"I want to be a game designer or scientist": Connected learning and developing identities with urban, African-American youth

June Ahn, Mega Subramaniam, Elizabeth Bonsignore, Anthony Pellicone, Amanda Waugh, Jason Yip

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

Understanding identity, including how young people come to aspire to become someone, is vital to address the underrepresentation of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We report on a two-year, research project where we designed, implemented, and conducted case study research in an after-school program for inner city, middle school students. The program utilizes the school library, new media activities, and science fiction to engage young people to imagine STEM as relevant in their lives. We focus our analysis on two African-American boys, Damian and Jamal, who are best friends and avid gamers. Despite their similar backgrounds, they show starkly divergent identity trajectories while participating in our program. We highlight how they experienced different connected-learning activities and social positioning over time, and how these experiences related to Damian's developing aspiration to become a game designer or scientist, contrasted with Jamal's struggle to imagine a future in STEM.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)657-664
Number of pages8
JournalProceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS
Volume2
Issue numberJanuary
StatePublished - 2014
Event11th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: Learning and Becoming in Practice, ICLS 2014 - Boulder, United States
Duration: Jun 23 2014Jun 27 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science (miscellaneous)
  • Education

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