Yasmin B Kafai
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 86891 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Yasmin B Kafai |
| NOMBRES | Yasmin B |
| APELLIDO | Kafai |
| FIRMA | KAFAI Y B |
| AFILIACIONES | University of Pennsylvania |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4018-0491 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 27 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 43 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 25 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 2 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 1970 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2023 |
| ÍNDICE H | 4 |
Consensual assessment in the new domain of e-textiles
Establishing what constitutes creativity in a domain is something for which we often look to experts—individuals versed in a domain’s history and able to identify timeworn ideas from fresh ones. Such valuations of creative merit are tied to a familiarity with past and present trends and, therefore, opinions of newcomers are often ignored. However, what about domains that build upon new, unexplored practices? This study examines the creativity rat…
Restorying a Black girl’s future
Background Scholarship demonstrates that Black girls’ capacities to imagine possible futures in computing are constrained by narratives of white masculinity and misogynoir embedded within computing. Building on race critical code studies and identity-as-narrative theories, we examine restorying through Black womanist storytelling methodologies for integrating Black girls’ intersectional identities when designing and reimagining their computing fu…
Teaching and learning about respiratory infectious diseases
The pandemic outbreak of COVID‐19 has highlighted an urgent need for infectious disease education for K‐12 students. To gather a better understanding of what educational interventions have been conducted and to what effect, we performed a scoping review. We identified and examined 23 empirical researcher‐ and teacher‐designed studies conducted in the last 20 years that have reported on efforts to help K‐12 students learn about infectious diseases…
A Revaluation of Computational Thinking in K–12 Education
Over the past decade, initiatives around the world have introduced computing into K–12 education under the umbrella of computational thinking. While initial implementations focused on skills and knowledge for college and career readiness, more recent framings include situated computational thinking (identity, participation, creative expression) and critical computational thinking (political and ethical impacts of computing, justice). This expansi…
Computing for all
Given the increased need for broadening participation in computing, there must be a focus not just on providing culturally relevant content but also on building accessible and inclusive computational tools. Most efforts to design culturally responsive computational tools redesign surface features, often through making nominal changes to add cultural meaning, yet the deeper structural design remains largely intact. We take a critical perspective t…
The biodesign studio
Most constructionist efforts have focused on supporting learners with tools for designing with digital and/or physical media. Recent developments in life sciences now allow K‐12 learners to design with living materials, or to biodesign. In this paper, we report on the development of a biodesign studio activity called biocakes wherein teams of high school youth genetically modified a yeast strain to bake a nutrient fortified food product. Using a …
Debugging by design
Much attention in constructionism has focused on designing tools and activities that support learners in designing fully finished and functional applications and artefacts to be shared with others. But helping students learn to debug their applications often takes on a surprisingly more instructionist stance by giving them checklists, teaching them strategies or providing them with test programmes. The idea of designing bugs for learning—or debug…
STEAM Maker Education
Much of maker education’s expansion has focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) learning, leaving out equally promising opportunities for integrating arts learning. In this paper we share findings from a project in which high school students created electronic-textiles-based art representing features of a community important to them as a part of an elective high school computer science class. We addressed the following res…
Making more of games
Bringing 21st-century science into schools
Advances in biodesign, in which principles of engineering and technology are applied to the life sciences, are moving out of laboratories and into daily life. However, they have not made their way into K-12 classrooms. Today’s students need to become familiar with biotechnologies so that they can make informed decisions about how they will be applied in the future. Yasmin Kafai and Justice Walker describe some of the programs that can help K-12 s…
Connecting with Computer Science
The development of student identities-their interests in computer science, perceptions of the discipline, and sense of belonging in the field-is critical for broadening participation of underrepresented groups in computing. This paper reports on the design of portfolios in which two classes of high school students reflected on the process of making electronic textile projects. We examine how students expressed self-authorship in relation to compu…
Computational Participation
Understanding the computational concepts on which countless digital applications run offers learners the opportunity to no longer simply read such media but also become more discerning end users and potentially innovative “writers” of new media themselves. To think computationally—to solve problems, to design systems, and to process and organize information drawing on concepts fundamental to computer science—is seen as a crucial problem‐solving s…
Constructionist Gaming
There has been considerable interest in examining the educational potential of playing video games. One crucial element, however, has traditionally been left out of these discussions-namely, children's learning through making their own games. In this article, we review and synthesize 55 studies from the last decade on making games and learning. We found that the majority of studies focused on teaching coding and academic content through game maki…
Constructionism in Practice
Beyond Freedom of Movement
