"Don't Smile Before Christmas!" Humor That Breaks Down Barriers to Computer Science Learning

• In Event: 51.027 - Pedagogies of Joy :) Joy as Resistance at the Intersection of STEM Learning Pathways

Abstract

Despite technology’s promise to be the “great equalizer,” computer science (CS) remains highly segregated: in 2016, only 26% of the computing workforce was female, and only 2%, 3%, and 5% were Latina, African American, and Asian respectively (NCWIT, 2017). As the CS for All movement spreads across the US to challenge such segregation, effective pedagogical strategies that broaden participation in computing for youth underrepresented in CS are desperately needed. This poster explores how pedagogies of humor and joy—defined by a playfulness that supports asking “what if” and “imagining how the ordinary can become extraordinary” (Ackermann, Gauntlett, Wolbers, & Weckstrom, 2009, p. 5)—are powerful for breaking down barriers to CS learning. Especially for youth who have little to no experience with CS prior to taking CS classes in high school, humor and joy can support a learning context where youth of color and females feel welcomed to challenge the stereotypes about who can or should excel in this field of study.
Drawing on sociocultural theories that recognize how learning occurs through social interactions between experts to novices in culturally-rich learning environments (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wertsch, del Rio, & Alvarez, 1995), this study uses interpretive participant observation (Erickson, 1986) to highlight how interactions between teachers and youth that are filled with humor and joy can positively impact students who were previously disengaged with CS learning. As such, data sources—fieldnotes, videos, student work, and interviews across three classrooms—focused on the unit of analysis of “shared practice,” while coding attended to teacher-to-student interactions, relationships, and shifts in student participation or engagement with CS learning. These CS classrooms were located in Title I public high schools in a large, urban school district on the west coast, chosen for the demographics and test scores that represented what was typical for the district. A total of three teachers and seventy 9-12th grade students participated in this study.
Results revealed how humor served as an important teaching tool that: 1) motivated student excitement about CS learning; 2) made CS learning more approachable; 3) built classroom community; and 4) mediated positive behaviors in disciplinary situations. 42 of 43 students explained how humor supported their CS learning experiences. This poster describes what pedagogies of humor and joy looked like in the classroom context, and why it served useful for breaking down barriers to CS learning for youth historically underrepresented in the field. Recognizing that humor can take a variety of forms dependent on the sociocultural context, this study has important implications for developing curricula and professional development workshops that address how humor, playfulness, and pedagogies of joy can affect positive change in educational fields where youth may feel disengaged or unwelcome.

Author

• Jean J. Ryoo, University of California - Los Angeles