Broadening Participation in STEM-based Computational Modeling by Leveraging Alternatives to Programming

Abstract

Computational models (CMs) offer pre-college students opportunities to integrate STEM disciplines with computational thinking in ways that reflect authentic STEM practice. However, not all STEM teachers and students are prepared to teach or learn programming skills required to construct CMs. To broaden participation in computing, we propose instructional approaches that integrate STEM with CMs without requiring students to program, thereby alleviating challenges associated with learning how to program.