Including Neurodiversity in Foundational and Applied Computational Thinking (INFACT)
Jodi Asbell‐Clarke, Tara Robillard, Teon Edwards, Erin Bardar, David Weintrop, Shuchi Grover, Maya Israel · Proceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 2 · 2022
INFACT aims to provide differentiable teaching and learning activities in Computational Thinking (CT) that are inclusive for neurodiverse learners in grades 3-8. Neurodiversity refers to learners with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other related cognitive differences. Underlying many neurodiverse conditions is differences with executive function (EF). In previous research on game-based learning, neurodiverse students became class leaders in CT activities [1]. Special education teachers noted that CT practices align with strategies they use to support problem-solving practices. Leveraging these affordances of CT, INFACT activities are designed with embedded EF scaffolds to support neurodiverse learners.