Social computational thinking tools

Number of jobs related to computational thinking going up, interest going down.

Perception: “Computer science is hard and boring”

Image: “Computer science is for nerds”

“synthesize human abilities with computer affordances”

Start w/ a question “How does a mudslide work”

• what would it mean to explore this idea computationally
• modelling
• rules
  • if there is nothing below mud, it's going to fall down
• agents
• visualize consequences of your own thinking

• hand out devices, Mr. Vetro
  • you are the heart, you are the lungs
  • Mr. Vetro is going mountain biking
• Findings
• motivation
  • almost too engaging
  • students whose heartbeats synced up with the simulation
• recall of facts
• making connections
• evidence of critical thinking
• Cost
  • low, immersive interfaces are not limited to first person 3D games

• Explore inner city, remote rural, native American
• broaden participation by embedding game design in public schools with required/“forced elective” courses
  • 50% girls
• make first game in a week
  • teachers
    • no programming background
    • 35 contact hours
  • advance to sotphisticated AI games
    • advanced math (diffusions)
  • can measure computational thinking using Latent Semantic Analysis inspired approaches (another session at AERA)

• “Making programming more social like Google Docs”
• cyber collage
• combine main focus + peripheral vision, awareness of what the other is doing
• real time
• “what kinds of music are they listening to”
• two teams in different schools, have never met before
• findings
  • shifts motivational tresholds
    • even simple programs become interesting: competition & collaboration
    • spectator sports
    • leadership and negotiation skills
    • individual skills were discovered quickly resulting in fluent collaborations produced a good start on a game in one hour

• enable complete new class of collaborative design experiences
• make learning experiences motivational and educational

http://scaleablegamedesign.cs.coloradu.edu

Quote: “What's the point of having all these kids in the same classroom, apart from lowering heating bills?”