenticity. At the same time, the availability and access to quality out-of-school opportunities vary widely, and are tied to factors such as time, cost, transportation constraints, knowledgeable facilitators and educators, and availability of materials that are conducive to such activities and learning experiences.

For more information about these programs, see Chapter 5: Learning Spaces Outside of School Time.

The research on how these spaces cultivate interest and competencies in computing is still limited. Studies are predominately descriptive in nature, with few studies that allow for determining causation. However, the limited evidence suggests that providing learners with authentic experiences in these varied settings may be a mechanism for addressing barriers to participation. See Chapter 4: Authentic Experiences for Computing: Reviewing the Impact for more discussion of the research available for different programs.

Addressing Barriers to Participation

Despite increasing calls to work towards diversity and inclusion in the workplace, there are known pervasive issues of underrepresentation of minoritized groups in computing fields. What feels authentic to those who reflect the dominant culture of computing may feel exclusionary to girls and women, people of color, and those with differences in perceived ability.

Multiple barriers to participation in computing exist. Some barriers are technological and economic, such as access to computers and the Internet, while others are social and cultural including systemic racism, sexism, stereotypes, and implicit bias. These barriers can influence computing identity and a sense of belonging to STEM and computing. Providing learners with authentic experience that attend to both professional and personal authenticity can be a mechanism for addressing some of these barriers.

Although educators can work to create learning experiences in computing that foster personal authenticity by incorporating cultural elements and practices of groups traditionally underrepresented in the field, the professional world may also need to evaluate and address policies and practices that create barriers to diversity and inclusion. Role models that reflect the multiple identities of learners can be beneficial.

For more information about addressing barriers to participation, please see Chapter 2: Barriers and Supports for Learners in Computing.

Ecosystems Approach

A single experience may not be sufficient to sustain interest and develop a range of competencies in computing. Interest and competencies can be fostered by a web of experiences over time and across settings and contexts. Different kinds of experiences and supports in multiple settings over time can reinforce and build on each other.