This project aims to create and test an innovative educational approach for bringing STEM learning experiences to underserved youth. It will co-create and study an outdoor robotic-augmented playground called the “Smart Playground” and a corresponding series of classroom lessons. The Smart Playground will be co-designed with Latinx families and educators to engage children in developing computational thinking skills and learning about robotics in a physical environment using a culturally sustaining approach. Research and evaluation will examine whether exposure to the Smart Playground and corresponding classroom activities have an impact on the development of computational thinking in young children.
Jennifer Cross
LinkedIn URL
Professional Title
Research Assistant Professor
Organization/Institution
About Me (Bio)
Dr. Jennifer Cross is a Research Assistant Professor at the Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach where her primary research interests include human-robot interaction with a focus on the educational applications of robotics and diversity in engineering education. She completed her graduate degrees within the Community Robotics, Education, and Technology Empowerment Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, where she worked to develop the Arts & Bots Program, a creativity-oriented middle school robotics program using the Hummingbird Robotics Kit.
Personal Website