The Creative Communities research group in the Department of Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) seeks a postdoctoral researcher in areas of informal learning, creative learning experiences with computing, and equity-oriented community design. The postdoc will work directly with Prof. Ricarose Roque and join an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team of researchers and educators across CU Boulder, the Tinkering Studio at the Exploratorium, and the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at MIT. This initiative is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Making and tinkering spaces have emerged and spread widely across informal learning organizations such as museums, libraries, and community centers. These spaces have a mix of craft, traditional, and emerging computational tools and activities that engage people in project-based, interest-driven, and peer-supported learning experiences. Facilitators play important roles in enabling STEM-learning in making and tinkering spaces, as well as ensuring spaces are welcoming diverse learners from groups that have been marginalized from traditional STEM/computing spaces.
The project team will design and develop “computational tinkering” activities and facilitation resources that help facilitators meaningfully and equitably integrate computational thinking in their practice and their spaces. In addition, we aim to investigate the impact of these resources through a research plan that will examine facilitators’ development as they jointly engage with youth and families in these activities. Our approach to computational tinkering aims to broaden the styles of engaging with computing, providing a more social, physical, and cross-disciplinary alternative to more dominant ways of teaching computing that focus on planning and optimization of a single solution. Computational tinkering activities enable children and families to create their own stories, music, and art using a combination of everyday materials along with programmable lights, motors, and physical sensors to expand the opportunities for exploration and creative expression.
Project directions include but are not limited to:
Conducting qualitative research into the facilitation practices of informal learning educators and how to support equity-oriented facilitation practices
Examining children’s and families’ development of computational tinkering and identities as creators and learners with computing
Participating in the research and development of “computational tinkering” activities with project team and network of educators
Collaborating with informal learning educators across libraries, museums, and community centers. Additional partners include the ideaLAB network for makerspaces at the Denver Public Library and the Clubhouse Network, an international community of creative technology spaces with more than 100 Clubhouses located in 20 countries
Ideal candidates will have a Ph.D. with a research background in learning sciences, design, qualitative research, information science, human-computer interaction, or a related field. We also seek candidates that enjoy playfully experimenting and creating with code, craft, and other materials. Candidates may begin as soon as Fall 2022, though starting dates are flexible.
Click here to apply through CU Boulder. Please contact Prof. Ricarose Roque with any additional questions.