Few studies have examined gender and game play from the perspective of boys' participation. In this article we investigate boys' play in a tween-centric virtual world called Whyville.net, which had 1.5 million registered players at the time of study. Drawing primarily upon logfile data, we developed participation profiles and case studies of three boy players who ranged in engagement from casual to core players. In the case studies of boy players…
Blacks Deserve Bodies Too
In this paper, we investigate racial diversity in avatar design and public discussions about race within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 8—16. One unique feature of Whyville is the player’s ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by other players in Whyville. Our findings report on the racial diversity of availabl…
Investigating the ''Why'' in Whypox
Learning scientists have created and used virtual worlds to support players' historical, scientific, and ecological inquiries. Much less explored has been the impact of community events on players' investigations in virtual worlds. The authors present here the case of a community event Whypox, a virtual epidemic whose annual outbreak in Whyville affects players' communication and appearance. The authors analyze the different levels of participati…
World of Whyville
Virtual worlds have become the new playground for millions of tweens but we know little what it takes to become a player in a virtual community. This paper focuses on one virtual world, called Whyville.net, which at the time of our study hosted over 1.2 million players ages 8 to16 years, with the average player 12.3 years old. Girls represent over 68% of all players. A guided tour to the various places in Whyville, the different types of science …
Knowing and Throwing Mudballs, Hearts, Pies, and Flowers
Little is known concerning how young players learn to participate in various activities in virtual worlds. We use a new integrative approach called connective ethnography that focuses on how a gaming practice spread across a network of youth at an after school club that simultaneously participated in a virtual world, Whyville.net. To trace youth participation in online and offline social contexts, we draw on multiple sources of information: obser…
Stealing From Grandma'' or Generating Cultural Knowledge
Much research has described the various practices needed of gaining access and participation in multi-user game communities. Cheat sites are a continuation of game communities where players engage in knowledge building about game related challenges. In this paper we analyze the cheat sites created by players for a tween virtual world called Whyville.net, which encourages youth to participate in a range of social activities and play casual science…
Your Second Selves
Avatars in online games and worlds are seen as players' key representations in interactions with each other. In this article, we investigate the avatar design and identity play within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 8-16. One unique feature of Whyville is the players' ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by oth…
Scratch
"Digital fluency" should mean designing, creating, and remixing, not just browsing, chatting, and interacting.
Cheating in virtual worlds
Purpose This paper aims to present and discuss cheat sites and cheating practices associated with Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.7 million registered players aged eight to 16 that includes game and science activities. The goal is to examine how the development of cheats can present learning opportunities for players and designers alike. Design/methodology/approach The types of cheats were categorized and science content examined in hun…
Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat
Girls and women as game players and game designers in the new digital landscape of massively multiplayer online games, “second lives,” “modding,” serious games, and casual games. Ten years after the groundbreaking From Barbie to Mortal Kombat highlighted the ways gender stereotyping and related social and economic issues permeate digital game play, the number of women and girl gamers has risen considerably. Despite this, gender disparities remain…
Playing and Making Games for Learning
This article presents an overview of what we know about two perspectives, coined instructionist and constructionist, to games for learning. The instructionists, accustomed to thinking in terms of making instructional educational materials, turn naturally to the concept of designing instructional games. Far fewer people have sought to turn the tables: by making games for learning instead of playing games for learning. Rather than embedding "lesson…
Playing and Making Games for Learning
This article presents an overview of what we know about two perspectives, coined instructionist and constructionist, to games for learning. The instructionists, accustomed to thinking in terms of making instructional educational materials, turn naturally to the concept of designing instructional games. Far fewer people have sought to turn the tables: by making games for learning instead of playing games for learning. Rather than embedding "lesson…
Your Second Selves
Avatars in online games and worlds are seen as players' key representations in interactions with each other. In this article, we investigate the avatar design and identity play within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 8-16. One unique feature of Whyville is the players' ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by oth…
Blacks Deserve Bodies Too
In this paper, we investigate racial diversity in avatar design and public discussions about race within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 8—16. One unique feature of Whyville is the player’s ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by other players in Whyville. Our findings report on the racial diversity of availabl…
A Revaluation of Computational Thinking in K–12 Education
Over the past decade, initiatives around the world have introduced computing into K–12 education under the umbrella of computational thinking. While initial implementations focused on skills and knowledge for college and career readiness, more recent framings include situated computational thinking (identity, participation, creative expression) and critical computational thinking (political and ethical impacts of computing, justice). This expansi…
Stealing From Grandma'' or Generating Cultural Knowledge
