Teaching in an open village: a case study on culturally responsive computing in compulsory education. Issue 4 (2nd October 2021) - Lachney, Michael
ABSTRACT: Background : As teachers work to broaden the participation of racially and ethnically underrepresented groups in computer science (CS), culturally responsive computing (CRC) becomes more pertinent to formal settings. Objective : Yet, equity-oriented literature offers limited guidance for developing deep forms of CRC in the classroom. In response, we support the claim that "it takes a village" to develop equity-oriented CS education but additively highlight the roles of cultural experts in the process. Methods : We use a case study methodology to explore one instance of this: a collaboration between a multi-racial team of researchers, a Black cosmetologist, and a White technology teacher. Findings : Three themes supported the CRC collaboration: multi-directional relationship building, iterative engagement with culture-computing, and collaborative implementation of a hybrid lesson . Implications : As opposed to orienting broadening participation around extractive metaphors like "pipelines, " our case study constructs the metaphor of an "open village" to orient CS education toward collaborations between schools and the communities they serve.