Critical Computational Literacies Design Studio is an interdisciplinary, studio-based course focused on designing and implementing theoretically-grounded tools for K12 teaching and learning. Over the semester, teams of students will articulate a learning goal and then design, build, deploy, and analyze a technology for teaching and learning K12 computing in partnership with a school or community organization. Our spring 2024 iteration focused on AI in education.

Students from multiple departments with experience in design, education research, and/or computer science are encouraged to join. Interested students should either enroll in LAI 686, or contact Dr. Proctor for more information.

Prerequisites

There are no hard prerequisites for this class, but you will be working in a group which collectively needs experience in three domains: educational research, design, and software development. You should have a substantial background in at least one of these areas. Specifically, this means:

• For educational research, at least one year of doctoral coursework in education. You should have some background in theoretical issues related to teaching and learning and should know how to read and talk about a journal article.
• For design, some experience (academic or industry) using iterative design methodologies in any field. (e.g. UI/UX, mecahnical engineering, industrial design, software engineering, graphic design, etc.) It helps to have familiarity with tools such as Adobe CS and practices such as user research, developing user stories, wireframing, and critiques.
• For software development, the equivalent of CSE 115 and CSE 116. You should know some programming language and have built something with code before.

Course overview

FAQ

Is this course open to undergraduates?

Yes, with instructor permission. Please see UB's requirements, and note that the petition must be submitted before the semester starts. Interested undergraduates are encouraged to contact Dr. Proctor.

I'm a student in another department. Can this course count for my major requirements?

We have not negotiated cross-listing this course, or having it count for departments outside of LAI. However, the course is highly-relevant to a few different fields of study. If you want to make the case for counting this course toward a requirement, Dr. Proctor will support you.

Will this course be offered again?

Maybe! If there's enough interest, we can do this again. If you're interested in being part of a future iteration of the course, please get in touch with Dr. Proctor.

Team

Chris Proctor

PI faculty