Beyond Coding

As momentum builds around computer programming clubs and broader movements promoting “computer science (CS) for all,” less work has explored the many other ways that young people are developing and demonstrating creative, multimodal literacy practices as well as social engagement in these CS-focused
spaces. The purpose of this paper is to share insights into these issues, based on a study of 1 such “code club” situated in a public library in the Southwestern United States. Specifically, this paper presents an analysis of data collected over the course of a 10-week summer session of the code club (June 2017–August 2017). A total of 47 students aged 8–14 participated, which met twice a week with a library facilitator. As part of the study, I collected observational, artefactual, and audio-recorded data from each session and engaged in first- and second-cycle qualitative coding (Saldana, 2015) to identify the ways in which students drew on multimodal literacy practices as they navigated, interpreted, interrogated, and designed their learning experiences across virtual and face- to-face contexts (Serafini, 2012). Findings from this study suggest that a wide variety of creative practices can be observed while students engage with digital content, procedural literacies, and social contexts “beyond the screen.” This paper contributes to the work of connected learning by providing additional evidence into the diverse and multidimensional learning practices that can occur within code clubs and similar environments, as well as the ways that teachers, parents, librarians, and other adults can support students engaging in these practices.