Student Agency in Computer Science: Teaching and Learning Socially Responsible Computing in High School Classrooms

• In Event: Training, Knowledge, and Agency: A Focus on Computer Science and Teaching and Learning

Abstract

In the Computer Science for All movement, efforts are being made to teach students about the social impacts and ethics of computing. Yet little research describes what socially responsible computing education looks like in K-12 classrooms. Addressing this gap, our research-practice partnership collected qualitative data to answer the following research question: What does socially responsible computing teaching and learning look like in an Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles classroom enrolling low-income Latinx students from a large urban community? The findings illustrate 1) details of teaching practice and student learning during discussions about socially responsible computing; 2) the impact these discussions have on student engagement, agency, and voice with CS; and 3) key pedagogical moves supporting socially responsible computing.

Authors

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

• Alicia Morris, Los Angeles Unified School District

• Jane S. Margolis, University of California - Los Angeles