Computational Literacy for Children

We investigate how children learn about computing through activities connected to their interests and everyday experiences. Our work treats computational literacy as a resource for understanding technology, expressing ideas, and participating in communities. We explore how learning experiences can support children as active learners, creators, and contributors.

One strand examines children’s AI literacy. We develop frameworks for understanding what children can learn about AI and examine how the design of learning technologies supports that learning. A second strand focuses on promoting computational thinking among young children. Drawing on embodied play and learning, we explore coding tools and activities that bring movement, social interaction, and creative expression into computing education. Our work also examines young children’s perceptions of coding, the design of computational toys and kits, and youth civic engagement through computing. Across these studies, we build an empirical understanding of children’s computational learning and develop frameworks and technologies to make computing more accessible, engaging, and relevant to children’s lives.