2026 Yasmin B. Kafai: Social Sciences and Humanities Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Computer Science	58	3548	3448	1708	1648	295	20597
Social Sciences and Humanities	60	1423	1268	674	591	334	20994

Research.com Recognitions

2010 - Fellow of the American Educational Research Association

Overview

Yasmin B. Kafai is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. Their research primarily spans computer science with a focus on applications related to education and technology.

The main fields of study for Yasmin B. Kafai include:

Computer Science

Within this broad field, their work touches on several specific subfields:

Computer Science Applications
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Education
Gender Studies
Information Systems

The primary research topics covered by Yasmin B. Kafai include:

Teaching and Learning Programming
Educational Games and Gamification
Child Development and Digital Technology
Online Learning and Analytics
Gender and Technology in Education
Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
Innovative Human-Technology Interaction

The scientist has contributed recent papers such as:

"A Revaluation of Computational Thinking in K-12 Education: Moving Toward Computational Literacies," 2021, Educational Researcher
"From theory bias to theory dialogue," 2020, ACM Inroads
"Making more of games: Cultivating perspective-taking through game design," 2020, Computers & Education
"Supporting making online: the role of artifact, teacher and peer interactions in crafting electronic textiles," 2020, Information and Learning Sciences
"Debugging by design: A constructionist approach to high school students' crafting and coding of electronic textiles as failure artefacts," 2021, British Journal of Educational Technology

Yasmin B. Kafai has published books through Carnegie Mellon University, including "Diversifying Barbie and Mortal Kombat: Intersectional Perspectives and Inclusive Designs in Gaming" (2024).

Peer collaboration is evident in frequent co-authorship with:

Luis Morales-Navarro
Deborah A. Fields
Mia S. Shaw
Gayithri Jayathirtha
Francisco Barnés De Castro

Frequent publication venues for their research include:

arXiv (Cornell University)
Proceedings.
Computer Science Education
British Journal of Educational Technology
KI - Künstliche Intelligenz

Among the awards received, Yasmin B. Kafai was named a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association in 2010.

Best Publications

Scratch: programming for all

Mitchel Resnick;John Maloney;Andrés Monroy-Hernández;Natalie Rusk

4722
Citations
Constructionism in Practice: Designing, Thinking, and Learning in A Digital World

Yasmin Bettina Kafai;Mitchel Resnick

1135
Citations
Minds in Play: Computer Game Design As A Context for Children's Learning

Yasmin Bettina Kafai

1042
Citations
Playing and Making Games for Learning: Instructionist and Constructionist Perspectives for Game Studies

Yasmin B. Kafai

912
Citations
Programming by choice: urban youth learning programming with scratch

John H. Maloney;Kylie Peppler;Yasmin Kafai;Mitchel Resnick

718
Citations
Scratch: a sneak preview [education]

J. Maloney;L. Burd;Y. Kafai;N. Rusk

564
Citations
Constructionist Gaming: Understanding the Benefits of Making Games for Learning

Yasmin B. Kafai;Quinn Burke

453
Citations
Electronic Textiles as Disruptive Designs: Supporting and Challenging Maker Activities in Schools

Yasmin B. Kafai;Debor Ah A. Fields;Kristin A. Searle

425
Citations
Connected Code: Why Children Need to Learn Programming

Yasmin B. Kafai;Quinn Burke

401
Citations
Youth, Technology, and DIY Developing Participatory Competencies in Creative Media Production

Yasmin B. Kafai;Kylie A. Peppler

395
Citations
From SuperGoo to Scratch: exploring creative digital media production in informal learning

Kylie A. Peppler;Yasmin B. Kafai

366
Citations
Scratch: A Sneak Preview

John Maloney;Leo Burd;Yasmin Kafai;Natalie Rusk

359
Citations
Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender and Gaming

Yasmin B. Kafai;Carrie Heeter;Jill Denner;Jennifer Y. Sun

316
Citations
A Crafts-Oriented Approach to Computing in High School: Introducing Computational Concepts, Practices, and Perspectives with Electronic Textiles

Yasmin B. Kafai;Eunkyoung Lee;Kristin Searle;Deborah Fields

285
Citations
Computer Programming Goes Back to School

Yasmin B. Kafai;Quinn Burke

262
Citations
Internet Web-Searching Instruction in the Elementary Classroom: Building a Foundation for Information Literacy.

Yasmin Kafai;Marcia J. Bates

258
Citations
Makeology : Makerspaces as Learning Environments (Volume 1)

Kylie Peppler;Erica Halverson;Yasmin B. Kafai

257
Citations
From computational thinking to computational participation in K--12 education

Yasmin B. Kafai

237
Citations
Children as designers of educational multimedia software

Yasmin B. Kafai;Cynthia Carter Ching;Sue Marshall

216
Citations
Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Learning sciences

Yasmin B. Kafai;William A. Sandoval;Noel Enyedy

158
Citations
Connected Code: Why Children Need to Learn Programming. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning.

Yasmin B. Kafai;Quinn Burke

0
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Mitchel Resnick MIT

Paulo Blikstein Columbia University

Elliot Soloway University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Christine L. Borgman University of California, Los Angeles

Susan B. Davidson University of Pennsylvania

Uri Wilensky Northwestern University

Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver Indiana University

Megan Bang Northwestern University

Douglas B. Clark University of Calgary

Patricia M. Greenfield University of California, Los Angeles

External Links

Wikipedia of Yasmin B. Kafai Personal website of Yasmin B. Kafai Google Scholar page

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Pursuing a degree in Social Sciences and Humanities opens doors to diverse careers in counseling, therapy, social work, and psychology. Increasingly, students are choosing flexible online pathways that offer reputable, accredited programs designed to accelerate their studies and fit learning around busy schedules.

For those interested in becoming social workers, several online accelerated msw programs allow you to graduate faster and start making an impact in your community. If your passion lies in understanding human behavior and mental processes, look into accelerated psychology programs that allow you to advance quickly through foundational coursework.

Those aiming to become licensed counselors should consider cacrep accredited schools to ensure their education meets professional standards and licensure requirements. Additionally, aspiring therapists can explore the flexibility of a masters in marriage and family therapy online to prepare for specialized practice.

Each of these online degree pathways can lead to rewarding roles, helping individuals and communities thrive while advancing your career in the Social Sciences and Humanities field.