Promo%ngcollabora%veproblemsolvingthroughcomputa%onal

thinkingandcomputerprogrammingforK-8studentswithdisabili%es

MayaIsraelQuen%nMWherfel

UniversityofIllinoisatUrbana

Champaign

Roadmap

•  Introduc%onsandOverview•  Collabora%veCompu%ng

•  StudentswithDisabili%es•  NextSteps

First…thisisacollabora%veeffort

Whyfocusoncompu%ng?

•  STEMPipelineArgument:–  USDept.ofLaborSta%s%cssaysthatby2020,therewillbe1.4millioncompu%ngjobs,butonly30%willbefilledatthecurrentrate.

•  BeyondtheSTEMpipelineargument:–  Real-worldapplica%onofmathema%cs,opportuni%estoprac%ceproblemsolving,persistence,collabora%on

–  Equity

ResearchStudyContext

Thereisawellestablishedra%onaleforcompu%ngin

K-12.

Fewstudieshaveexamined

compu%ngwithdiverselearners.

NoneatK-12withstudents

withdisabiliAes.

Ourmethodsareexploratory

becausethisisnewterritory…Wehavealottolearn.

OurApproaches

•  FocusonUniversalDesignforLearning•  Usedifferentcompu%ngpla\ormstoindividualizeforstudents– Example:Graphicallyintui%veblock-basedprogramming

•  Teach,model,andreinforcecollabora%onusingaconsistentframework

•  Balanceexplicitinstruc%onwithopeninquiry

OriginsoftheCollabora%ve-Compu%ngObserva%onInstrument(C-COI)

Israel, M., Pearson, J. N., Tapia, T., Wherfel, Q. M., & Reese, G. (2015). Supporting all learners in school-wide computational thinking: A cross-case qualitative analysis. Computers & Education, 82, 263-279.

Purpose

Thepurposeofthisstudywastoinves%gatehowelementaryschoolteacherswithlimitedcomputerscienceexperienceinahigh-needschoolintegratedcomputa%onalthinkingintotheirinstruc%on.

HelpSeeking

Collabora%ve&

IndividualProblem-Solving

Persistence

WhatcanbedocumentedfromtheC-COI?

QuesAonswewantedtoask: Constructs:

Howdoesthestudentrequesthelp?Whohelpedthestudent?

Adap%vevs.Nega%veHelpSeeking

Howdoesthestudentindividuallyproblemsolve?

Persistence

Whatkindsupport(s)didthestudentreceive? Collabora%veProblem-Solving

Didthecompu%ngexperienceresultinskill/conceptacquisi%on?

UnderstandingCSconcepts/vocab.

Collabora%veCompu%ngConceptualFramework

Israel,Wherfel,Shehab,Ramos,&Reese(underreview)

CompuAngFlowChart(ParAalScreenshot)

C-COIPaperVersion

Instrumentcita%on:Israel,Ramos,Wherfel,&Shehab(2015).Collabora%veCompu%ngObserva%onInstrument(C-COI).BoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign.Availableathhp://mste.illinois.edu/c-coi

C-COIOnlineVersion

MeasuringCollabora%veCompu%ng

•  Collabora%veCompu%ngObserva%onInstrument(C-COI)– UseScreencas%fysoiwaretocaptureallcompu%ngac%vi%esandaudioofstudentcollabora%ons

– Dependentvariablesincludeamountof%mepersis%ngontasks,methodsofhelpseeking,collabora%veproblem-solving,andcompu%ngchallenges.

ValidityandReliability

Phase1:Recognizingtheoccurrenceofanevent

Phase2:Iden%fiedcri%calpathswithineachnodeandsub-nodes

C-COIInstrumentDirectedGraph:OneStudent’sPaths

DetailedDirectedgraph WeightedDirectedgraph

C-COIInstrumentDirectedGraph:Mul%pleStudents’Paths

DetailedDirectedgraph WeightedDirectedgraph

FindingsandTips1.  Whenworkingindependently,somestudentsspendaLOT

of%meonasinglelevel,showpersistence,butdonotcollaborateanddonotsuccessfullycompletethelevel.

