A soft circuit curriculum to promote technological self-efficacy

The development of technological self-efficacy in young people can have a dramatic impact on diversity in the field of computing. Students'self-efficacy and scientific understanding can benefit from engaging in hands-on activities, such as creating soft, electronic textile (e-textile) circuits. There is, however, a notable lack of instructional materials to support such learning experiences. I have developed a workshop facilitation guide which outlines five e-textile activities, accompanied by a collection of low-cost craft and electronic components. The instructional materials target educators, who may facilitate e-textile activities in settings such as science museums, after-school programs, or summer camps. I have assessed the effectiveness and usability of the materials through a short series of workshops, during which I also evaluated their impact on students'technological self-efficacy.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Lovell, Emily Marie

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Leah Buechley.

• Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67826

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/67826