Shaundra Bryant Daily

Dancing alice: exploring embodied pedagogical strategies for learning computational thinking

n this paper, we introduce an embodied pedagogical approach for learning computational concepts, utilizing computational practices, and developing computational perspectives. During a five-week pilot, a group of students spent after-school time learning the basic elements of dance and then using them to program three-dimensional characters that could perform. Throughout the pilot, we found students consistently standing up in front of their computers and using their bodies to think through the actuation of their characters. Preliminary results suggest that designing a virtual-physical dance performance is a motivating and engaging social context in which to introduce students, especially girls, to alternative applications in computing.

Embodying Computational Thinking: Initial Design of an Emerging Technological Learning Tool

This emerging technology report describes virtual environment interactions an approach for blending movement and computer programming as an embodied way to support girls in building computational thinking skills. The authors seek to understand how body syntonicity might enable young learners to bootstrap their intuitive knowledge in order to program a three-dimensional character to perform movements. We have gained insight into the desire for character realism. The lessons learned to date, as well as the challenges to integrating the physical and virtual and keeping the interactions rich are discussed.

Effects of viewing a preferred nature image and hearing preferred music on engagement, agitation, and mental status in persons with dementia:

Background: The purpose of the described exploratory study was to test proactive strategies for enhancing engagement and cognitive ability while diminishing dementia-related disordered behaviors of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Study participants resided in an Memory Care unit of an assisted living community. Method: The researchers measured the effects of exposure to music and nature images on engagement using the Individualized Dementia Engagement and Activities Scale tool, on cognitive ability using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and on agitation using the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. Result: The within-subject study design revealed that use of both music and nature images hold promise for reducing undesirable behaviors and improving engagement of residents. Conclusion: The authors suggest caregivers for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can effectively use nature images and music to improve engagement and reduce disordered behaviors, thus potentially enhancing quality of life for the care recipient as well as the caregiver while possibly reducing the costs of medications used to control dementia-related undesirable behaviors.

Preparing the Future STEM Workforce for Diverse Environments.

Following the belief that diversity breeds innovation in scientific endeavors, there is a national push for more diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce in order to maintain national economic competitiveness. Currently, STEM-related employment is only 28% non-White; however, greater efforts to recruit and retain underrepresented minorities should increase this figure. Amidst the attention given to supporting “leaky pipelines,” less emphasis has been placed on mitigating challenges associated with bringing diverse cultures together. This article presents a framework for supporting underrepresented minorities in building STEM-relevant skills and enhancing their ability to collaborate with peers different from themselves.

Understanding Privacy and Trust Issues in a Classroom Affective Computing System Deployment

Our research group is in the midst of working with teachers to co-design an affective computing system that uses physiological measures, gathered via wrist worn sensors, to understand how students are engaging with classroom instruction. Optimally, our goal is to find new ways of supporting empathetic practices in the classroom by providing teachers real-time or reflective feedback on student engagement. In parallel, with our work with teachers, we are working to pinpoint the privacy and trust issues that might be associated with this type of system. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a series of studies conducted to understand the challenges associated with introducing a pervasive affective computing system into classroom environments. While we focus on physiological sensors, the implications apply to other pervasive technologies as well.

Broadening participation in computing: the multi-tiered approach

Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) is a national effort led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase post-secondary enrollment of underrepresented groups in the computing disciplines. Under BPC funding from the NSF, a multi-tiered mentoring model (M3) was created to foster excellence in grades 5-20 computer science education in the Birmingham area. The goal of the BPC-M3 program is to provide sequential tiers of mentoring, by which the learner in one tier becomes the mentor teacher to the next tier down. This model focuses on providing a more effective pathway for students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in computing. In this poster abstract, we describe in detail how the multi-tiered model is being implemented and summarize some of the benefits and challenges related to the M3 model.

Affective Computing: Historical Foundations, Current Applications, and Future Trends

Abstract Affective computing relates to, arises from, or intentionally influences emotion. It is a continuously growing multidisciplinary field that explores how technology can inform an understanding of human affect, how interactions between humans and technologies can be impacted by affect, how systems can be designed to utilize affect to enhance capabilities, and how sensing and affective strategies can transform human and computer interaction. Encompassing disciplines, such as engineering, psychology, education, cognitive science, sociology, and others; this chapter explores some of the historical foundations and general goals of affective computing, approaches to affect detection and generation, applications, ethical considerations, and future directions.

Supporting Students of Color in Learning Computer Science (Abstract Only)

As the conversation for broadening participation in computer science expands, the need for diversity among computing students becomes clearer. Yet, each year at SIGCSE, there are very few opportunities for people working with, or interested in working with students of color at the K-12 AND university levels to share experiences and collaborate on how to best support our students. This BOF will provide a platform for not only discussing effective, culturally relevant approaches to teaching computer science to students of color, but also addressing questions and concerns of people serving this demographic.

Can embodied interaction and virtual peer customization in a virtual programming environment enhance computational thinking

To address the problem of underexposure, underrepresentation, and underproduction of diverse professionals in the field of computing, we target middle school education using an idea that combines computational thinking with dance and movement choreography. This lightning talk delves into a virtual reality education and entertainment application named Virtual Environment Interactions (VEnvI). Our in vivo study examines how VEnvI can be used to teach fundamental computer science concepts such as sequences, loops, variables, conditionals, functions, and parallel programming. We aim to reach younger students through a fun and intuitive interface for choreographing dance movements with a virtual character. Our study contrasts the highly immersive and embodied virtual reality metaphor of using VEnvI with a non-immersive desktop metaphor. Additionally, we examine the effects of user attachment by comparing the learning results gained with customizable virtual characters in contrast with character presets. By analyzing qualitative and quantitative user responses measuring cognition, presence, usability, and satisfaction, we hope to find how virtual reality can enhance interest in the field of computer science among middle school students.

Character animation and embodiment in teaching computational thinking

classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the Owner/Author. SIGGRAPH 2014, August 10 – 14, 2014, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2014 Copyright held by the Owner/Author. ACM 978-1-4503-2958-3/14/08 Character Animation and Embodiment in Teaching Computational Thinking