Harmonizing Scratch Encore: Scaffolding K-8 Teachers in Customizing Culturally Responsive Computing Materials

Abstract

The past decade has seen a growing number of culturally relevant K-8 computer science curricula. However, as teachers are the experts on their own classrooms, empowering them to customize instructional materials that draw on the cultural identities and personal experiences of their students can be a powerful strategy. Unfortunately, this process can be challenging and time-consuming. Through a series of co-design sessions with 5th-8th grade teachers, we identified challenges teachers face in customizing instructional materials. Our qualitative analysis of these design sessions reveals three primary challenges: (1) completing the customization process in a timely way, (2) preserving the learning objectives of the original curriculum, and (3) meeting personalized culturally responsive teaching goals. In response, we collaboratively and iteratively designed practical and cognitive scaffolds to support teachers in brainstorming and integrating culturally responsive themes specific to their students and classrooms into an existing structured computer science curriculum. This paper presents both the challenges and the scaffolds, contributing a model for supporting teachers in creating customized computing instructional materials for their particular classrooms.