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Despite the perceived value of extracurricular experience, higher education relies heavily on grade point average (GPA) as a measure of undergraduates' academic success. When used as a singular standard assessment, GPA, which is based on student progress and completion of coursework, may inadvertently steer undergraduates away from valuable out-of-class experiences that might enhance their employability after graduation. With this premise in mind, the current study proposes to supplement GPA scores in an undergraduate Computer Science program with a wholistic assessment known as an Innovation, Competency, and Experience (ICE) score. The ICE score is a point system for documenting and rewarding students' extracurricular activities, in addition to their GPA scores. We designed and developed a web-based technology platform called RadGrad to implement ICE scores and promote student engagement and participation in extracurricular activities. Preliminary data shows that over 36% of students started to use RadGrad, even though its use was completely voluntary. More than half of those students planned and participated in various extracurricular activities, ultimately earning ICE points. Importantly, the ICE score deployed through RadGrad demonstrates the potential value of a supplemental assessment to GPA, which can promote extracurricular experiences relevant to students' future careers beyond coursework.

Culturally-relevant computing has been discussed as a way to promote K-12 Computer Science education and address ongoing challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. What is not well understood about the practice of culturally-relevant computing, however, is how to bring together existing cultural frameworks and Computer Science curricula effectively. To help address this area, focus group interviews were conducted with ten (n = 10) in-service Computer Science teachers working in the multicultural context of Hawai'i. The focus group sessions were designed to reveal teachers' perceptions of the principles and processes involved in designing and implementing culturally-relevant CS lessons and resources. Results revealed a number of key themes, including important variations in the practitioners' philosophical and operational approaches to culturally-relevant computing. The paper ends with a detailed discussion of the findings and their implications for designers, practitioners, and researchers working in Computer Science education.

This study examined the relationship between elementary students' domain-specific and game-specific motivations in the context of educational videogames. Using a quasi-experimental design, thirty (N = 30) sixth grade students were assigned to two groups based on their level of motivation for the domain of math (higher math motivation vs. lower math motivation). They then played a videogame involving mathematics fifteen times over a two-week period. During this time, participants' in-game performances were recorded, along with their levels of motivation for the videogame and the domain of math. The results showed that the participants played the game at the same level of skill regardless of their initial level of motivation for the domain of math. Similarly, participants expressed high levels of interest, effort, pressure, and value for the game despite their varied levels of math motivation. However, the two groups reported significantly different levels of perceived competence involving the videogame. Further still, participants with lower levels of motivation for math reported a significant "decrease" in their self-reported ability perceptions in math, which did not occur for participants with higher levels of motivation for math. The study concludes with a discussion of the relationship between learners' domain-specific and game-specific motivations and the implications for future game-based learning research.

Note taking applications for tablet devices offer the potential for meaningful integration of science and technology through the use of digital notebooks. This case study examined one pre-service teacher candidate's thoughts on using a digital notebook during a STEM methods course and how she transferred this knowledge and practice to a summer STEM camp. Data included artifacts from the STEM course, video of a lesson, a follow-up questionnaire, and students' notebooks. Analysis indicated that the candidate had a positive view of a digital notebook based on her use in the STEM course, and that she successfully incorporated a digital notebook into her summer STEM camp. Students' notebook entries incorporated photos, drawings, and explanations that extended beyond what they were doing in science to what they were learning. While this study shows potential for meaningful integration of science and technology through the use of a digital notebook, additional research is needed to further understand the impact a move to digital notebooks could have on the teaching and learning of science.

Traditional paper science notebooks have served the purpose of engaging learners in the scientific practices, however, as with many things, paper is being replaced by digital. This study examined the digital notebook entries of students to consider the affordances and limitations of digital science notebooks versus traditional paper science notebooks. Affordances were related to the use of audio, ability to copy and paste, take photographs, and include material from the internet. Limitations included the time it took students to write and/or draw tables, and the potential learning opportunities lost from close observation through drawing to photographs. This study highlights how a digital science notebook can also integrate technology in a manner that promotes active learning and critical thinking. Based on the notebook entries examined, we suggest that the affordances outweigh the limitations and encourage further research on digital science notebooks.

