2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In the last decade, the way children interact with technology has shifted significantly, from limiting exposure to actively managing and guiding their digital experiences. As children’s use of commercial platforms continues to rise, particularly in environments not originally designed for them, the need for safe, educational alternatives becomes ever more critical. Despite ongoing efforts to create structured and secure digital spaces, the rapid adoption of commercial platforms like Roblox by younger audiences has surpassed these initiatives, highlighting a shortage of free, accessible resources that foster meaningful, controlled learning experiences.
This project seeks to address that gap by developing foundational educational content and modern computer science lessons that seamlessly integrate into popular digital ecosystems such as Roblox, which now boasts over 28 million daily active users under the age of 13. Roblox, though not originally intended for such a young demographic, has proven to be a highly effective platform for early technological engagement. This presents a unique opportunity to leverage children's favorite virtual worlds as environments that can both captivate and educate. The project focuses on key STEM fields—Engineering, Data Science, Coding, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)—and aims to transform these spaces into interactive learning environments that align with early childhood pedagogical goals.
Central to this initiative is the development of CT Island, a virtual world (VW) designed to foster computational thinking (CT) through gamified educational experiences. Drawing from educational gaming theories and the Game Development Life Cycle (GDLC), CT Island provides a secure, engaging, and educational virtual environment where young users can explore and grow. The island is structured around four primary zones, each representing a different STEM field: The Elephant Circus Tent (Engineering), Flamingo Yard (Coding), Granny Squirrely Escape Rooms (Data Science), and the Recycling Area (AI). Each zone features themed missions and tasks that guide players through hands-on learning activities designed to build computational thinking skills.
The missions on CT Island are crafted to immerse children in problem-solving tasks and are categorized into five core types: tinkering, making, engineering, coding, and data science. In the Engineering section, for instance, teams work together within the Circus Tent to complete challenges using a limited set of tools, fostering collaboration and design thinking. In the Coding zone, players engage in step-by-step procedures to navigate virtual objects to specific destinations, reinforcing logic and sequencing skills. The Data Science missions focus on pattern recognition and decryption, with players analyzing clues to unlock doors. Lastly, in the AI section, children learn to teach machines efficient recycling techniques, introducing them to real-world AI applications.