Contexts that promote interest, self-determination, and learning: lasting impressions and lingering questions

Across eight narratives, each capturing unique characteristics of a particular after-school or out-of-school computer program, several unifying themes are identified as lingering questions that merit exploration by those invested in these ‘club’ settings.

Abstract

Across eight narratives, each capturing unique characteristics of a particular after-school or out-of-school computer program, we identified several unifying themes. We offer those themes as lingering questions that merit exploration by those invested in these 'club' settings. Specifically, we ask about the conceptions of learning held by authors, examine the distinctions between learning about and learning with technology, and question the degree of choice required to sustain the interest and engagement portrayed in these narratives.