2.  Mostcommoncollabora%veeventsendedwithproblemsnotsolved

a.  Studentsarenoteffec%velyusingthecollabora%vescripttosolvetheproblem

b.  Studentsarenotwatchingthevideohintsc.  Studentslackunderstandingofthecomputerscienceconceptsthat

areassociatedwiththeproblem

3.  Lotsofcompe%%on,especiallyinCode.orgascomparedtoScratch.

CaseStudiesofStudentswithDisabili%esduringCS/CT

•  PartofongoingresearchexaminingequitableandaccessibleCS/CTinstruc%on

•  Purposefulselec%onofstudentsdisengagedinCS/CT

•  Classroomobserva%ons&interviewswithgeneralandspecialedteachers,andsupportstaff

CaseStudiesofStudentswithDisabili%esduringCS/CT

•  RQ:TowhatextentareCT-specificsupportsneededforSWDtoengageinCTinstruc%on&ac%vi%es?

•  Yin(2009)four-stepprocessforexplana%onbuildingwithinasinglecase:1)  Makeatheore%calexplanatorystatementaboutthe

phenomenon(thestudent’sexperienceduringcompu%ng)2)  Comparethisstatementtothedatafromasinglecase3)  Revisethetheore%calstatementtobeherreflectthecase4)  Reviewtherevisedstatementagainstthedatafromthe

case.

CrossCaseAnalysisHoraAo

•  4thgradestudent•  Hasau%sm,intellectual

disability,limitedsocialcommunica%on

•  Spendsthemajorityofthedayinthegeneraledclassroomwith1-on-1adultsupport

•  Lovesplayingrepe%%vegamesonthecomputer

•  Enjoyshavinghispeerschasehim,butdoesnotini%atesocialinterac%ons

Deacon•  5thgradestudent•  Hasfetalalcoholsyndrome

andLDwithassociatedimpulsivity,behavioralandahen%onchallenges

•  Spendsthemajorityofthedayinthegeneraledclassroom

•  LovesMinecrai!•  Enjoyshangingoutwith2

peersinclass

Ini%alExplanatoryStatement•  Studentswithdisabili%eswhoaredisengagedduringCS/CTrequireCT-specificsupportstosuccessfullyengageinCTac%vi%es,andwhenthesesupportsarenotavailable,theycannotmeaningfullyengageinthoseac%vi%es.

•  Teachers&researchersallhadthishypothesisini%ally.

Hora%o(4thgrade)Ini%alEngagementFinalEngagement

Aierconsistentdaysoflimitedaccessandengagement,wetried:(a)accesstomaterials,(b)verbaldirec%onsaboutwhattodoandhowtodoit,(c)modelsofproblem-solvingtechniques,and(d)modelsofhowtocompletetheassignedwhilethecomputerremainedinfrontofhim.

Snodgrass,Israel,&Reese(underreview)

TeacherInterviewsBeforeSupportsQuotes•  Ifeltlastweeklikehehadactually

accomplishedsomethingonCode.org,but...whenIseethoselihlevictoriesandaccomplishments,I’mwondering,howmuchwasithimworkingindependently?Howmuchdoes[theparaeducator]comeintoplay?…I’mafraidit’smorethelaher.

GeneralEdTeacherTranscript,p.5

•  Ihavetriedtousehand-over-handstrategiesforthecomputerandpeermentoringtokeephimontask.Thesehavenotbeentoosuccessful……Ithinkitmightbehelpfultohavesomeonecomeinandshowhisteachingassistantandmyselfwhatwecandotomakehimmoreindependentwithcoding.

SpecialEdTeacherResponse,p.1

ANerSupportsQuote

•  Iwasjustflabbergasted,becausehe’sneverdonethat!…Henevertriedandit’slike[hesaid],‘Giveittome.I’mdoingittoday.’…Thatwasfun!”

ParaeducatorInterviewTranscript,p.9

Snodgrass,Israel,&Reese(underreview)

Deacon(5thgrade)

Snodgrass,Israel,&Reese(underreview)

Snodgrass,Israel,&Reese(underreview)

CTInstruc%onEvalua%onandRefinementFramework

Snodgrass,Israel,&Reese(underreview)

Planfornextcasestudy“IfastudentisstrugglinginCTthenFirstensurethattheirstudent-specificsupportsareinplaceduringCTinstruc9onandac9vi9es.Ifastudentcon9nuestostruggle,thenexploreaddi9onalCT-specificsupportstoincorporateintothepedagogy.”

NextSteps

•  NSFSTEM+Cprojectisstar%nginJanuaryof2016tolookatintegratedcompu%ngandmathinstruc%on

•  Lookatindividualandcontent-specificsupportsstudentswithdisabili%esacrosscontentareas(includingCS/CT)

•  Con%nuedexplora%onofcollabora%vecompu%ng

•  Integratedcompu%ngandscien%ficargumenta%on

ForMoreInforma%on:hhp://ctrlshii.mste.illinois.edu/