Selendra Mullen
Papers
1
Total Citations
39
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Selendra Mullen’s research sits at the intersection of early childhood education, human-robot interaction, and computational thinking (CT), with a distinctive focus on the ethical dimensions of technology. Her most-cited work, “Children caring for robots: Expanding computational thinking frameworks to include a technological ethic of care” (2022, 39 citations), makes a pioneering contribution by arguing that CT frameworks should not only emphasize problem-solving and logic but also incorporate an ethic of care. Through careful observation of how young children interact with robot coding toys, Mullen demonstrates that caregiving behaviors—such as nurturing, protecting, and empathizing with robots—are not peripheral but central to how children learn to think computationally. This work challenges prevailing pedagogical models and has influenced curriculum designers and child-computer interaction researchers alike. By reframing CT as a socially and emotionally embedded practice, Mullen has opened new pathways for inclusive, ethically aware technology education. Her scholarship is notable for bridging developmental psychology, ethics, and computer science education, making her a vital voice in conversations about how we prepare children for a technologically mediated world.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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