This extended abstract explores the ongoing discussion of the extent and purpose of involving children in Participatory Design (PD) in the field of Child-computer Interactions (CCI). Reflecting on the field’s progress and challenges, the author advocates for prioritizing children’s agency in PD as a legitimate end goal and advantageous for final designs. Through a recent PD project with seven children, the study investigates how to cultivate children’s agency in small-scale PDs while aligning with different team goals. This work hopes to examine power dynamics in PD through qualitative coding and interaction analysis, contributing to the field by opening up more discussions about the “whys” and “hows” of working with children. Planned next steps include finishing conceptualization, data analysis, and writing to close this phase of my dissertation, and reflecting on this work to inform the next phase.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and education researchers have applied Augmented Reality (AR) to support spatial thinking in K-12 education. However, fewer studies support spatial thinking through spatial exploration. Room-scale AR, a recent technology development, brings new opportunities not yet researched. We developed NetLogo AR, an AR authoring toolkit, that allows children to play with, design, and create room-scale AR experiences that combine AR with computational models. To acquire a deeper and more nuanced understanding of children’s interactions with this new technology, we conducted eight-week participatory design sessions with seven children aged 11-13. We analyzed 48 hours of video data, interview transcripts, and design artifacts. Children were enthusiastic and engaged in spatial thinking activities. We affirmed room-scale AR’s role in spatial exploration by comparing it with other supported modalities. Building on existing studies, we propose a new AR design framework around spatial movement and exploration that could help inform design decisions.

Agent-based modeling (ABM) has become a major approach to promote computational thinking and complex systems thinking in K-12 education. However, agent-based programming (ABP), the computational foundation of ABM, is less defined and discussed in previous literature. Summarizing previous studies around ABP from computer science and education, we argued for the potential benefits of introducing ABP to youth. Rooted in the interest development theory, we presented the design of a scaffolded agent-based programming space, the Pocketworld Playground (POP), that aims to engage out-of-school online young learners through developing their interest in ABP. The POP was built in Turtle Universe (TU), the mobile incarnation of NetLogo. Using a mixed-methods approach to analyze log data and artifacts created by learners, we found that POP successfully engaged learners with ABP practices; helped develop situational and individual interest; and contributed to TU’s emerging online community. Finally, we discussed design lessons that could benefit other online learning designers.