Becoming Facilitators of Creative Computing in Out-of-School Settings

Abstract

Educators in informal learning environments are often called "facilitators" to highlight the role that they play in guiding youth interests rather than prescribing or directing their activities. This paper presents research on the development of adult facilitators in out-of-school programs that engage youth in creative computing experiences, where youth create, design, and build with technology. Facilitators are typically volunteers recruited from the local community, schools, and companies with varied backgrounds with youth, education, and technology. We examined the experiences of adult facilitators in an intergenerational learning program that supported youth and their parents to learn and create with technology. We describe three case studies of adults who developed multiple practices and roles and discuss what supported their development as facilitators. This study has implications for how informal learning organizations and programs can support facilitators from varied backgrounds to support diverse learners in creative computing.