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What do the Teachers Think?: Introducing Computational Thinking in the Primary School Curriculum
Abstract
This paper reports on the preliminary results of an ongoing study examining the teaching of new primary school topics based on Computational Thinking in New Zealand. We analyse detailed feedback from 13 teachers participating in the study, who had little or no previous experience teaching Computer Science or related topics. From this we extract key themes identified by the teachers that are likely to be encountered when deploying a new curriculum, including unexpected opportunities for cross-curricula learning, development of students' social skills, and engaging a wide range of students. From here we articulate key concepts and issues that arise in the primary school context, based on feedback during professional development for the study, and direct feedback from teachers on the experience of delivering the new material in the classroom.
... The majority of research questions in this review focused on assessing a given component of teachers' readiness to implement DT (e.g., teachers' attitudes (Funke et al., 2016) or teachers' self-efficacy (Mannila et al., 2018)), or aimed to measure the impact of DT PLD (e.g., Duncan et al., 2017;Petersen, 2021). Promisingly, 85% (n = 22) of the 26 articles explicitly provided one or more research questions, which is an increase from the reviews of both Randolph et al. ...
... While questionnaires are seen as an effective tool in collating a large amount of data to provide generalizations, for research with smaller sample sizes, measures other than questionnaires or complementing questionnaires with other data collection methods are seen to be more suitable for providing rich descriptions of the research context (Randolph, 2008;Heckman et al., 2022). Only two studies (Duncan et al., 2017 andMunasinghe et al., 2021) were seen to have a sample size of fewer than 50 participants and rely solely on questionnaire data. ...
... and Lishinski et al. (2016) who respectively reported 18% and 47% of articles explicitly described their research questions. Of the four articles that did not provide research questions(Alfayez & Lambert, 2019;Duncan et al., 2017;Pears et al., 2017;Zur Bargury et al., 2012), all but ZurBargury et al. (2012) provided a general aim for their research. ZurBargury et al. (2012) focused mainly on describing the Israel CS curriculum, with only a small section devoted to the evaluation of CS training courses. ...
For over a decade, we have seen a global shift toward preparing students for the predicted labor market and society through the introduction of digital technology curricula. This scoping review uncovered 26 studies published between 2012 and 2022 that examined empirical research on K–12 or pre-service teachers’ experiences with Digital Technologies curricula. Most of the research involved primary school teachers (n = 20), focused on teachers’ experiences with Professional Learning and Development (n = 13), and adopted a mixed methods methodological approach (62%) utilizing a questionnaire data collection instrument (n = 18). Methodological trends and areas for improvement were uncovered and analyzed to aid future research that can be used to support teachers’ implementation of Digital Technologies curricula.
... Jeyword/Codes Categories of CT Concepts "a first session of familiarization and observation by the researcher about what content they were working on and how they learn it without KIBO" [16] "The members of each group work together on the given tasks ranging from testing the robot on the field to moving robot following symmetrical and unsymmetrical tracks" [16] Familiarization , Symmetrical and unsymmetrical tracks Pattern Recognition "a relevant objective of the course is to print in students the skills of problem decomposition"- [22] Decomposition Decomposition "Design step-by-step following the given task" [16] Step-by-step Algorithmic Thinking "The students in each group solved the problems in a logical way by taking." [16] Logical Way Logical Reasoning "During this phase, students in each group have to analyze the facing proposition and situation in which they require test-run-revise the code in a stepwise manner" [16] Test-run-revise Testing & Debugging Table 3 depicts the analysis of existing ER tool and development in the recent decade. ...
... Jeyword/Codes Categories of CT Concepts "a first session of familiarization and observation by the researcher about what content they were working on and how they learn it without KIBO" [16] "The members of each group work together on the given tasks ranging from testing the robot on the field to moving robot following symmetrical and unsymmetrical tracks" [16] Familiarization , Symmetrical and unsymmetrical tracks Pattern Recognition "a relevant objective of the course is to print in students the skills of problem decomposition"- [22] Decomposition Decomposition "Design step-by-step following the given task" [16] Step-by-step Algorithmic Thinking "The students in each group solved the problems in a logical way by taking." [16] Logical Way Logical Reasoning "During this phase, students in each group have to analyze the facing proposition and situation in which they require test-run-revise the code in a stepwise manner" [16] Test-run-revise Testing & Debugging Table 3 depicts the analysis of existing ER tool and development in the recent decade. ...
