Challenges and Unexpected Affordances of Physical Computing Going Remote

Chakarov, A. G.; Bush, J.; Biddy, Q. L.; Jacobs, J.; Elliott, C. H.; Sumner, T.

Engaging in physical computing activities involving both hardware and software provides a hands-on introduction to computer science. The move to remote learning for primary and secondary schools during the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19 made implementing physical computing activities especially challenging. However, it is important that these activities are not simply eliminated from the curriculum. This paper explores how a unit centered around students investigating how programmable sensors that can support data-driven scientific inquiry was collaboratively adapted for remote instruction. A case study of one teacher's experience implementing the unit with a group of middle school students (ages 11 to 14) in her STEM elective class examines how her students could still engage in computational thinking practices around data and programming. The discussion includes both the challenges and unexpected affordances of engaging in physical computing activities remotely that emerged from her implementation. © 2021 ACM.