Date of Award:
5-2014
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences
Committee Chair(s)
Victor R. Lee
Committee
Victor R. Lee
Committee
Mimi Recker
Committee
Brett Shelton
Committee
Deborah Fields
Committee
Andrew Walker
Committee
David Smellie
Abstract
A new kind of technology combines making in the physical world with computing in the virtual world. These technologies are simultaneously physical and virtual, require the design of artifacts like computer programs and the crafting of physical components. Combining approaches encourage youth to participate in computing who might not otherwise be interested by harnessing existing hobbies and interests. Because fluency with computing is important to success in a 21st century society, increasing the ways in which young people can experience and connect to computing is important. Computational thinking, and with it the process of debugging computer code, is an example of the skills young people can learn.
This dissertation is a report of the design, implementation, analysis, and refinement of a hybrid media intervention in an alternative high school. Students designed, crafted, developed, and shared interactive pets. The pets were physical creations that users could interact with via an external microprocessing board and corresponding computer program. The investigation included questions concerning whether students could complete the project, how students engaged with the design tasks, how students participated in addressing programming errors (bugs), and whether students exhibited elements of empowerment. The results suggest youth were engaged, successful in addressing bugs, and some students made personal connections to computing and mistake making.
The empirical work in this dissertation contributes to theory related to design of constructionist learning environments and student collaboration with hybrid media. Limitations of the project and next steps for research are also discussed.
Checksum
70907350fcc5663c16bc805fac315d07
Recommended Citation
DuMont, Maneksha Katrine, "Engaging Alternative High School Students Through the Design, Development, and Crafting of Computationally Enhanced Pets" (2014). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023. 2079.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/2079
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