CoCo stands for Compose and Code and it is a digital learning platform that embeds self-regulated learning strategies and Universal Design for Learning supports (including a graphic organizer, audio comments, video models, and text-to-speech) to help scaffold computational thinking and guide students to design and code creative software. CoCo was developed to broaden the participation of underrepresented student groups as a result of our findings from our previously-funded NSF project (Award # 1837380). These findings indicated that although students with high-incidence disabilities were able to participate in computer science instruction, many had trouble navigating coding activities, understanding sequential steps, and creating a plan for their work. CoCo is a tool that can be used as part of computer science instruction to help students engage in computational thinking and plan and code creative products.
HOW DOES COCO WORK?
CHOOSING A LEVEL
Students pick a level (or teachers can assign students a level) commensurate with their familiarity and proficiency in Scratch.
LEARNING ABOUT THE LEVEL
Students learn about the level via a video that pops up once a level has been selected.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER – OVERVIEW
Students use the graphic organizer to plan for their project in Scratch. Students who are working in lower levels will be provided with more support, whereas those working in higher levels will have more autonomy.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER – COLUMN 1
Column one is where the written story goes. In the first level, the writing has already been added. In level two and up, students create or add the writing themselves.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER – COLUMN 2
Column two contains questions for the student to help them consider what they might need to do in Scratch based off of the writing in column one. Students click the "Yes/No" button to indicate their response to each question.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER – COLUMN 3
Column three automatically populates as the students work in column two. If a student answers "Yes" to one of the questions in column two, the appropriate Scratch block will appear in column three.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER – COLUMN 4
Students self-monitor by answering questions about their work in column four.
SELF-EVALUATION
Once students are finished working on a project or the daily lesson, they complete a self-evaluation.
