Marina Umaschi Bers, Beyond Coding: How Children Learn Human Values through Programming. MIT Press, 2022.

Abstract

In the digital age, the development of Information Technology has crucially changed the way in which we comprehend the world. While coding was originally perceived as a “privilege” reserved for computer scientists and programmers before, it has gradually become a survival skill for the generation of youth born in the new millennium. In the United States, the public and private sectors have made significant efforts to integrate coding training into K-12 education. As an experienced researcher and practitioner in coding training for kids, Tufts University’s professor of computer science, Marina Umaschi Bers, attempts to transcend the traditional view of coding as merely scientific knowledge and skills. In her newest book, Beyond Coding (2022), Bers casts light on the pedagogical potential of computer programming activities for training future responsible citizens.