Pathways to Digital Creation: A Case Study of Talented Youths From a Computing Summer School

• In Event: Equity and Access in Science: Understanding Pathways Frameworks for Youth Learning and Development

Abstract

Technology has revolutionized our lives, particularly in Western countries. We are increasingly interconnected, driven by high-tech portable devices and the ease of Internet access. Young people are now born into a technologized world and are typically regarded as ‘digital natives’. This assumption is speculative given social identities and inequalities continue to shape the landscape of our technological education and workforce. For instance, white privileged men still dominate those working in information technology. While young people are ever more engaged and connected with technology, little is known about the youths who are interested in this field as a career, aside from stereotyped descriptors such as ‘geeks’ or ‘nerds’. This paper falls within the wider government remit to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) participation/education, with the focus on ‘T’, namely Computer Science education. In English schools, the new computing curriculum (September 2014) marked a radical shift in that young people are now expected to be creators, rather than passive users, of computers and technology. The paper focuses on students who aspire to the former, that is, as authors of technology. This paper draws on interview and observation data of young people (aged 14-18) from diverse backgrounds who participated in a fully-funded computing summer school in England. Participation is self-selected as participants are required to complete an on-line application and submission of a simple portfolio to demonstrate existing digital creation skills. The summer school provides a platform and work experience for those who are skilled and interested in computing, with students forming their own ‘film studios’ and making every component of a 3D digital animation over seven days (using the Blender 3D computer graphics software). While technical and logistical support is available to students, participants are encouraged to be autonomous and to solve difficulties within their team, which include position roles such as directors and producers, to mirror a real life environment. The focus on this cohort is intentional as we aim to map out the plausible educational and career pathways of these youths, as well as understanding the paths that have brought them to demonstrate the digital skills and interest necessary to obtain a place on the course. For instance, how do these skilled youths navigate and negotiate their sense of selves in (summer) school? What factors can potentially facilitate technological interest? What can we adapt or apply from the summer school to mainstream education? This paper aims to shed light on these questions through a poster presentation of case study students to illustrate the stories and trajectories of our talented and diverse youths. These narratives allow us to map, provisionally, students’ learning ecology in technology and the factors or occurrences which might have generated particular thinkable (or unthinkable) pathways.

Authors

• Peter Kemp, University of Roehampton

• Billy Wong, University of Roehampton