Research

STEM education faces two related challenges. First, our education system is not producing enough computational professionals to fill demand. Second, women and minorities remain significantly underrepresented. We are conducting a Design-Based Implementation Research project to study a model in which computational literacy curricula are embedded throughout required biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics coursework. This would ensure that every high school student is exposed to computational literacy activities in a context that demonstrates its relevance to real world career paths. We are interested how such curriculum affects student and teachers’ attitudes, identity, and learning. We are also working to understand individual and institutional factors that affect the success of this model in resource-constrained public schools.

Publications

CT-Integration

Beheshti, E., Weintrop, D., Orton, K., Horn, M. S., Jona, K., Trouille, L., Wilensky, U. (2013). Bringing Expert Computational Practices into High School Science Classrooms.. NARST Annual International Conference (NARST 2015).,

Wilensky, U., Brady, C. E., & Horn, M. S. (2014). Fostering computational literacy in science classrooms.. Communications of the ACM, 57(8), 24-28

Orton, K., Weintrop, D., Beheshti, E., Horn, M. S., Jona, K., & Wilensky, U. (2016). Bringing Computational Thinking into High School Mathematics and Science Classrooms.. Proceedings of the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2016. Singapore: International Society of the Learning Sciences, 706-712.,

Swanson, H., Anton, G., Bain, C., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2017). Computational Thinking in the Science Classroom.. Paper presented at the International Conference on Computational Thinking Education 2017.,

Levy, M., Peel, A., Dabholkar, S., Zhao, L., Juhl, S., Levites, L., Mills, J., Wu, S., Horn, M.S., & Wilensky, U. (2018). Co-Designing to Understand Equity-Focus in Computational Thinking (CT) Integrated Science Curricula.. 2021 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST).,

Pei, C., Weintrop, D. & Wilensky, U. (2018). Cultivating Computational Thinking Practices and Mathematical Habits of Mind in Lattice Land. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 20(1), 75-89.,

Swanson, H., Arastoopour Irgens, G., Bain, C., Hall, K., Woods, P., Rogge, C., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2018). Characterizing Computational Thinking in High School Science. In Kay, J. & Luckin, R. (Eds.), Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age.. Making the Learning Sciences Count: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Vol. 2, 871-878.,

Wilensky U. (2018). Restructuration Theory and Agent-based Modeling: Reformulating Knowledge Domains Through Computational Representations. Designing Constructionist Futures: The Art, Theory, and Practice of Learning Designs,

Arastoopour Irgens, G., Chandra, S., Dabholkar, S., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2019). Classifying Emergent Student Learning in a High School Computational Chemistry Unit.. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association (AERA) Conference. Toronto, CA.,

Bain, C., Anton, G., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2019). Position: Building Blocks for Agent-based Modeling Can Scaffold Computational Thinking Engagement in STEM Classrooms.. In 2019 IEEE Blocks and Beyond Workshop (B&B) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.,

Dabholkar, S. & Wilensky, U. (2019). Designing ESM-mediated collaborative activity systems for science learning.. Proceedings from International Conference of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning 2019, Lyon, France.,

Peel, A., Dabholkar, S., Anton, G., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2019). Teachers’ professional growth through co-design and implementation of computational thinking (CT) integrated biology units.. Annual Meeting of the Association of Science Teacher Education (ASTE) 2019. San Antonio, TX.,

Peel, A., Dabholkar, S., Granito, T. (2019). Teaching Experimental Design with Computational Thinking. Poster presented at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). 2019 November 14-17; Chicago, IL.,

Peel, A., Dabholkar, S., Granito, T. (2019). Teaching Experimental Design with Computational Thinking.. Poster presented at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). 2019 November 14-17: Chicago, IL.,

Peel, A., Sadler, T. D., & Friedrichsen, P. (2019). Learning natural selection through computational thinking: Unplugged design of algorithmic explanations.. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 56(7), 983-1007.,

Swanson, H., Anton, G., Bain, C., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2019). Introducing and Assessing Computational Thinking in the Secondary Science Classroom.. In Computational Thinking Education (pp. 99-117). Springer, Singapore.,

Arastoopour Irgens, G., Dabholkar, S., Bain, C., Woods, P., Hall, K., Swanson, H., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Modeling and Measuring High School Students’ Computational Thinking Practices in Science.. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 29(1), 137-161.,

Aslan, U., LaGrassa, N., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Putting the Taxonomy into Practice: Investigating Students' Learning of Chemistry with Integrated Computational Thinking Activities.. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association (AERA) Conference. San Francisco, CA.,

Aslan, U., LaGrassa, N., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Code-first learning environments for science education: a design experiment on kinetic molecular theory.. Proceedings of the Constructionism 2020 Conference. Dublin, Ireland.,

