"Hug Bug" is a non-formal experience combining something girls feel comfortable with (crafts) with something new (electronics).
"Hug Bug" is a science learning kit with a paper and plushy version: first for prototyping, second for bringing the prototype into life. It is designed for a non-formal learning environment with a group of several students. During the experience, using the kit, learners go through a design process to first prototype, then create their own plushy ladybugs that light up and speak.

Learning Objectives

For this project I wanted to explore the issue of girls being underrepresented in STEM areas. I wanted to design an experience that would invite girls to participate in STEM activities and make them feel confident and competent in it. I wanted girls to learn that STEM is relevant to their interests and something they are capable of doing successfully.

Research

The first part of the design process, once goals were set, was to look into what others have been doing and what can be learnt and extracted from it. I started the process by asking the following questions to me and using the insights to later guide my design.

What I did

Taking the research finding, I knew I had to create an experience that will enable girls to learn a new skill in a comfortable environment, making sure the physical materials of the kit are backed up with scientific evidence that will help girls best learn the skill, and create an environment, where girls would learn together stacking new knowledge and using the new skills for meaningful experiences for themselves.
Going through a systematic design process, three iterations and testings with my colleagues and girls at "Boys and Girls Club" I created a kit informed with research decisions, critique and testing results. The kit includes materials to create a ladybug, light it up and be able to debug the mistakes by using the learning cards.

What is in the kit?

I ended up designing and using two versions of a kit: the first one was the paper kit, which I used to make prepare for future learning, and teach kids about the science concept in a simpler way with a conductive take and LED lights.
The second kit was included felt components and instead of copper take a copper thread, needles and sewable LED components.

I used this kit to make sure the engagement component was there as girls would be excited to end up with a real durable toy, also developing persistence. This tool also helped transfer the knowledge about electronics from first to second experience building on new skills.

What would girls make with the kit?

It took several iterations to end up with this specific design. During the first two testings, I realized that the the shape and what girls would make mattered: It had to be simple, customizable and expandable.

How would I support learning and making?

To support the learning process I used the following physical cards that I designed. The first prototype for the cards was a book. After several iterations and learning from critique and looking at how the book was handled in the making process, I realized I had to fit the learning materials making them cards that would enable learners to spread it on the table, seeing several things at once and easily handle them by turning over.
I wanted learners to chunk the knowledge and the process to be able to better comprehend the design process they were going through that is why I made three cards: Planning, Lighting Up and Debugging.
When you go over the cards, pay attention to the scientific words used, which enforces the process the girls go through with the stem terms, (e.g. debugging), as well as see how they customize their ladybug and make it personal for themselves while learning how and why things happen (e.g. the LED lights up).

How everything comes together

Critique

Design Justice: I think about the design justice aspect of this project in two ways, one, which I think I did well, and the other, that I think, could have been better: I think it would have been better if I co-designed the activity with the girls from the beginning being accountable to them with the development and engaging them in the design process of the activity rather than just testing. But what I did well here was from the beginning looking at the design aspect of STEM activities and what has been done that left a group of learners out of that experience. Doing that research, in the beginning, helped me include components that would invite underrepresented learners to try the experience.
offering invitations: From the beginning of the project, my goal was to invite girls, who are usually underrepresented in STEM areas, to the experience that I would create. I think that I succeeded in doing so, not only did the girls at the "Boys and Girls" club decide to engage in the experience by themselves, they continued coming to the workshop two more times, and we had several more girls join in throughout the process. One thing I did not account for in the beginning was making sure that I do not exclude others from the experience by making it too specific for girls.
Supporting and Sustaining motivation: It is one thing motiating learners to engage and another trying to levergae the motivation throughout the whole experience. I think one of the biggest takeaways from this experience was seeing that with enough components on motivation and support throughout the learners developed resiliance to push through even the most challenging parts of the experience to get to the final results they imagined. One of the successes of this project was seeing girls not only motivated to start but having enough motivation and support in the process to create their own ladybugs, which is not a very easy thing.
The project was initially advertised as being "for girls". I think I would have advertised it to be more inclusive with explicit and some implicit elements that would intentionally draw girls' interest in the project not to exclude boys who are interested as well.
Facilitating was not as easy as I thought. I think I would have partnered with someone to have a more organized process and make sure that everyone has support when needed, I take the needed information from testing and record/take more photos during the process
In the process I have used STEM vocabulary to make the processes around electronics visible to girls and for them to identify their actions with the STEM concepts. I would have added the non-STEM practices in this as well showing the implicit STEM practices in areas that are not considered STEM. (For example, if they were to fix a regular tangled thread, they would call it debugging as well)

What I did well

I was successful in combining the literature in the components of the design making sure what I learnt from the research is reflected in my product.
Girls were sufficiently motivated in the process and were engaged in the process of activities starting from the paper ladybug to the Hug Bug they created
the learning objectives for this project were met as girls started identifying electronics with something they are capable of doing and enjoyed doing as well.
The experience was personally meaningful to each participant: students decided for themselves what they were going to use their creations for: some girls decided it was going to be a perfect gift for mothers dat, while others took the chance to create their own bedside plushy toys.
The experience was relevant to girls interest as I observed from the process and from the feedback I received from the participants.

What I learned

population

Who learners are and what they want is essential. having their input in various parts of the design is helpful.

manipulatives

Pay attention to both digital and non-digital materials: they have an effect of inviting learners to engage.

motivation

If the motivation component is sufficient learners will persevere even when the experience is challenging:

“It was definitely worth the work I did" - project participant

sequencing

Sequencing the experiences is essential as they build on each other and open up new learning opportunities.

In this project, having the paper ladybug in the beginning which was comparatively easy to do, girls learn more about electronics and were able to apply that transfer the learning in the other project.

“ Is this thread made of metal? ”- project participant

epistemic stance

Giving a learners a chance to know and be able to do something complex shifts their epistemic stance and positions them as more knowledgable in some areas than their parents giving them a chance to teach what they learnt and for parents to reinforce and be impressed for their kids being able to master something complex.

“ Dad, look what I made.. Look I made it light up”- project participant

Additional Project Materials

Media from second testing

Media from third testing

If you are interested to learn more about this project, here I have recorded the details, lessons learnt from each testing and critique I have done for this project.