... Jeyword/Codes Categories of CT Concepts "a first session of familiarization and observation by the researcher about what content they were working on and how they learn it without KIBO" [16] "The members of each group work together on the given tasks ranging from testing the robot on the field to moving robot following symmetrical and unsymmetrical tracks" [16] Familiarization , Symmetrical and unsymmetrical tracks Pattern Recognition "a relevant objective of the course is to print in students the skills of problem decomposition"- [22] Decomposition Decomposition "Design step-by-step following the given task" [16] Step-by-step Algorithmic Thinking "The students in each group solved the problems in a logical way by taking." [16] Logical Way Logical Reasoning "During this phase, students in each group have to analyze the facing proposition and situation in which they require test-run-revise the code in a stepwise manner" [16] Test-run-revise Testing & Debugging Table 3 depicts the analysis of existing ER tool and development in the recent decade. ...
Computational thinking (CT) is useful in daily problem-solving process while educational robotic (ER) is well known as a pedagogical tool in attracting students to learn more in problem solving activities. Both subjects are widely used for formal learning and informal learning regardless of the age and gender of the learners. Both also have big scope. However, there is lack of studies in integrating CT into ER. Thus, nurturing CT through ER remain a challenge. This study focuses on designing a conceptual model of the integration between CT and ER. Validity and reliability are crucial for research trustworthiness. Thus, grounded theory analysis (GTA) is used to analyze the CT concept and ER development from various sources such as the literature, book, discussion and web of contents to make the model more effective, fit, relevance, workability and modifiability. The finding represents a conceptual model that detail out the relationship between CT and ER besides giving benefits to community who are planning, designing, or revising new framework or platform in nurturing CT through ER.
... There appears to be no literature exploring New Zealand's DTC implementation in its entirety, which could be due to it only becoming mandatory in 2020. At the point of this study, the closest aligning research identifiable in New Zealand (and still being undertaken) was by Duncan, et al. (2018) who, through questionnaires, reviewed thirteen teachers' implementation of DTC CT resources and identified relative themes. However, in contrast to this study their focus was on CT and not both components of DTC. ...
... An additional study by Duncan (2018) reviewed computational thinking in primary schools including; resources, how to teach primary students and what positive and negative effects there could be. However, most other New Zealand literature, seems to explore either DT and how to implement it into schools or looks at DT in education in a broad sense, exploring the advantages and hindrances (Bell & Duncan, 2015;Duncan, 2018;Duncan, Bell & Atlas, 2018;Fox-Turnbull, 2018;Kellow, 2018; The work to revise the technology learning area, n.d.). ...
... Furthermore, Duncan et al. (2018) suggests that if teachers are unconfident when teaching elements of DTC, they might pass on negative connotations to students. ...
Over the last century, digital technology (DT) has revolutionized our world. A digital revolution has taken hold; reshaping industries and schools, and making information, games and tools more accessible. Digital technology now has a steadfast place in our society and is changing the way we work and live. Subsequently, governments around the world are realising the benefit of digital technology and the need to incorporate it into educational curricula. In 2020, new digital technology components (DTC) became a mandatory part of the New Zealand Curriculum technology subject area. DTC aim to create students who are not just passive users of technology, but instead students who are digital creators and understand how computers work. DTC aim to teach skills that could be considered essential in the twenty-first century, such as deeper understanding of technology, problem solving and the processes involved (TKI, n.d.b). This research investigated teachers' adoption of DTC. Scrutinizing how DTC can be effectively integrated, the main affordances for implementation and what teachers' capabilities enable them to do. Adopting DTC was challenging for schools, as the new components encompass skills that are currently beyond many teachers' understanding of digital technologies. Therefore, the implementation of DTC can be problematic, needing to be scrutinized and unpacked by teachers as they work out how, when and where it will best fit and be integrated into existing classroom practices. A qualitative approach to the research was adopted in this study as highly skilled teachers could struggle with DTC implementation. DTC recent establishment meant it introduced new concepts to teachers and schools and therefore a qualitative approach allowed participants to partake no matter what their current knowledge or experience of DTC. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was selected as the most appropriate research methodological approach. This approach enabled the teachers to have ownership and create lasting change, as teachers took on the role of co-researchers. The researcher also intended that participants would gain from the iii research, as they developed their knowledge of DTC during their personal journeys of adoption and implementation. The research found there were several problems in adopting DTC. Teachers articulated that professional learning development (PLD) and integration of DTC was unclear, misinterpreted and insufficient. Additionally, it was identified that teachers' confidence played an important role in DTC implementation. However, through suitable professional development sessions and successful integration teachers could build confidence and subsequently overcome several of the negative affordances associated with DTC adoption. The agenda for completing this research lay within a belief that ICT is valuable to educational outcomes, that it should be utilised to benefit the next generation, enhancing their learning, abilities and subsequent employment opportunities. Assisting teachers in their adoption of this new curriculum and anticipating that schools and policy makers might take note of these findings is the main rationale for the research. iv
... Within the reviewed literature, the following countries were referenced as introducing DT curriculum at a primary school level (or younger); United Kingdom, Poland, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, USA and New Zealand (Duncan et al., 2017;Funke et al., 2016;Sentance & Csizmadia, 2017;Vivian et al., 2020). ...
