On the aesthetics of children's computational modeling for learning science

We posit that in the context of learning science using generative computational media, the lens of aesthetic experiences can provide us with a framework to understand how learners begin to develop representational fluency by appropriating computational tools into personally meaningful, computational expressions. We report two cases to illustrate how students' experiences of computational modeling activities, using agent-based visual programming and musical composition environments, can represent Dewey's notion of aesthetic experience. We highlight two important aspects of the process through which children transform these computational tools into expressive media for modeling: engaging in personal excursions and leveraging multi-modality. The children's work was both personally meaningful and representative of the curricular goals.