Investigating an Equity-based Participatory Approach to Technology-rich Learning in Community Recreation Centers

Understanding how to design and implement equity-based approaches to technology-rich learning can lead to increased and diversified participation in computing. Do-it-yourself (DIY) and maker approaches to interactive technology learning have been hailed as potential equalizers of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for underserved youth, a narrative challenged by scholarship that has shown that if not designed carefully, making can be exclusionary and hegemonic. Equity-based approaches to making have identified the crucial role of community educators to prioritize community assets and learner participation. We studied educators’ strategies and youth outcomes in four afterschool maker programs in urban recreation centers. Community educators used several equity-based strategies to engage youth that included: identifying their interests through direct conversation and indirect signaling, customizing program activities to respond to interests, and encouraging self-expression and authenticity. These strategies led to increased social connections among youth, and increased technology self-efficacy and project ownership.