Kim Harang
Over the last few years, the importance of computer science education for children has been
promoted more and more vigorously. In addition, the demand for technology occupations has
increased rapidly, and there are many job opportunities in computer science. However, there
are not many women working in this field. One of the reasons is young women’s lack of interest
in computer science. This study investigates how to attract young women to computer
programming and support computational thinking through design and develop learning
activities. This study’s approach includes several related researches, theories, and
methodologies. Interviews, workshops, and observations were used to determine design
requirements. The results demonstrate that tangible and meaningful artifacts are effective
educational tools for computer programming. Based on the results, this research developed a
prototype, “TomatoBox,” a do-it-yourself kit that creates toys while providing an enjoyable
activity to learn programming.