... The literature review revealed 12 articles that discussed the approach of integrating DT across learning areas, as outlined in Fig. 1. Advocates for this approach claim DT lends itself well to be integrated within other learning areas because (1) there are many connections with mathematics and problem-solving concepts (Duncan et al., 2017;Funke et al., 2016), (2) it enhances learning in other areas, (3) it aids students' competency development, (4) it has a smaller impact on classroom time than the creation of a whole new subject area would (Bower et al., 2017;Duncan et al., 2017), (5) planning and integration is simple as students generally have the same primary teacher across learning areas (Duncan et al., 2017; and (6) this approach aids teachers' understanding that DT skills are transferable beyond the DT learning area (Chang & Peterson, 2018;Duncan et al., 2017). ...
... The literature review revealed 12 articles that discussed the approach of integrating DT across learning areas, as outlined in Fig. 1. Advocates for this approach claim DT lends itself well to be integrated within other learning areas because (1) there are many connections with mathematics and problem-solving concepts (Duncan et al., 2017;Funke et al., 2016), (2) it enhances learning in other areas, (3) it aids students' competency development, (4) it has a smaller impact on classroom time than the creation of a whole new subject area would (Bower et al., 2017;Duncan et al., 2017), (5) planning and integration is simple as students generally have the same primary teacher across learning areas (Duncan et al., 2017; and (6) this approach aids teachers' understanding that DT skills are transferable beyond the DT learning area (Chang & Peterson, 2018;Duncan et al., 2017). ...
Many countries around the world have now introduced Digital Technology concepts and pedagogical practices to their primary school curricula to ensure students develop the understanding, competences and values that will enable them to contribute to and benefit from their future labour market and society. This study aimed to explore teachers’ experiences with these curricula in order to understand how teachers can be supported to raise their implementation efforts. An analysis of twenty-three studies across eleven countries was undertaken and found there was a lack of consensus of an appropriate age and approach to introducing Digital Technology concepts within primary schools. Teachers’ Digital Technology self-efficacy, Digital Technology self-esteem/ Digital Technology confidence was seen to greatly influence their implementation, and many challenges to implementation were discussed. Professional Learning and Development was raised as a solution to boost teachers’ confidence and overcome common implementation barriers.
... While computing has been (re)introduced into the basic education curricula in various countries (Bresnihan et al., 2015;McGarr & Johnston, 2020;Mertala et al., 2020;Sentance & Csizmadia, 2017;Williamson et al., 2019), its actual implementation appears to be inconsistent. There are schools in which computing education is commonplace (Duncan et al., 2017;Geldreich et al., 2018), while the implementation seems to be lagging behind in others (Larke, 2019;Tanhua-Piiroinen et al., 2020). As a result, significant public (eg, Dickens, 2016;McDonald, 2017) and scholarly (eg, Duncan et al., 2017;Mason & Rich, 2019;Rich et al., 2021;Sentance & Csizmadia, 2017) debate has focused on the question of how to ensure that all teachers are qualified and competent enough to teach computing. ...
... There are schools in which computing education is commonplace (Duncan et al., 2017;Geldreich et al., 2018), while the implementation seems to be lagging behind in others (Larke, 2019;Tanhua-Piiroinen et al., 2020). As a result, significant public (eg, Dickens, 2016;McDonald, 2017) and scholarly (eg, Duncan et al., 2017;Mason & Rich, 2019;Rich et al., 2021;Sentance & Csizmadia, 2017) debate has focused on the question of how to ensure that all teachers are qualified and competent enough to teach computing. ...
... The situation, we argue, is more complex. First, it is worth questioning whether the mismatch between curricular alignments and educational praxis is solely due to actual or perceived lack of competence, as teachers have successfully implemented computing education while possessing only rudimentary skills (Duncan et al., 2017). There is emerging evidence that some teachers-at least in the context of primary education-do not consider computing education relevant or meaningful in the first place and therefore intentionally neglect its provision (Larke, 2019). ...
