Title:
Coding Beyond the Screen: Integrating the Coding as Another Language Curriculum With Physical Computing [Download]Authors:
Abigail J. Bergman, Claire Mikulski, Annick Manseau, Sofia Migon, Julia Wilder, Kristin Searle, Avneet Hira
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Abstract:
The Coding as Another Language (CAL) curriculum offers a means for young children to develop digital coding skills, which is a form of literacy development. The work presented in this paper extends this idea to the domain of physical computing, positing that it leverage the same powerful ideas of computational thinking. Furthermore, this hands-on, often screen-free domain provides an additional venue that invites young children to develop operational, cultural, and critical literacies in developmentally appropriate ways. To illustrate these ideas, this paper describes three prototypes of early childhood physical computing technologies and relevant curricular activities based on CAL. These cases highlight young children’s growing technological fluency as they transferred and deepened their new knowledge through engagement with various physical materials. The materials used to craft tangible artifacts serve as a medium for developing technical skills, expressing ideas, fostering shared values, and questioning established processes. To this end, authors noted how the CAL curriculum can place physical computing in conversation with other technical, experiential, and deeply humanistic pursuits.
DOI:
How to cite:
Abigail J. Bergman, Claire Mikulski, Annick Manseau, Sofia Migon, Julia Wilder, Kristin Searle, Avneet Hira, "Coding Beyond the Screen: Integrating the Coding as Another Language Curriculum With Physical Computing", IEEE-RITA, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 91-96, Jan. 2026. doi: 10.1109/RITA.2026.3667447