你好Ní Hǎo!/Hello!Hello!
My name is Xinyue Zhou (pronounced Sheen Yo-eh Joe), but you can also call me Kiera. I am a second-year PhD student in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology program at the College of Education. My research focuses on computer science education and the role of games in learning. Specifically, I am interested in computational thinking(CT) and its potential to enhance computer science(CS) education for non-major students and in informal settings. My goal is to bridge gaps and promote equity in computer science education by increasing representation and showcasing the application of CT across various fields beyond traditional CS classrooms.
Currently, I am working on a project that connects computational thinking (CT), a problem-solving process involving pattern recognition, decomposition, and abstraction, with culturally responsive education. I aim to reimagine traditional Chinese motifs in programming environments to help students link cultural heritage with computational learning. During my master’s program in Instructional Design, I designed curriculum modules where students programmed traditional Chinese window patterns using TurtleArt, a visual coding web tool, and then created wood lanterns from these patterns using laser cutting. This approach successfully made cultural identity a visible part of computational learning.
With funding from my department, CEPSE, I am expanding this work by systematically developing a curriculum centered around Chinese window patterns from both Han and minority ethnic communities. This initiative addresses the homogenization of Chinese culture often present in education and challenges anti-Asian bias by highlighting the artistic and mathematical contributions of diverse Chinese groups. Through this work, I seek to uncover how marginalized heritage forms carry embedded computational principles and how showcasing these forms can reshape learners’ sense of belonging, foster creative engagement, and enhance cultural awareness in computing environments.
Building upon this curricular work, I will develop a digital heritage module focused on Chinese armor patterns, such as Mountain Pattern Armor, Chainmail, and Fish-Scale Armor. These culturally significant designs will be modeled using Snap!, a block-based coding platform. Students will engage with computational concepts by coding these patterns, and they will extend their learning through hands-on fabrication using cardboard or 3D printing. The curriculum will also integrate relevant computing concepts and historical content.
This project aims to expand culturally responsive computing by centering both Han and minority Chinese traditions, challenging homogenized narratives, and making Asian contributions to design and logic more visible. Additionally, it seeks to engage demographics that are underrepresented in cultural computing by linking historical imagination with creative making.
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