Aslan, U., LaGrassa, N., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Phenomenological Programming: a novel approach to designing domain specific programming environments for science learning. Proceedings of the ACM Interaction Design and Children (IDC) conference. London, United Kingdom.,

Bain, C., Anton, G., Horn, M., Wilensky, U. (2020). Back to Computational Transparency: Co-design with Teachers to Integrate Computational Thinking in Science Classrooms.. Proceedings of the International Conference for the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2020), Nashville, USA: ISLS.,

Bain, C., Anton, G., Horn, M., Wilensky, U. (2020). Using Blocks-based Agent-based Modeling for Computational Activities in STEM Classrooms.. Paper presented at the 2020 Blocks and Beyond Conference.,

Bain, C., Dabholkar, S., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Confronting Frame Alignment in CT Infused STEM Classrooms.. Proceedings of the Computational Thinking Education (CTE) 2020 Conference. Hong Kong, China.,

Bain, C., Hershkovitz, A., Dabholkar, S., Horn, M. S., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Identifying Evidence of Student Engagement in CT via Automated Response Analysis. In Dabholkar S. (Symposium organizer), Integrating Computational Thinking in Science Curricula: Professional Development and Student Assessment.. 2021 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST).,

Bain, C., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Vectors of CT-ification: Integrating Computational Activities in STEM Classrooms.. In Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 1361-1361).,

Bain, C., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Vectors of CT-ification: Integrating Computational Activities in STEM Classrooms. In Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 1361-1361).,

Dabholkar, S., Arastoopour Irgens, G., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Students’ epistemic connections between science inquiry practices and disciplinary ideas in a computational science unit.. Proceedings of the International Conference for the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2020), Nashville, USA: ISLS.,

Dabholkar, S., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2020). A technology-mediated co-design approach for integrating Computational Thinking in a science classroom.. 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA).,

Dabholkar, S., Peel, A, Anton, G., Horn, M. & Wilensky, U. (2020). Analysis of teachers’ involvement in co-design and implementation of CT (Computational Thinking) integrated biology units.. Paper accepted for presentation at the American Education Research Association (AERA) Conference, San Francisco, CA, USA.,

Dabholkar, S. & Wilensky, U. (2020). Designing computational models as emergent systems microworlds to support learning of scientific inquiry.. Proceedings of EpiSTEME8 ⁠International Conference to review research in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, Mumbai, India.,

Kelter, J., Emery, J. D., & Wilensky, U. (2020). (2020). A Multi-level Diffusion Unit: Connecting Submicro- and Macro-levels with Computational, Graphical and Mathematical Representations.. In Press,

Kelter, J. Z., Emery, J. D., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Learning About Diffusion at Two Levels: Micro-scale-computational to macro-scale-analytical.. American Society of Engineering Education.,

Kelter, J. Z., Peel, A., Bain, C., Anton, G., Dabholkar, S., Aslan, Ü., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2020). Seeds of (r)Evolution: Constructionist Co-Design with High School Science Teachers.. Proceedings of Constructionism 2020 Conference.,

Martin, K., Bain, C., Swanson, H., Horn, M., Wilensky, U. (2020). Building Blocks: Kids Designing Scientifici, Domain-specific, Block-based, Agent-based Microworlds.. Paper submitted the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Nashville, TN.,

Peel, A., Dabholkar, S., Anton, G., Wu, S., Wilensky, U., & Horn, M. (2020). A Case Study of Teacher Professional Growth Through Co-design and Implementation of Computationally Enriched Biology Units.. Paper submitted to the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Nashville, TN.,

Thompson, J., Wu, S. P., & Mills, J. (2020). The Use of Computer Programming in a Secondary Mathematics Class.. In 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access.,

Wu, S. P., Peel, A. M., Bain, C., Anton, G., Horn, M. S. & Wilensky, U. (2020). Workshops and co-design can help teachers integrate computational thinking into their K-12 STEM classes.. Proceedings of the Computational Thinking Education (CTE) 2020 Conference. Hong Kong, China.,

Aslan, U. Wu, S. P., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2021). Connecting "the chemistry triplet" through co-designing computational models with teachers: A case study on calorimetry.. Paper to be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA).,

Dabholkar, S., Peel, A., Hao, D., Kelter, J., Horn, M.S., Wilensky, U. (2021). Analysis of Co-designed Biology Units Integrated with Computational Thinking Activities.. The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 15th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2021 Proceedings, (pp. 665-668).,

Dabholkar, S., Tran, S., Horn, M. S., & Wilensky, U. (2021). Students' Attitudinal Change After Participating in a CT integrated Biology Unit.. In Dabholkar S. (Symposium organizer), Integrating Computational Thinking in Science Curricula: Professional Development and Student Assessment. Paper to be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST),

