Culturally Relevant Areas of Opportunity for K-12 Computing Lessons

Computer science (CS) is increasingly being made available to K-12 students around the world. Research in several countries has indicated that female, Black and ethnic minority learners may be less likely to study computing, particularly at university. Culturally responsive computing, drawing on culturally relevant pedagogy, can help us start addressing the diversity issue. Research and initiatives in this area have been evident in the US but less so elsewhere. This work-in-progress paper describes ten reflective prompts or Areas of Opportunity (AOs) for CS educators to use for reviewing and adapting the cultural responsiveness of their K-12 computing activities for their context. The AOs build on guidelines co-created with teachers. We describe each of the AOs, correlate them to literature, suggest what they might look like in practice, and how we are using them in the context of a wider study. We suggest the AOs may be useful for other researchers to investigate in their country's context and welcome discussion about the AOs.