Exploring the Use of Virtual Identities for Broadening Participation in Computer Science Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56198/Keywords:
Computer science education, K-12, Virtual identities, Immersive learning, Videogames, STEM identity, Avatars, Education, Self-efficacy, Computer ethics, Career, Programming, Human-computer interactionAbstract
This paper reports on a design-based research study investigating the impacts of virtual identities on public secondary school students in a computer science learning workshop targeting groups currently underrepresented in STEM disciplines in the United States. Using grounded theory methods, results from three workshops were analyzed to address (1) how to characterize the relationships between learners’ virtual- and physical-world identities and (2) the impacts of avatar use on students’ performance and engagement in computer-based learning environments. The central results are characterizations of four types of relationships between students and their virtual identities that we term (1) Strategic Investment, (2) Avatar as Tool Investment, (3) Avatar as Self Esteem Measure, and (4) Judging Context Appropriateness, each with implications for establishing design principles for STEM learning environments utilizing virtual identities.
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