Child–Computer Interaction seeks to support young people in critically engaging with technology through the Computational Empowerment (CE) research agenda. Recently, Transformative Agency has been proposed as a framework for understanding how CE can lead to action. This work-in-progress paper presents preliminary reflections of a cross-case analysis of two middle school interventions using activism-oriented learning to foster TA. We observed that while students demonstrated strong engagement, their possibilities for action remained bounded. Learning designs both enabled and constrained participation, personal relevance supported critique but not action, and making often remained symbolic. We argue for reconnecting CE with participatory design’s political roots by designing for situated action where students can meaningfully influence their everyday sociotechnical contexts.

Design-based learning (DBL) is an educational approach frequently used in design and technology education, yet students’ value judgments underpinning design decisions often remain implicit. In this case study, we examined how a visual inquiry activity embedded in a nine-week DBL project on Sustainable Infrastructure supported values inquiry. The project was co-created with a grade 6/7 teacher and implemented with 30 students. The activity comprised a neighborhood walk to photograph infrastructure, followed by facilitated discussion, value analysis, and synthesis into a community persona and point-of-view statement that anchored later ideation and prototyping. Data included 199 photographs, artifacts, field notes, and ten interviews. Findings show how visual inquiry supported (1) infrastructural noticing, (2) recurring valuation practices (comparison, gaps, use, and social cues), and (3) translation of values into design constraints and features. We discuss implications for educational designers and educators for supporting valuation and values-to-design scaffolds in DBL.

Design-based learning (DBL) can contribute to students' designerly well-being when enabling them to engage with the world through their own personal values and beliefs.Reflecting on and incorporating personally meaningful human values in their designs might in turn provide an avenue to support students' collective agency to engage critically with technology.In this paper, we investigate how value-sensitive design (VSD)-based activities and tools can support middle school students in incorporating their values into design projects.We detail the development and implementation of a Design Values card set and values-focused learning activities in an exploratory case study with 24 grade 6/7 students (ages 11-13) over 18 sessions across six weeks.Findings illustrate students' value hierarchies and reasoning, the card set's role in supporting their design processes, and how their values shaped their final designs.We present implications for educational designers and educators along with future directions for research to support designerly well-being.

Based upon a successful implementation of an upper-division project based learning (PBL) curriculum, an integrated first/second year PBL experience was designed and implemented. The integrated courses were physics 1, statics, design, and professionalism. The curriculum has been delivered from 2012 to 2015. This work in progress paper describes the design process, the trajectory of the program as it continuously improved, data collection methods, and initial results. Two of the members of this research team were members of the team that adapted the Aalborg (Denmark) model of PBL to an upper division 100% PBL curriculum. The model evolved into an ABET accredited program that is based on the solution of complex industry problems for the last four semesters of a bachelors degree. The results were used as the basis for the design of this lower division PBL program. The lower division program evolved from 2012 to 2015. Upon conclusion of the lower division experience, survey instruments were administered to students. Tools specific to self-directed learning and professional development were employed. The instruments are the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and professional development and professional expectations instruments designed by the authors of this paper.