Events
ScratchJr’s 10th Birthday Party at DevTech
We’re throwing a birthday party! Join the DevTech Research Group at from 12-3 PM EST on Sunday, March 16th, 2025 to celebrate 10 years of ScratchJr! For this free, in-person event at the DevTech lab on Boston College’s campus, children (of all ages!), families, educators, and more are invited to learn about and play with ScratchJr. The event will include tutorials, arts and crafts, games, storytelling, educator and family resources, all designed for ScratchJr. Attendees will leave with a ScratchJr project they love, some ScratchJr swag, and a smile on their face. Light refreshments will be provided.
Complete this google form to officially register for the event.
All registrants will be sent an email about parking and finding the DevTech space one week prior to the event. Additionally, stay tuned to our socials for sneak peaks at some brand new ScratchJr activities!
Past Events
BC Undergraduate Pizza Social at the DevTech Lab (9/27)
Join Us at the DevTech Research Lab!
BC undergrads, we’re excited to welcome you to the DevTech Research Group’s lab for a special pizza social on September 27th! DevTech is an interdisciplinary research lab that designs, implements, and studies computational tools, pedagogies, and approaches for promoting young children’s learning. Swing by to meet our director, Professor Marina Bers, get to know our team of graduate and undergraduate researchers, play with our educational technologies, and/or grab some free pizza! Whether you’re interested in research opportunities, learning more about what we do, or just having pizza with friends on a Friday, we’d love to have you!
Boston College’s Make-A-Thon: April 6-7, 2024
The DevTech Research Group has partnered with MakeBC, a student-led engineering club, to help host Boston College’s first Make-A-Thon. Similar to the concept of a hackathon, a make-a-thon challenges students to create a physical object in 24 hours. Students in the Boston College Make-a-thon will be given a choice of 4 tracks to compete in: Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Developmental Technologies (DevTech), and Art. Along the DevTech track, students will be encouraged to design a learning tool for young children, and are welcome to draw inspiration from DevTech’s technologies and pedagogies. This is an opportunity for students to integrate their knowledge of education, human development, and psychology with engineering and technological design. No prior engineering experience is required: students of all academic backgrounds are encouraged to join!
Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each track. The event will run from April 6th to April 7th, with free meals and training workshops provided throughout.
Fun Sessions at the Discovery Museum: Sunday, October 25th 2023
Join the DevTech Research Group at the Discovery Museum for a series of Fun Sessions with ScratchJr! ScratchJr is a free programming language for children ages 5-7 which utilizes block programming to allow children to create their own interactive stories and games. Fun Sessions will consist of a one hour engaging activity and testing of a new adaptive game designed by the DevTech Research Group. Visit their website for tickets and more! If you are interested in assisting with this event, please email Ghaida Alrawashdeh for more information.
CreatedBy Festival @ Boston Children’s Museum: Sunday, October 22nd 2023
Join the DevTech Research Group at the CreatedBy Festival (hosted by Boston Children’s Museum) for a series of Fun Sessions with ScratchJr! ScratchJr is a free programming language for children ages 5-7 which utilizes block programming to allow children to create their own interactive stories and games. Fun Sessions will consist of a one hour engaging activity and testing of a new adaptive game designed by the DevTech Research Group. Visit their website for tickets and more! If you are interested in assisting with this event, please email Ghaida Alrawashdeh for more information.
Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month at the Museum of Science: Oct. 14th, 2023
Join the DevTech Research Group at the Museum of Science to celebrate Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month for fun science and cultural offerings in English and Spanish! Programming will include featured speakers, family activities, enlightening live presentations, a special community storytelling event, and Boston-area performance and community groups. Check out their website for tickets and details! If you are interested in assisting with this event, please email Francisca Carocca Penailillo for more information.
Boston College’s Make-A-Thon: April 15-16, 2023
The DevTech Research Group has partnered with MakeBC, a student-led engineering club, to help host Boston College’s first Make-A-Thon. Similar to the concept of a hackathon, a make-a-thon challenges students to create a physical object in 24 hours. Students in the Boston College Make-a-thon will be given a choice of 4 tracks to compete in: Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Developmental Technologies (DevTech), and Art. Along the DevTech track, students will be encouraged to design a learning tool for young children, and are welcome to draw inspiration from DevTech’s technologies and pedagogies. This is an opportunity for students to integrate their knowledge of education, human development, and psychology with engineering and technological design. No prior engineering experience is required: students of all academic backgrounds are encouraged to join!
Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each track. The event will run from April 15th to April 16th, with free meals and training workshops provided throughout.
Classes with Prof. Marina Bers
Prof. Bers teaches interdisciplinary courses focused on the design and use of learning technologies. These courses have a strong hands-on, project-based component. The current course offerings by semester are as follows:
Spring 2025
FORM 6150/CSCI2265: Tech Tools for Playful Learning
Students served: Undergraduate and Master’s students
Time: Thursdays 9:30 – 11:50 am
Location: DevTech Lab, Carney Hall Room 306
This course explores the design and use of new technologies for learning and engages students in current debates around educational technologies, computational thinking, coding and robotics. Students will learn how to develop, implement, and evaluate technology-rich curriculum and will design their own computational meaningful projects. They will visit K-2 classrooms to implement technology-rich curricula, will learn how to use video to document their experiences, and will become researchers to assess the thinking and learning fostered by the different tools.
FORM 8840: Design of Formative Experiences
Students served: Doctoral Students
Time: Wednesdays 10:00 am -12:20 pm
Location: DevTech Lab, Carney Hall Room 306
This is a PhD level seminar in which we will discuss relevant literature and focus on design aspects for learning settings that aim to help people engage in self actualization, community building, and growth.
Fall 2025
FORM 7210: Design, Innovation and Formative Experiences
Students served: Master’s and Doctoral Students
Time: Wednesdays 10:00 am -12:20 pm
Location: DevTech Lab, Carney Hall Room 306
This course explores the role that design and innovation can play in the development and implementation of technology-rich formative learning experiences in different settings such as schools, non-formal educational environments, community-based organizations, museums, etc. Students will read materials from a variety of disciplines such as design thinking, entrepreneurship, developmental psychology, learning sciences and artificial intelligence and will be exposed to expert guest speakers. In addition, students will gain design skills. Students will work on a final project of their choice to be determined in consultation with the professor, and will create a prototype, test it, evaluate it and revise it to meet the needs of the identified setting.
Relevant Degree Programs
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Formative Education
Drawing faculty from the diverse disciplinary traditions of history and philosophy, anthropology and humanistic psychology, design thinking and the learning sciences, this program prepares future scholars and practitioners to examine the normative dimensions of formal and informal education, the development of the whole human being in sociocultural context, and the grand social challenges that now demand a fuller educational response.
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Learning, Design, and Technology
Design the future of learning
Today’s evolving world calls for researchers and practitioners who can help schools, nonprofits, companies, and governments design engaging, learning experiences that draw on the most current learning technologies and pedagogies. Led by DevTech Director, Professor Marina Bers, under the Department of Formative Education at the Lynch School of Education, the M.A. in Learning, Design, and Technology (LDT) will equip you with the hands-on design experience, interdisciplinary knowledge, and technical skills you’ll need to respond to that call.
To learn more about volunteer and paid opportunities at DevTech for students, visit our Join Us page for information.