Thank you! We've been so gratified by campers' responses thus far :)

Katherine

Hi Emily, Thanks for the excellent question! Our learnings were complicated by Covid--the first camp ran over a 5 day summer week, while the second camp needed to be spread over two weekends (one a 3-day weekend) in February, as we adjusted to rising and falling Covid rates in our area. The two camper populations were different, too--the first was in a dense urban area with primarily campers who were African American, whereas the second was in a more rural/farming-adjacent area with more Hispanic campers. Despite these variations in context and population, we were able to sharpen the overall larp narrative and its intersection with the computational learning, and also, able to refine how we measured impact of the camp. One takeaway from both sessions was that the camp took a lot of people to stage well. So we're right-sizing it now as we run the next two sessions this summer, to ensure that what we put into the camp in a box will scale well people who want to run the camp. 

Hi Roxana,

The campers are using MakeCode (a block-based environment) and get mini-classes that include CSTA-appropriate skills standards such as creating programs that include sequences, events, loops and conditionals, and more process-focused CSTA standards such as using an iterative process to create code, remixing others' code, and systematically identifying and fixing problems in the code.

There is no need to sew for the class--we provide lots of approachable craft materials, here's a quote from the paper we just had accepted to the ACM DIS conference "Available crafting supplies included sticky tack, popsicle sticks, coffee stirrers, ribbon, temporary tattoos, butterfly wings, pre-made superhero costumes (capes and base-masks), glitter glues, hot glue guns, batting/poly fill, Velcro circle stickers, fabric scraps (various print patterns), organza fabric in various colors, packing perforated paper, foam sheets and packing foam pieces for construction, and tin foil pieces. Crafting tools available included scissors, a variety of types of glues, Sharpies, and tape."  We didn't provide formal crafting skills training, but had hands-on help from facilitators, tailored to what sorts of costumes/wearables the campers were aiming to create. 

Thanks so much, Katherine! I've gotten caught out with craft computing projects with kids not familiar with sewing, so your approach provides a smoother on-ramp.

Hi Krishna, 

The campers used MakeCode and the Micro:bit processor--we chose these because they are both very accessible and also, readily available for DIY activity after the camp. We actually send each camper home with their own Micro:bit. Another great thing about MakeCode is that you can use it via a tablet or smart phone, and many of our campers don't have a computer at home, but can use one of these kinds of devices. We really want them to be able to code and make after they finish the camp!

The motorized wheeled platform was used for a 'creature' device in the story that the campers were trying to catch up with as part of their missions. Some campers ended up modifying this creature's code, too, and we are iterating the camp to include a wearable 'familiar' type creature (like a Pirate's parrot) that combines wearability with movement/mechatronics as some girls were really drawn to that. 

Thanks for your kind words :)

Katherine

Thanks! Hope to have a camp-in-a-box with guidance out in the next year, so that others can run this camp as well, in their own context. What's great, too, is that both our camp partners will most likely continue to run these camps after our research funding is done, so the project will live on...

Katherine

Hi Jan,

The campers are not assumed to have any prior computing knowledge, so we give them mini-classes in the basics, and they write very simple code. An example problem was that the campers needed to change the colors of their LED light strings on their wearables to the same color in order to collectively pass through a portal to another world. So, they had to use MakeCode to create a program that would display this color, and then all step through the portal together. Things got a little more complex from there, in terms of using sensing to trigger actions, for example, for puzzle solving. 

Katherine

I think this could definitely be adapted to be promoted through Girl Scouts (I was a scout and loved the experience). Our 'camp in a box' will presume very little computing skill on the part of the leader, and all of the components we've selected have been chosen because they are readily available on maker websites such as Sparkfun, and not expensive. We are really hoping that exactly this kind of thing will happen! In year three, we will pilot our camp in a box with three different sites, so let me know if you (or another scout leader) might have interest in being one of our pilot sites :)

My troop will be Brownies then. Maybe too young?

Yes, perhaps a bit young--it's really aimed for middle schoolers... but maybe something we can think about for next project?

Thanks :)

Thank you! We're hoping with sharing the camp in a box in year three that lots more kids will get to be part of a program like this.

Great question--I think a surprising thing was how enthusiastically the campers embraced solving missions together--it really seemed to empower them to be pro-active and work together even more so than we might have imagined. For some of the challenges, they brainstormed solutions we wouldn't have anticipated (not all of which involved technology) so in a sense we've had to re-engineer the challenges to make sure they are solved with tech. In the second camp we ran, the girls were driven to and from camp each day by staff, and staff anecdotally told us about how the campers were brainstorming and anticipating the next day's action on the rides to and from the camp, which was another sign of enthusiasm and interest.