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Computational Thinking and Argumentation in Scratch

Tue, April 12, 10:35am to 12:05pm, Convention Center, Floor: Level Three, Ballroom A

Abstract

In this paper I explore findings from an ethnography of the online Scratch community. Through the observations of the Scratch forums, I propose that computational thinking, which has been studied previously in Scratch, is used by Scratchers (i.e., people who participate on Scratch) as a way to strengthen arguments for topics about which they feel passionately. The analysis takes a social argumentation approach, which emphasizes context. The focus on context is important for a community like Scratch where the participants of the community feel so passionately about the place itself. My research focuses on how computational thinking can strengthen arguments, and what this does for Scratchers who use it.

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