Bridging Performative Arts, Feminist Pedagogy and Technology: A Framework for Inclusive Learning Strategies to engage Young Women from Marginalized Communities in Computing Education
Abstract
Gender disparities persist in computing education and disproportionately affect girls and young women from marginalized communities. Addressing these inequities requires reconsidering not only the content of education, but also the ways it is taught and the perspectives that are given priority. This paper introduces a novel interdisciplinary framework that bridges theatre education, feminist pedagogy, and computing education to inform critical, creative, and socially responsive approaches to non-formal and formal learning contexts. Drawing on a narrative review across these domains, we identify 12 educational principles that foreground equity and cultural relevance in computing education. We illustrate the framework through a case study within the #ACTFEM program aimed at motivating young women from marginalized communities to participate in computing activities. For the IDC community, this work advances discussions on feminist HCI, theatre-inspired practices, and computational empowerment, positioning it as a space where social innovation, such as inclusion, community impact, and transformative change play a crucial role in advancing the field.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Teaching and Learning Programming
Gender and Technology in Education
Art Education and Development
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Proceedings of the 25th Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference
- Publisher
- ACM
- Pages
- 213–228
- Publication date
- 20 June 2026
- Language
- EN