Examining Gendered Communications of Coding Kits for Young Children
Authors: 
Jingyao Cen, 
Junnan YuAuthors Info & Claims
Jingyao Cen, Junnan YuAuthors Info & ClaimsPages 624 - 629
Abstract
Designing computational toys and kits to welcome young children from different genders is essential to broaden participation in computing, as they play a critical role in facilitating children’s development of computational thinking. However, how young learners of different genders are being welcomed by these kits remains unclear. In this paper, we report our in-progress work examining how commercially available coding kits for young children are communicated from a gender perspective. Specifically, we analyzed the gender indications in the product descriptions and advertisement images of 30 kits, revealing a relatively balanced gender representation in images while significantly boy-oriented use of words in product descriptions. Ultimately, we call for attention and actions to more gender-inclusive communication of STEM toys for children.
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June 2023
824 pages
ISBN:9798400701313
DOI:10.1145/3585088
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Published: 19 June 2023
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