ABSTRACT
To thrive in a digital world, all students need computational thinking skills and habits of mind that allow them to innovate and solve problems more effectively and efficiently. This chapter describes an effort by the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) to engage students from underserved groups in computational thinking through an immersive, playful learning game called The Pack. In the virtual game world, learners accomplish tasks by interacting with simulated objects or entities that embody computational thinking or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts. In this game, learners practice building algorithms associated with computational thinking to solve complex challenges related to ecological systems. This chapter describes the prior research that informed this work and the iterative design and research processes used to meaningfully integrate computational thinking in a STEM learning context. The chapter also discusses how learners responded to two iterations of the game and how the game’s design mirrors the practices of programmers working in STEM fields.