While many academic conferences are transitioning to online events, this article aims to share several strategies used by the organizers of a well-established online-only conference. The Teaching, Colleges, and Community (TCC) Worldwide Online Conference recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. After a brief review of TCC's history, four strategies that organizers have identified as helping conference goers feel oriented, welcomed, connected and engaged are described. These strategies include offering a "pre-conference" orientation, including regional keynote speakers, creating opportunities for informal exchange, and encouraging participation with digital credentials.

Drawing on dual-process theories of cognitive function, the degree to which spatial contiguity influences incidental learning outcomes was examined. It was hypothesized that spatial contiguity would mediate what was learned even in the absence of an explicit learning goal. To test this hypothesis, 149 adults completed a multimedia-related task under the guise of usability testing. As participants interacted with the environment, incidental learning material was displayed on the screen with varying degrees of spatial contiguity and without explanation. Upon completion of the task, participants were administered an unexpected retention test assessing their knowledge of the incidental learning material. The results produced clear evidence that spatial contiguity influenced what was learned automatically without conscious processing. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of dual-process theories for multimedia learning design and research.

This study investigates how tablet-based note-taking applications can be integrated into elementary science classes as digital science notebooks. A teacher with 20 students in Grades 4-5 from a public charter school in Hawaii participated in the study. The participating science teacher introduced a tablet-based note taking application (TNA) to her students, and students used the TNA as their science notebook instead of their paper-based notebook. At the end of the semester, an interview was conducted with the teacher to better understand her experiences with integrating TNAs into her science lessons and her perspectives on using digital science notebooks in general. The researchers also visited the science classroom to observe students using TNAs. This paper presents findings from the interview and the classroom observation. It ends with a discussion of the potential of technology to facilitate student engagement with scientific-inquiry and science-related writing.

The worldwide explosion in popularity of mobile devices has created a dramatic increase in mobile software (apps) that are quick and easy to find and install, cheap, disposable, and usually single purpose. Hence, teachers need an equally streamlined and simplified decision-making process to help them identify educational apps--an approach that differs from traditional technology decision-making approaches that are cumbersome and require significant time, resources, and effort. Project Software Identification and Evaluation for Decision-Making (SIED) attempts to fill this gap. In this article, we describe Project SIED, how we designed a series of professional development workshops for in-service special education teachers based on Project SIED, and the evaluation outcomes of the workshops. Results suggest that workshops were successful from in-service special education teachers' self-reported confidence and comfort levels. Limitations and future plans are discussed.

Students of today are digital natives who for the most part come to school with experiences that may surpass those of their teachers. They use tablet computers and other devices in their personal lives and are eager to use them in the classroom. For teachers, this means they must integrate technology in ways that allow their students to learn with technology rather than from technology. Using tablets as digital science notebooks is one way in which students can learn with technology. This article describes how fourth and fifth graders used a tablet as a digital science notebook in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) summer camp while engaging in science and engineering practices.

The purpose of this study was to examine if student understanding of new material could be promoted by manipulating the perceptual factors experienced at the time of learning. It was hypothesized that the thematic relevance of perceptual factors would be a significant contributor to learner understanding. To test this hypothesis, one hundred seventy-three (n = 173) first and second grade students with limited prior knowledge were introduced to multiplication using a virtual manipulative environment. While interacting with the environment, participants encountered varied levels of thematic relevance in the audio and bodily-kinesthetic modalities. The audio perceptual factor varied what learners heard while the kinesthetic perceptual factor varied how learners moved. The results show that changes in the sensory experience at the time of learning have a "bottom up" impact on learners' ability to process new content. Evidence also suggests that the thematic relevance of perceptual factors mediates learner understanding in different ways over different time scales. The study concludes with a discussion of design-related issues and suggestions for future research.

This exploratory study investigates the potential of a tablet-based note-taking application (TbNA) to serve as a digital notebook in support of students' classroom science practices. An elementary teacher (Grades 4-5) from a public charter school integrated a TbNA into her science class for one semester while participating in professional development. Data from a student survey, a classroom observation, and a teacher interview were collected. Findings suggest that students were successful using the TbNA but did not use all of the tools as expected. The results have implications for teacher education, in that professional development must go beyond exploration to the use of technology in subject-specific situations. The work underscores the importance of researching educational technology in authentic classroom contexts.