Nate Laffan

Papers

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About

Nate Laffan is a researcher at the intersection of human-computer interaction, design research, and STEM education, with a particular focus on how tangible, robotics-inspired kits can broaden participation in computational fields. His work critically examines the design and pedagogical assumptions embedded in widely used educational tools such as Lego Mindstorms, Sphero, and DASH, contrasting them with novel kits he has developed to better serve diverse learners. In his most-cited work, "Now That's What I Call A Robot(ics Education Kit)!" (2024, 3 citations), Laffan offers a pictorial analysis that challenges the status quo in robotics education, advocating for more inclusive and conceptually rich design approaches. Though early in his career, his contributions are already shaping conversations around equity in computing education, and his hands-on, design-driven methodology positions him as a thoughtful voice in reimagining how youth engage with computational concepts through play and making.