Poster #69 - Using Art to Tell Stories About Failure When Learning to Code

• In Event: 79.052 - MTCC Poster Session 19
  In Poster Session: 79.052-8 - Informal Learning Environments Research Poster Session

Abstract

A frequent, integral, and challenging part of writing computer code is debugging, the process of finding and resolving programming errors. Learning to code and debug can be emotionally complex, and attending to this overlooked experience is of interest to researchers and educators. We propose that art making has transformative potential for how students tell stories about the emotional experience of coding, especially when they experience failure. This study documents art making during a summer coding camp for 5th through 11th graders (n=120). Through interviews, artist statements, and videos of classroom interactions we illustrate patterns that have implications for integrating art and storytelling within computer science pedagogy to shift how students think about themselves in relation to failure.

Authors

• Maggie Dahn, University of California - Los Angeles

• David DeLiema, University of California - Berkeley

• Noel D. Enyedy, Vanderbilt University