Fostering Computational Thinking in Homes and Other Informal Learning Spaces

Introduction

Parents and caregivers have long played an important role in children’s early learning and development (NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center, 2012; Rideout, 2014). From birth onwards, children rely on their caregivers to provide them with the care they need to be happy and healthy, and to grow and develop in positive ways. Caregivers of today’s increasingly digital and global landscape are tasked with exposing their young children to an emerging set of skills that enable them to successfully navigate the constantly evolving and technology-rich society in which they live. One set of these so-called “twenty-first century competencies” is computational thinking, the focus of this book.

In Chapter 1, Bers describes computational thinking (CT) as a way of thinking in new ways that invites creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, among other important skills. Prior to the 1980s, CT was not a term that was used outside of the field of computer science (CS), let alone in the homes of young children and families. In many ways, CT is still largely situated within the CS discipline. However, as technology continues to grow and young children are increasingly exposed to a wide range of technological tools, CT is being treated more like the “universally applicable attitude and skill set” Wing (2006) and others purported it to be. In line with this perspective, CT can be applied to a variety of problem-solving situations that do not necessarily require the act of coding or manipulating digital technologies but can be supported when partnered with them. As such, CT represents a set of skills that can be learned and fostered through young children’s everyday play and learning activities, many of which occur in informal spaces in the presence of family members.

It is important to acknowledge that informal spaces, as described in this chapter, have less to do with physical location (though that can be a distinguishing factor) but rather more to do with the kinds of interactions and learning opportunities afforded to children and other individuals occupying that space. For instance, an after-school chess club with local community members might take place in a formal school setting, but the nature of the activity and the participants involved in the activity make it more of an informal learning context. Callanan, Cervantes and Loomis (2011) summarize five key dimensions of informal learning: 1) non-didactive, 2) highly socially collaborative, 3) embedded in meaningful activity, 4) initiated by learner’s interest or choice, and 5) removed from external assessment. Accordingly, the informal learning spaces discussed in this chapter refer to environments that invite multiple pathways for attaining and transmitting knowledge, promote social and collaborative interactions, and engage children in meaningful and self-driven activities for the sake of enrichment, not evaluation. Such spaces include children’s homes, museums, libraries, community centers, after-school enrichment programs, and other spaces that are accessible to young children and their caregivers.

The goal of this chapter is to provide theoretical and practical insights for fostering children’s CT in homes and other family-friendly informal learning spaces. The family context, which is comprised of the various roles, interactions, and opportunities afforded by parents, caregivers, siblings, and extended family members, is essential for understanding how young children learn and engage in CT. This work is informed by research on how everyday activities and educational technologies (and the contexts in which they are used) can be designed to promote opportunities for CT and family engagement. After presenting an overview of this literature, I discuss one workshop model for engaging families in collaborative computing and CT activities in informal learning spaces. These workshops, called Family Coding Days, utilize two coding platforms for young children shared in other chapters of this book: the ScratchJr app and the KIBO robotics kit. The chapter concludes with some practical insights for families, educators, and practitioners when facilitating such events like Family Coding Days or other family-oriented opportunities that aim to strengthen young children’s development of coding and CT skills.