Baltimore , Maryland
June 25, 2023
June 25, 2023
June 28, 2023
Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)
16
10.18260/1-2--43898
https://peer.asee.org/43898
257
Hoda is Chair for Engineering and Computer Science Department and the Director of Quadrivium Design and Engineering at The Hill School. She holds a Ph.D in Engineering Education from Purdue University, M.S. in Childhood Education from City University of New York, and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bahonar University in Iran.
Monica E. Cardella is the Director of the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education (SUCCEED) at Florida International University. She is also a Professor of Engineering and Computing Education in SUCCEED and FIU's STEM Transformation Institute
This research study explores children and their parents’ experiences engaging in engineering and computational thinking activities in an informal learning environment. The participants in this study comprised eleven families, including K-2nd grade-aged children and their parents, who were purposively selected for this qualitative study. The findings revealed that many children initially hesitated to describe engineering and CT, but when probed, they explained that engineering and CT activities required them to build and/or code. Children also pointed out that these activities were like ones they had done in school. In contrast, parents described engineering and CT activities as requiring thinking and decision-making. Furthermore, some parents equated CT with coding and engineering with building, while others compared computing and engineering to other school subjects, such as math, science, and literacy.
Rehmat, A. P., & Ehsan, H., & Cardella, M. E. (2023, June), K-2 Grade-Age Children and Their Parents' Experiences Engaging in Engineering and Computational Thinking Activities in Informal Learning Setting (Fundamental Research) Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43898
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