Collaborative Projects
Upper Elementary Students in Physiological Computing
In collaboration with Dr. Chris Crawford, we are designing a series of lessons and activities to engage upper elementary students in constructing physiological computing applications (i.e., Create computer programs that use students’ own physiological data as input to the programs). In the lessons, students will learn about different types of physiological data, such as pulse and muscle energy, identify the various applications of and careers related to physiological computing and critically examine their societal impact, and write computer programs that use their own muscle energy data.
Research-practice Partnership (RPP) for Computer Science Education
In response to Alabama's state mandate to offer CS instruction in all public K-6 schools by the 2022-23 school year, in 2020, we established a research-practice partnership (RPP) to help elementary teachers in a local school district, Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS), develop expertise in CS integration using inclusive pedagogical practices to engage ALL students through professional development (PD). TCS currently serves 4,926 elementary students in the school district, the majority of which are historically underrepresented in STEM/CS (including 69% Black, 6% Hispanic, and 3% Other). We have successfully piloted PD in the 2021- 2022 school year in one elementary school in TCS and we are preparing to expand the effort to additional schools in TCS in 2023.
Collaboration Partners
We have had the pleasure to work with researchers, scholars, teachers, and schools on broadening elementary students' participation in computer science (CS) education:
UA collaborators
Local school partners
UA collaborators
- Dr. Chris Crawford, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science
- Dr. Amy Hutchison, Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education
- Dr. Jeff Gray, Professor, Department of Computer Science
- Dr. Lisa Fowler, Professor, Science Education
- UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center
- Dr. Pasha Antonenko, Associate Professor, Educational Technology, University of Florida
- Dr. Maya Israel, Associate Professor, Educational Technology, University of Florida
- Dr. John Hampton, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Technology and Foundations, University of West Georgia
- Dr. Ruohan Liu, Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Virginia
Local school partners
[Need support for teacher expertise in K-6 CS education? Or ideas for CS instructional activities?
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