Eglash et al (2013) evaluated two designs for technologies which support culturally responsive science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by surveying students in Boys and Girls after school programs.
- African American Distributed Multiple Learning Styles Systems (AADMLSS) requires a login and is geared toward African American urban youth.
- Culturally Situated Design Tools (CSDT) used ethnomathematics “it is a matter of documenting indigenous math and computing concepts embedded in traditional practices, and then using simulations to “translate” to their western equivalents” (p. 639).
The study concluded “both approaches were useful, and provided complementary coverage of culturally responsive learning” (p. 647). If children were given the choice they would choose what is familiar to them and if not trained in the tools would not use them. The researchers comment on the free availability of the resources (AADMLSS and CDST) and suggest 5 approaches when incorporating them. The one which stuck out to me is “Give children the flexibility to explore other cultures and identities” (p. 652), which I believe is important as many children do have multiple cultural backgrounds and it’s interesting to explore other cultures in a safe environment.
I would like to delve more into the CSDT website as there were 5 simulations developed which explored the Native American culture.
Eglash, R., Gilbert, J. E., Taylor, V., & Geier, S. R. (2013). Culturally responsive computing in urban, after-school contexts: Two approaches. Urban Education, 48(5), 629-656. doi:10.1177/0042085913499211