While computing has been (re)introduced into the basic education curricula in various countries, its actual implementation appears to be inconsistent. There are schools in which computing education is commonplace, while the implementation seems to be lagging behind in others. There is emerging evidence that some teachers do not consider computing education relevant, meaningful and important and, thus, intentionally neglect its provision. This is problematic as understanding the principles of code and computing is crucial for agentic citizenship in the post‐digital era. This paper argues that one main reason for these teachers' reluctance is the economy‐driven discursive framing of computing education, which is in contrast with the socialization‐oriented manner in which teachers approach their work. To contribute to resolving this issue, the present paper introduces a transversal approach to computing education. It conceptualizes code as a sociomaterial text with social and societal histories and consequences. Theoretically and conceptually, the approach draws on the pedagogy of multiliteracies. The leading idea is that digital technologies are examined with students from functional and critical dimensions and through micro and macro perspectives. The use of wearable sports technologies, such as activity wristbands, are used as practical examples to put the theoretical ideas into context.
Practitioner notes
What is already known about this topic Computing has been (re)introduced in the curricula of basic education in various countries.
Some teachers are found to be reluctant to teach computing in basic education.
What this paper adds This paper introduces a transversal multiliteracies‐based approach for computing education.
Implications for practice and policy Computing should be included in curricula and classrooms in a holistic manner that includes both functional and critical approaches to computing.
... Studies focused specifically on CT in elementary school have suggested that integration of CT into core subjects may be the most successful pathway to providing CT to this age level (Duncan et al. 2017;Israel et al. 2015). After being introduced to CT concepts in professional development (PD), primary teachers in New Zealand created lessons that integrated CT into several other subjects (Duncan et al. 2017). ...
... Studies focused specifically on CT in elementary school have suggested that integration of CT into core subjects may be the most successful pathway to providing CT to this age level (Duncan et al. 2017;Israel et al. 2015). After being introduced to CT concepts in professional development (PD), primary teachers in New Zealand created lessons that integrated CT into several other subjects (Duncan et al. 2017). The researchers credited this tendency to the particular situation of primary teachers, who teach multiple subjects to their students and therefore are in a position to facilitate connections across subjects. ...
... As such, it is not surprising that much of the existing research on elementary school teachers integrating CT in their instruction focuses on the ways teachers thought about CT and related it to other subject matter. Duncan et al. (2017) described ways primary teachers connected CT to other curriculum topics and misconceptions the teachers had about CT and computer science as a field. Yadav et al. (2018) reported how elementary teachers' understanding of CT became more elaborate and nuanced over the course of a year of PD focused on integrating CT in science inquiry. ...
Incorporating computational thinking (CT) ideas into core subjects, such as mathematics and science, is one way of bringing early computer science (CS) education into elementary school. Minimal research has explored how teachers can translate their knowledge of CT into practice to create opportunities for their students to engage in CT during their math and science lessons. Such information can support the creation of quality professional development experiences for teachers. We analyzed how eight elementary teachers created opportunities for their students to engage in four CT practices (abstraction, decomposition, debugging, and patterns) during unplugged mathematics and science activities. We identified three strategies used by these teachers to create CT opportunities for their students: framing, prompting, and inviting reflection. Further, we grouped teachers into four profiles of implementation according to how they used these three strategies. We call the four profiles (1) presenting CT as general problem-solving strategies, (2) using CT to structure lessons, (3) highlighting CT through prompting, and (4) using CT to guide teacher planning. We discuss the implications of these results for professional development and student experiences.
... Existing studies have identified several factors that can influence mathematics teachers' implementation of CT and thus actual content transformations that may happen in the mathematics class, such as different kinds of teachers' knowledge (e.g., Benton et al., 2017;Duncan et al., 2017;Rich et al., 2019), teachers' attitudes towards teaching mathematics (e.g., Crisci, 2020) and CT (e.g., Yadav et al., 2014), and teachers' (mis)conceptions related to CT (e.g., Cabrera, 2019;Geraniou & Hodgen, 2022;Rich et al., 2019;Sands et al., 2018). ...
... For instance, when speaking about "decomposition," teachers provided an example of decomposition of numbers without considering the decomposition of a problem, and they associated the term "automation" with the memorization of basic mathematics facts and students' automatic reproduction of answers. Similar observations were made by Duncan et al. (2017), who mentioned, for example, teachers' difficulties in using the term "sorting", which in primary school typically refers to categorizing rather than "ordering" items. ...
