Conceptualizing Approaches to Critical Computing Education: Inquiry, Design and Reimagination

Three practical approaches exist for teaching critical computing: The paper identifies inquiry (analyzing existing systems), design (creating new solutions), and reimagination (envisioning alternatives) as concrete methods educators can use to address algorithmic bias and discriminatory practices in K-16 classrooms.

Critical computing education builds on established pedagogical traditions: Rather than being entirely new, current efforts to teach responsible AI draw from decades of educational research focused on empowering learners through critical analysis and hands-on production—providing a solid foundation for classroom implementation.

Current efforts lack clarity in classroom translation: While many initiatives aim to integrate criticality into computing education, the paper highlights that "how exactly these efforts address criticality and translate it into classroom practice is not clear," suggesting educators need more concrete guidance and resources.

Visible tech harms are driving educational change: The increased visibility of issues like algorithmic bias, discriminatory practices, and techno-solutionism (over-reliance on technological solutions) has motivated educators to rethink computing curricula, indicating that public awareness of AI risks can catalyze meaningful educational reform.

More research is needed on effective implementation: The paper calls for further computing education research to address outstanding issues and provide directions for how these three approaches can be most effectively implemented in real classrooms.