TY - GEN
T1 - Creative, Engaging, and Playful Making-Activities with Smartphones and Embroidery Machines
AU - Spieler, Bernadette
AU - Krnjic, Vesna
N1 - Funding Information:
The Austrian FEMtech project “Code’n’Stitch”1 (2018-2020) was a two-year funding program of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology to promote equal opportunities for women in research and technology and to increase awareness and visibility. As part of this project, several programming and embroidery workshops at schools were conducted from September 2019 to March 2020 in grades 6 to 8 (ages 13-15). During this project, we explored how to effectively support non-Computer Science teachers in such coding activities with suitable teaching materials while navigating the difficulties in transferring designs initially drawn on paper to programmed artefacts. The main methods used during the exploratory workshops included on-site observation notes, questionnaires, interviews with focus groups, and analysis of the students’ designs [9]. Figure 1 shows impressions of school workshops. Furthermore, during the “Maker Days for Kids” events in 2019 and 2020 at Graz University of Technology, the Catrobat apps were used for the purpose of introducing students to the basics of programming while creating a gaming app and for creating patterns [8].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 ACM.
PY - 2021/6/2
Y1 - 2021/6/2
N2 - Smartphones have become the predominant way many students interact online, and mobile apps offer an ideal way to engage this audience. The Catrobat apps are used in this area, particularly for creating apps and thus teaching basic programming skills. During the "Code'n'Stitch"project, the apps have been extended with the creation of patterns, geometric, and artistic textile designs, as well as the programming of traditional embroidery machines. In this way, students not only learn programming, but they can also show the results of their code in a tangible way, embroidered on their shirts or bags. To take the idea of "Making"further, a combination with a sewing machine is possible: Fabrics can first be embroidered with programmed designs and then sewn into "cherry pit pillows". This idea was successfully integrated for the "Maker Days for Kids"event at Graz University of Technology in 2019 and 2020.
AB - Smartphones have become the predominant way many students interact online, and mobile apps offer an ideal way to engage this audience. The Catrobat apps are used in this area, particularly for creating apps and thus teaching basic programming skills. During the "Code'n'Stitch"project, the apps have been extended with the creation of patterns, geometric, and artistic textile designs, as well as the programming of traditional embroidery machines. In this way, students not only learn programming, but they can also show the results of their code in a tangible way, embroidered on their shirts or bags. To take the idea of "Making"further, a combination with a sewing machine is possible: Fabrics can first be embroidered with programmed designs and then sewn into "cherry pit pillows". This idea was successfully integrated for the "Maker Days for Kids"event at Graz University of Technology in 2019 and 2020.
KW - creative coding
KW - digital designs
KW - gender
KW - mobile programming
KW - programming
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114272843&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1145/3466725.3466745
DO - 10.1145/3466725.3466745
M3 - Conference paper
AN - SCOPUS:85114272843
T3 - ACM International Conference Proceeding Series
BT - Proceedings of 5th FabLearn Europe / MakeEd Conference 2021
PB - Association of Computing Machinery
T2 - 5th International Conference on Computing, Design and Making in Education, FabLearn Europe / MakeEd 2021
Y2 - 2 June 2021 through 3 June 2021
ER -