1: Growing up in the age of computers

We open the course with an overview of the major themes of the course. We examine several case studies of how computers currently shape learning and schooling. We will conclude by reflecting on how our discussion of computers and schooling challenges our assumptions (e.g. where is a school? what are its boundaries?) and surfaces essential questions about education.

Course overview and structure

This video introduces the structure of the course.

This week

• Complete the course survey.
• No discussion group this week. Instead, write a ~500-word reflection (due before the end of the weekend): Jeanette Wing's (2006) argument for computational thinking kicked off two decades of efforts to integrate computing into K12 schooling. How did this project touch your life? Which of her arguments do you find compelling, and which do you find less so? How important do you think it is, in 2026, for every child to learn CT? Please submit this through UBLearns.

Readings

Wing, J. M. (2006 , March). Computational Thinking. Commun. ACM, 49(3), 33–35. doi:10.1145/1118178.1118215

The Atlantic. (2026, August 26). How social media makes our lives smaller [Video]. YouTube.