KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 28, 2024

Born at the height of the Civil Rights movement as the son of one of the nation’s first black physicists, Alan Shaw stands on the shoulders of giants who changed the course of history.

Now an associate professor and the associate chair of the Computer Science department at Kennesaw State University, he is carving his own path by impacting the lives of countless students through educational technology and the theory of social constructivism.

Shaw’s work largely draws inspiration from his father, Earl Shaw, who laid the cornerstone in what would become a flourishing career in both academia and industry. The elder Shaw earned graduate degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of California, Berkeley, and as a physicist, is credited with inventing new laser technology. In recognition of their impact, both Earl and Alan Shaw have appeared alongside Barack Obama, Frederick Douglass and other prominent figures in the book “Black Genius: Inspirational Portraits of African American Leaders,” written by Dick Russell.

Since joining Kennesaw State, Alan Shaw has worked fervently to bolster the use of technology in education with the steadfast belief that it makes learning tangible for students. In 2023, he and KSU faculty members Ro Worthy and Brian Lawler were awarded a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant to pursue a project called Calculus for All. The grant focuses on introducing calculus concepts to high school students earlier in their academic careers. Passing calculus is the number one inhibitor to students pursuing careers in STEM, Shaw said, adding the grant addresses systemic barriers for success and racial equity in STEM.

“Calculus is poorly taught in general, and most kids struggle with it,” he said. “But in order to go into STEM fields like computer science, kids need to pass calculus. Those who take it in high school will either pass it in high school, or more likely, they’ll pass it in college. Those who don't get exposed to it in high school usually don't do well at it in college, and that is the fate of a large percentage of minorities and women. We are experimenting with exposing all students to calculus concepts in the Algebra 2 class in high school so that all students will have a better chance of passing it in college.”

The grant builds off the success of a nearly $500,000 NSF grant Shaw and two faculty members received in 2020 for a project called Computer Science for All, designed to help middle school students learn computer science through math courses and with the use of technology.

“I’ve found that kids love it when math helps them program a video game or control a turtle moving around a screen,” Shaw said. “They get excited with technology. We see how kids love their phones and their ability to communicate with technology. We have tools that excite kids. We just need to use them.”

Sumanth Yenduri, dean of KSU’s College of Computing and Software Engineering, says Shaw’s impact is felt far and wide.

“Dr. Shaw’s work is truly transformative,” said Yenduri. “His passion and drive for computing education has earned him great success with federal agencies. I look forward to seeing the impactful consequences from his new project.”

Shaw’s approach to education has been informed, in part, by his own journey. A graduate of Harvard University where he served as the president of the Black Student Association, Shaw earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His time there was pivotal.

“In my own path, as a Black student, I didn’t see a lot of other Blacks there,” Shaw said. “I have a passion to broaden that pipeline, to bring more students of color into academia. We need solutions to bring the numbers up, to give all kids a chance who want to succeed in these STEM-related fields.”

To achieve that, Shaw said, math should be accessible to students who don’t necessarily come from well-to-do families.

“Kids coming from underserved communities stand less of a chance,” he said. “We need to change that dynamic. We need to bring classrooms with large percentages of minorities into a new way of thinking. So, we are bringing technology in and helping them achieve more.”

Shaw’s thinking is heavily influenced by his MIT thesis advisor, Seymour Papert, who invented a programming language called LOGO. Papert was motivated by a theory of constructivism, which holds that young people could learn something as complicated as computer programming if you engaged them versus simply instructed them. Shaw expanded upon that theory into what he calls social constructivism.

“My thesis was about taking educational tools into communities to use for social programs,” he said. “Kids aren’t helped when you think of learning as something that’s passive. I’m showing how technology can help neighbors in a poor community overcome poverty.”

During his college days, Shaw volunteered for civil rights activist Bob Moses, who pushed for voter registration in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. Moses also started The Algebra Project, which sought to ensure every child achieves math literacy.

“Moses and Papert really changed my worldview by making me realize how I could help kids become empowered within the classroom,” Shaw said. “We must think of learning as not just an opportunity for students to gain knowledge, but also to build an affirming sense of who they are and that they’re capable of accomplishing great things. A lot of schools seem to have lost sight of that, or they have just given up on the idea that things can be different. But here at KSU, I believe we are making great strides toward helping students succeed no matter what their background is or who they are. I'm very optimistic for the future of STEM education at KSU.”

This article also appears in the current issue of Summit Magazine.

– Story by Amanda Cook

Photos by Darnell Wilburn

 

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.