Easy as Pi: Developing Computational Thinking in the Library With the Raspberry Pi

• In Event: 33.072 - Potential Futures for School Libraries: Researcher Perspectives

Abstract

When a dozen preteens gathered after-school in the computer lab of their local library for a program titled "Easy as Pi," they were not learning how to make dessert. Over the course of four 90-minute sessions, students learned the basics of computational thinking using the Raspberry Pi microcomputer, an inexpensive, credit card-sized circuit board with a tasty name and enormous potential. Born from the realization that children were receiving inadequate computer and technology education in schools, the Raspberry Pi microcomputer was released for sale in the UK in February 2012 (Raspberry Pi Foundation, 2014). Now available in US and Canada for approximately $35.00, the Pi has captured the imagination of kids and adults, do-it-yourselfers and makers, attracted to its small form factor and user-friendly coding environment. In addition to being easy to program, the Raspberry Pi fits in a transparent case: all the parts of the computer are visible. This helps demystify computing and make the device accessible, both on a physical and an intellectual plane. Of particular importance to educators, a growing community of coders is sharing programming tips and sample projects online.

The Raspberry Pi serves as an ideal platform to teach young people "computational thinking," the skills and attitudes that software engineers use to design many of the digital tools we use every day (Wing, 2006). These skills include decomposition--breaking an object or process into its component parts or steps, and pattern recognition and abstraction--being able to see how parts or steps in a process recur or co-occur to make meaning. Computational thinking as a kind of digital literacy is quickly being recognized as a requisite 21st Century skill for all students (Barr, Harrison and Conery, 2011). While libraries have always been concerned with critical thinking and problem solving skills, computational thinking gives librarians and educators a new way to connect these skills with creativity and technical fluency. Furthermore, the "Easy as Pi" program sought to overcome some of the expense and uncertainty associated with piloting a new digital literacy program for youth through a unique partnership with the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies -- The iSchool@UBC. In this partnership, the iSchool co-designed the curriculum and provided the Raspberry Pi "kits"; the library provided logistical support for advertising and registration. The goal is to create a replicable, accessible program for public and school libraries throughout British Columbia.

This presentation will describe the origins of the program and provide data gathered during two pilot iterations (May and July 2014). Preliminary findings, including observations, parent questionnaires, and interviews with students (N=24, ages 9-11), suggest enormous community interest, strong support from the library and parents, and a high level of engagement among participating students. Longitudinal work, planned for the 2014-15 school year, will seek to link these outcomes with specific learning goals to validate the program's effectiveness. The "Easy as Pi" program is designed to increase the visibility and relevance of libraries in promoting 21st Century skills, while empowering young people to participate in the design of their own technological futures.

Author

• Eric Meyers, The University of British Columbia