The Virtual Quilting Bee: Navigating Relational Dynamics Within an Online E-Textiles Quilting Workshop

• In Event: Opportunities and Challenges in Equity-Centered Online Teaching and Learning in K–16 Computing Education

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
While discussions surrounding issues of equity in CS education tend to focus on the scarcity of material resources (e.g. tools and technologies) at schools serving predominantly Black, Brown, and working-class families (Margolis et al., 2008), we must pay equal attention to the role non-material resources (e.g. access to peer relationships and CS identities) play in youth’s CS learning (Shah et al., 2013). This study explores how relationship dynamics among youth and adults shifted when an e-textiles quilting workshop transitioned online, paying particular attention to how issues of power, relational equity, and camaraderie were addressed to promote inclusion. During this workshop, youth from diverse racial/ethnic and gendered backgrounds engaged in political discussions surrounding dominant narratives in CS and designed quilts that “(re)storied”/reimagined (Thomas & Stornaiuolo, 2016) those narratives based on their personal experiences with CS and technology, necessitating that mutual respect, understanding, and open communication is maintained.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
CS classrooms have a history of being unwelcoming to nondominant youth (e.g., girls and Black and Brown youth) due to hostile climates and inequitable pedagogies based in teachers’ limited views on the barriers to diversity (Garvin-Doxas & Barker, 2004; Margolis et al., 2008; Gretter, Yadav, Sands, & Hambrusch, 2019). Assuming that learning is a sociocultural phenomenon, the learning environment plays an important role in CS learning. Equitable CS learning environments also require pedagogies that account for the social and emotional aspects of learning (Shah et al., 2013). Relational equity describes students treating each other with respect and responsibility, as well as considering different viewpoints fairly (Boaler, 2008). While e-textiles can promote positive social and emotional experiences for minoritized youth (Jayathirtha & Kafai, 2020?), it is imperative we examine how these experiences shift for youth when engaging in these political discussions about dominant narratives online.

METHODS & DATA SOURCES
This study took place within a 34-hour workshop for a local STEM program during the spring and summer with a group of sixteen youth ages 15-16 and diverse across race/ethnicity and gender. Data includes video observations and fields notes of Zoom sessions, posts on the social learning platform Seesaw, and interviews with youth.

FINDINGS
We have yet to analyze our data but intend to provide (1) an analysis of potential opportunities for knowledge and expertise to be shared among youth and adults and (2) vignettes highlighting the ways in which relational equity (Boaler, 2008) were maintained virtually. Examples will include how youth utilized chat and commenting features within online platforms to share knowledge, as well as navigated conversations surrounding racism and sexism within computing while maintaining respect and understanding.

SIGNIFICANCE
Constructionist activities like e-textiles can broaden participation in computing through the incorporation of heritage crafts that can distribute expertise across youth and adults and shift power dynamics. However, when facilitated in a virtual environment, the collaborative, creative climate of an e-textiles activity can become compromised due to lack of a physical space. Examining how equitable relational equitable dynamics are maintained in a virtual e-textiles workshop can potentially inform CS education.

Author

• Mia Shaw, University of Pennsylvania