Hershkovitz, A., Bain, C., Kelter J., Horn, M. S., & Wilensky, U. (2021). Teachers' Perceptions of the Contribution of Computational Thinking to Science and Math Classrooms.. In Dabholkar S. (Symposium organizer), Integrating Computational Thinking in Science Curricula: Professional Development and Student Assessment. Paper to be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST).,

Kelter, J., Peel, A., Bain, C., Anton, G., Dabholkar, S., Horn M. S., Wilensky, U. (2021). Constructionist Co-design: A Dual Approach to Curriculum and Professional Development.. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52(3), 1043-1059.,

Levy, M., Wu, S. P. W., Dabholkar, S., Horn, M. S., & Wilensky, U. (2021). Teachers' Sensemaking of CT Integration and Pedagogical Approaches. In Dabholkar S. (Symposium organizer), Integrating Computational Thinking in Science Curricula: Professional Development and Student Assessment.. Paper to be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST).,

Peel, A., Dabholkar, S., Anton, G., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2021). Teachers' professional growth through co-design and implementation of computational thinking (CT) integrated biology units.. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Science Teacher Education (ASTE). January, 2020. San Antonio, TX.,

Peel, A., Dabholkar, S., Wu, S., Horn, M.S., Wilensky, U. (2021). An Evolving Definition of Computational Thinking in Science and Mathematics Classrooms.. Proceedings of the 5th APSCE International Computational Thinking and STEM in Education Conference 2021, (pp. 119-122).,

Peel, A., Kelter, J., Wilensky, U., Horn, M. (2021). Supporting the Integration of Computational Thinking and Science Through Professional Development and Co-design.. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Science Teacher Education (ASTE) 2021. Salt Lake City, UT.,

Peel, A., Kelter, J., Wilensky, U., Horn, M. (2021). Designing Professional Learning Experiences to Support Teachers' Computational Thinking Learning and Confidence.. Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST) 2021.,

Peel, A., Sadler, T.D., & Friedrichsen, P.J. (2021). Using Unplugged Computational Thinking to Scaffold Natural Selection Learning. The American Biology Teacher, 83(2), 112-117.,

Teachers

Wu, S., Horn, M., & Wilensky, U. (2021). Positioning Teachers as Co-designers To Integrate CT Practices in STEM. In Dabholkar S. (Symposium organizer), Integrating Computational Thinking in Science Curricula: Professional Development and Student Assessment. Paper to be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST).,

Wu, S.P., Anton, G, Bain, C, Peel, A., Horn, M.S. & Wilensky, U. (2021). Engage Teachers as Active Co-Designers to Integrate Computational Thinking in STEM Classes. Presented at NARST Annual International Conference (NARST 2020), Portland, Oregon.,

Wu, S., Peel, A., Bain, C., Horn, M.S., Wilensky, U. (2021). Different Paths, Same Direction: How Teachers Learn Computational Thinking in STEM Practices through Professional Development. Proceedings of the 5th APSCE International Computational Thinking and STEM in Education Conference 2021, (pp. 52-57).,

Wu, S. P. W., Jones, B., Swanson, H., Horn, M. S. & Wilensky, U. (2021). A Tale of Two PDs: Exploring Teachers' Experiences in Co-designing Computational Activities. The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 15th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2021 Proceedings, (pp. 1025-1026).,

Students

Zhao, L., Peel, A., Horn, M.S., Wilensky, U. (2021). Student perceptions of computational thinking practices in a CT-integrated environmental science unit. 2021 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST).,

Methodology

Weintrop, D., Beheshti, E., Horn, M. S., Orton, K., Jona, K., Trouille, L., Wilensky, U. (2014). Defining Computational Thinking for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA'14).,

Weintrop, D., Beheshti, E., Horn, M.S., Orton, K., Trouille, L., Jona, K., Wilensky, U. (2014). Interactive Assessment Tools for Computational Thinking in High School STEM Classrooms. Proceedings of INTETAIN 2014, Chicago IL.,

* Weintrop, D., Beheshti, E., Horn, M., Orton, K., Jona, K., Trouille, L., & Wilensky, U. (2015). Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(1), 127-147.,

Weintrop, D., Beheshti, E., Horn, M., Orton, K., Jona, K., Trouille, L., & Wilensky, U. (2015). Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(1), 127-147.,

Peel, A., Kelter, J., Zhao, L., Horn, M.S., Wilensky, U. (2022). Conjecture Mapping: An Approach to Conducting Design-Based Research with Embedded Co-design Cycles. Paper submitted to the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2022. San Diego, CA.,

Other Useful CT Publications

Tools, Software, & Curricula

Videos