One of the main approaches to Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRE) in computing is called ethnocomputing. Tedre, Sutinen, and Kähkönen (2006) argued that computing is not culturally neutral (i.e., culturally informed by the Western ideals). Thus, computing should be taught using techniques that consider the cultural context of the user. Ethnocomputing was born from this premise and suggests that computing principles should relate to the learners’ cultural framework (Tedre et al., 2006).
In the following video, Dr. Ron Eglash one of the pioneering researchers in ethnocomputing and heritage algorithms and also one of the primary contributors in CDSTs (Culturally Situated Design Tools, there are interesting activities related to the Native American beading and quilting in CDST site) talks about his research in the field of ethnocomputing and algorithms found in Indigenous and ethnic communities through their arts and crafts, architecture, dance and cultural rituals.
One important quote that stood out for me is “Science and technology are done differently in these Indigenous traditions than they are in Europe. Europe is all about economies of extraction so science and technology are specifically created for the purpose of extracting value and carrying it off elsewhere to a corporation or a colonizing nation. In these Indigenous cultures, their science and technology were developed for the purpose of preventing extraction and emphasizing sharing and the circulation of value in this unalienated state.“(PreparationTech, 2020, November 21, 15.45)
Some important recommendations that Eglash stated about how ethnocomputing is applied in teaching Indigenous youth : 1) Use non-coding activities to introduce youth to computing: weaving, quilting, beading, etc. (11.19). 2) Teach youth how Indigenous knowledge has powered today’s science and technology (14.26). 3) Teach students about the cultural background (22:43) (i.e., there is historical background in CDSTs before commencing with related programming / mathematical activities). 4) Provide students both the opportunities and agency in a context of social justice (31:55) (PreparationTech, 2020, November 21)
References:
- PreparationTech (2020, November). #PreparationTech: Teaching Kids how coding is in hair braiding, quilting, weaving and Latin Music
. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM3eMpgnjcE&t=54s
- Tedre, M., Sutinen, E., Kähkönen, E., & Kommers, P. (2006). Ethnocomputing: ICT in cultural and social context. Communications of the ACM, 49(1), 126-130. https://doi.org/10.1145/1107458.1107466