Dianna Xu

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About

Dianna Xu is a computer science educator and researcher whose work centers on reimagining introductory computing education through creative and interdisciplinary approaches. Her primary research areas include CS education, creative coding, and human-computer interaction, with a particular focus on broadening participation in computing. Xu’s most influential contribution is her pioneering work on integrating art and visual design into CS1 courses, as detailed in her highly cited 2012 paper "Creative coding and visual portfolios for CS1" (43 citations). This paper introduced a novel pedagogical framework where students create aesthetic visual portfolios while learning fundamental programming concepts, effectively making computing more accessible and engaging. Additionally, her 2008 paper "Games, robots, and robot games" (27 citations) explores the use of games and robotics as contexts for teaching introductory CS, demonstrating how playful, hands-on approaches can attract and retain diverse students. Xu’s work has had a lasting impact on CS education pedagogy, inspiring educators to move beyond traditional assignments and embrace creative, project-based learning. Her research at Bryn Mawr College has been instrumental in showing that computing can be both rigorous and creatively fulfilling, helping to shape a more inclusive and innovative approach to teaching the next generation of computer scientists.