Much research has described the various practices needed of gaining access and participation in multi-user game communities. Cheat sites are a continuation of game communities where players engage in knowledge building about game related challenges. In this paper we analyze the cheat sites created by players for a tween virtual world called Whyville.net, which encourages youth to participate in a range of social activities and play casual science…
Investigating the ''Why'' in Whypox
Learning scientists have created and used virtual worlds to support players' historical, scientific, and ecological inquiries. Much less explored has been the impact of community events on players' investigations in virtual worlds. The authors present here the case of a community event Whypox, a virtual epidemic whose annual outbreak in Whyville affects players' communication and appearance. The authors analyze the different levels of participati…
Connecting with Computer Science
The development of student identities-their interests in computer science, perceptions of the discipline, and sense of belonging in the field-is critical for broadening participation of underrepresented groups in computing. This paper reports on the design of portfolios in which two classes of high school students reflected on the process of making electronic textile projects. We examine how students expressed self-authorship in relation to compu…
Knowing and Throwing Mudballs, Hearts, Pies, and Flowers
Little is known concerning how young players learn to participate in various activities in virtual worlds. We use a new integrative approach called connective ethnography that focuses on how a gaming practice spread across a network of youth at an after school club that simultaneously participated in a virtual world, Whyville.net. To trace youth participation in online and offline social contexts, we draw on multiple sources of information: obser…
Cheating in virtual worlds
Purpose This paper aims to present and discuss cheat sites and cheating practices associated with Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.7 million registered players aged eight to 16 that includes game and science activities. The goal is to examine how the development of cheats can present learning opportunities for players and designers alike. Design/methodology/approach The types of cheats were categorized and science content examined in hun…
World of Whyville
Virtual worlds have become the new playground for millions of tweens but we know little what it takes to become a player in a virtual community. This paper focuses on one virtual world, called Whyville.net, which at the time of our study hosted over 1.2 million players ages 8 to16 years, with the average player 12.3 years old. Girls represent over 68% of all players. A guided tour to the various places in Whyville, the different types of science …
Virtual Epidemics as Learning Laboratories in Virtual Worlds
In this article, we put forward the proposal to use virtual epidemics as learning laboratories for players to develop a better understanding of infectious disease, its social implications, and inquiry process. In the case of virtual epidemics, players can use their own experiences and observations of the community to learn about processes of infection and immunity, the interactions of social behavior, and reactions to perceived health risk – inve…
Learning through artifacts
Playing and Making Games for Learning
This article presents an overview of what we know about two perspectives, coined instructionist and constructionist, to games for learning. The instructionists, accustomed to thinking in terms of making instructional educational materials, turn naturally to the concept of designing instructional games. Far fewer people have sought to turn the tables: by making games for learning instead of playing games for learning. Rather than embedding "lesson…
Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat
Girls and women as game players and game designers in the new digital landscape of massively multiplayer online games, “second lives,” “modding,” serious games, and casual games. Ten years after the groundbreaking From Barbie to Mortal Kombat highlighted the ways gender stereotyping and related social and economic issues permeate digital game play, the number of women and girl gamers has risen considerably. Despite this, gender disparities remain…
Scratch
"Digital fluency" should mean designing, creating, and remixing, not just browsing, chatting, and interacting.
Cheating in virtual worlds
Purpose This paper aims to present and discuss cheat sites and cheating practices associated with Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.7 million registered players aged eight to 16 that includes game and science activities. The goal is to examine how the development of cheats can present learning opportunities for players and designers alike. Design/methodology/approach The types of cheats were categorized and science content examined in hun…
Blacks Deserve Bodies Too
In this paper, we investigate racial diversity in avatar design and public discussions about race within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 8—16. One unique feature of Whyville is the player’s ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by other players in Whyville. Our findings report on the racial diversity of availabl…
Investigating the ''Why'' in Whypox
Learning scientists have created and used virtual worlds to support players' historical, scientific, and ecological inquiries. Much less explored has been the impact of community events on players' investigations in virtual worlds. The authors present here the case of a community event Whypox, a virtual epidemic whose annual outbreak in Whyville affects players' communication and appearance. The authors analyze the different levels of participati…
World of Whyville
Virtual worlds have become the new playground for millions of tweens but we know little what it takes to become a player in a virtual community. This paper focuses on one virtual world, called Whyville.net, which at the time of our study hosted over 1.2 million players ages 8 to16 years, with the average player 12.3 years old. Girls represent over 68% of all players. A guided tour to the various places in Whyville, the different types of science …
Knowing and Throwing Mudballs, Hearts, Pies, and Flowers
Little is known concerning how young players learn to participate in various activities in virtual worlds. We use a new integrative approach called connective ethnography that focuses on how a gaming practice spread across a network of youth at an after school club that simultaneously participated in a virtual world, Whyville.net. To trace youth participation in online and offline social contexts, we draw on multiple sources of information: obser…
