“Everybody’s searching their roots”: centering Black nature-cultures of belonging in non-compulsory computer science education

ABSTRACTBackground & context Inspired by the nature-cultures of belonging from Black hair care, we conducted a design experiment to bridge computer science (CS) education, urban gardening, and cosmetology in a culturally responsive computing (CRC) library program.Objective The design was oriented around a small-scale aquaponics system to grow mint and lavender for making natural cosmetic products. We hypothesized that this could inform the design and implementation of computational thinking and computer programming educational activities.Methods We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from the design experiment to theorize the processes of using the aquaponics system to enroll Black nature-cultures of belonging in the CRC program.Findings Given that the program supported children’s self-confidence in and knowledge of CS, nature-culture inspired CS education appears feasible.Implications Through respectful engagement with the discourses and practices of Black hair care, we provide insight into how nature-cultures can contribute to more diverse, inclusive, and pluralistic forms of CS education.KEYWORDS: Computer science educationculturally responsive computingnature-culturesBlack hair careaquaponics AcknowledgmentsWe would like to personally thank William Babbitt, Elizabeth LaPensée, Yolanda Rankin, and Jakita O. Thomas for their support of this work.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Ethical approvalAll procedures in this study that involved human subject research were approved by Michigan State University’s Institutional Review Board.Informed consentInformed consent was obtained from every individual who participated in this study.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Science+Society@State; Joe L. Byers and Lucy Bates-Byers Endowment for Technology and Curriculum.