Stealing From Grandma'' or Generating Cultural Knowledge
Much research has described the various practices needed of gaining access and participation in multi-user game communities. Cheat sites are a continuation of game communities where players engage in knowledge building about game related challenges. In this paper we analyze the cheat sites created by players for a tween virtual world called Whyville.net, which encourages youth to participate in a range of social activities and play casual science…
Your Second Selves
Avatars in online games and worlds are seen as players' key representations in interactions with each other. In this article, we investigate the avatar design and identity play within a large-scale tween virtual world called Whyville.net, with more than 1.5 million registered players of ages 8-16. One unique feature of Whyville is the players' ability to customize their avatars with various face parts and accessories, all designed and sold by oth…
Constructionism in Practice
Beyond Freedom of Movement
Few studies have examined gender and game play from the perspective of boys' participation. In this article we investigate boys' play in a tween-centric virtual world called Whyville.net, which had 1.5 million registered players at the time of study. Drawing primarily upon logfile data, we developed participation profiles and case studies of three boy players who ranged in engagement from casual to core players. In the case studies of boy players…
Constructionist Gaming
There has been considerable interest in examining the educational potential of playing video games. One crucial element, however, has traditionally been left out of these discussions-namely, children's learning through making their own games. In this article, we review and synthesize 55 studies from the last decade on making games and learning. We found that the majority of studies focused on teaching coding and academic content through game maki…
Computational Participation
Understanding the computational concepts on which countless digital applications run offers learners the opportunity to no longer simply read such media but also become more discerning end users and potentially innovative “writers” of new media themselves. To think computationally—to solve problems, to design systems, and to process and organize information drawing on concepts fundamental to computer science—is seen as a crucial problem‐solving s…
Connecting with Computer Science
The development of student identities-their interests in computer science, perceptions of the discipline, and sense of belonging in the field-is critical for broadening participation of underrepresented groups in computing. This paper reports on the design of portfolios in which two classes of high school students reflected on the process of making electronic textile projects. We examine how students expressed self-authorship in relation to compu…
STEAM Maker Education
Much of maker education’s expansion has focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) learning, leaving out equally promising opportunities for integrating arts learning. In this paper we share findings from a project in which high school students created electronic-textiles-based art representing features of a community important to them as a part of an elective high school computer science class. We addressed the following res…
Making more of games
Bringing 21st-century science into schools
Advances in biodesign, in which principles of engineering and technology are applied to the life sciences, are moving out of laboratories and into daily life. However, they have not made their way into K-12 classrooms. Today’s students need to become familiar with biotechnologies so that they can make informed decisions about how they will be applied in the future. Yasmin Kafai and Justice Walker describe some of the programs that can help K-12 s…
Computing for all
Given the increased need for broadening participation in computing, there must be a focus not just on providing culturally relevant content but also on building accessible and inclusive computational tools. Most efforts to design culturally responsive computational tools redesign surface features, often through making nominal changes to add cultural meaning, yet the deeper structural design remains largely intact. We take a critical perspective t…
The biodesign studio
Most constructionist efforts have focused on supporting learners with tools for designing with digital and/or physical media. Recent developments in life sciences now allow K‐12 learners to design with living materials, or to biodesign. In this paper, we report on the development of a biodesign studio activity called biocakes wherein teams of high school youth genetically modified a yeast strain to bake a nutrient fortified food product. Using a …
Debugging by design
Much attention in constructionism has focused on designing tools and activities that support learners in designing fully finished and functional applications and artefacts to be shared with others. But helping students learn to debug their applications often takes on a surprisingly more instructionist stance by giving them checklists, teaching them strategies or providing them with test programmes. The idea of designing bugs for learning—or debug…
Teaching and learning about respiratory infectious diseases
The pandemic outbreak of COVID‐19 has highlighted an urgent need for infectious disease education for K‐12 students. To gather a better understanding of what educational interventions have been conducted and to what effect, we performed a scoping review. We identified and examined 23 empirical researcher‐ and teacher‐designed studies conducted in the last 20 years that have reported on efforts to help K‐12 students learn about infectious diseases…
A Revaluation of Computational Thinking in K–12 Education
Over the past decade, initiatives around the world have introduced computing into K–12 education under the umbrella of computational thinking. While initial implementations focused on skills and knowledge for college and career readiness, more recent framings include situated computational thinking (identity, participation, creative expression) and critical computational thinking (political and ethical impacts of computing, justice). This expansi…
Computer Science (24 obras) · Psychology (24 obras) · Sociology (18 obras) · Human–computer interaction (12 obras) · Teaching and Learning Programming (12 obras) · Digital Games and Media (10 obras) · Mathematics education (10 obras) · Pedagogy (9 obras) · Educational Games and Gamification (7 obras) · Political science (7 obras)