This chapter deals with the recent development of computational thinking (CT) in the curricula of many countries, principally in mathematics. It aims at discussing, broadly, how CT changes the mathematical activity and impacts mathematical contents. More precisely, we study the relations between mathematics, computer
science, mathematical thinking, and computational thinking, and discuss new content at the interface of computer science and mathematics as well as the transformation of mathematical content due to the integration of CT. We ground our discussions on examples of integration of CT and computer science in various
countries; we further discuss the origins of CT in mathematics education and offer an epistemological reflection on the disciplines of mathematics and computer science. Finally, we discuss related issues for classroom implementation, teaching
resources, and teacher development.
... Existing studies have identified several factors that can influence mathematics teachers' implementation of CT and thus actual content transformations that may happen in the mathematics class, such as different kinds of teachers' knowledge (e.g., Benton et al., 2017;Duncan et al., 2017;Rich et al., 2019), teachers' attitudes towards teaching mathematics (e.g., Crisci, 2020) and CT (e.g., Yadav et al., 2014), and teachers' (mis)conceptions related to CT (e.g., Cabrera, 2019;Geraniou & Hodgen, 2022;Rich et al., 2019;Sands et al., 2018). ...
... For instance, when speaking about "decomposition," teachers provided an example of decomposition of numbers without considering the decomposition of a problem, and they associated the term "automation" with the memorization of basic mathematics facts and students' automatic reproduction of answers. Similar observations were made by Duncan et al. (2017), who mentioned, for example, teachers' difficulties in using the term "sorting", which in primary school typically refers to categorizing rather than "ordering" items. ...
... In a generalised form, the problem is that the teachers often have a wrong or missing idea of computer science and they (among other things), therefore, are not clear what individual topics should be taught. Duncan et al. (2017) gives an example of this problem: ...
... The real concept is that some sort of convention must be agreed on, rather than rote-learning a rule about this particular abstraction. " (Duncan et al., 2017) In addition, the problem goes deeper, because it should not only be possible to draw conclusions about computer science principles from the teaching example, but also about their relevance for everyday life, e.g. in connection with other information systems -but how should this be possible for learners, if even the teachers cannot draw this connection? Tim Bell calls the problem the need for a "big picture" the teachers (and curriculum designers) should be aware of (see Bell, 2018). ...
The domain of data science is a large field, combining statistics, computer science, and sociocultural issues. It is an open question which topics and which contents can and should be implemented in school, e.g., from the perspective of computer science education. A pilot course is designed by computer science and statistics educators at the Paderborn University, addressing upper secondary students within a design-based research project. This paper concentrates on the second of four modules, in which machine learning and neural networks are addressed. Some individual phases of the module are presented, followed by a metaperspective of the curriculum development that contributes to our project and further research questions.
... De esta manera, los conceptos y marcos propios del ámbito tecnológico se han asociado casi "naturalmente" con la perspectiva de la innovación en la educación en varios ámbitos. Desde hace algún tiempo, las dimensiones que involucran la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) en la educación (Luckin et al., 2016) y el Pensamiento Computacional (Wing, 2006;2014;Bower et al., 2015;Duncan et al., 2017) y marcos como TPACK (Conocimiento de Contenido Pedagógico Tecnológico) (Mishra y Koehler, 2006) han ganado terreno en la literatura brasileña, aunque no están solo vinculados al alcance de la innovación, sino del conocimiento necesario para todos los maestros y sus estudiantes en todas las áreas del conocimiento. ...
The pandemic caused by Covid-19 has caused education, on a global scale, to face increasing challenges in considerable aspects, from the social and economic inequality of students and teachers to the so-called learning deficit at all levels. Considering the essential dialogue between the university, through its teacher education courses and the basic education school, an applied research project was developed (participatory action research) whose theme presupposes technological innovation from a double perspective, as a means and an end. Means, through the proposed teaching methodology, integrated with technology with a view to changes and innovation in the work processes of basic education teachers when implemented. End, considering the pedagogical products generated after implementing the methodology, digital learning objects that, by nature, encompass different technologies for learning purposes. Furthermore, through the effective participation of teachers linked to the action research proposal, the results suggest the effectiveness of teaching resignification, made possible by continuing education, regarding their role as mediators and curators of the pedagogical process, aware that their knowledge of teacher involves the content, pedagogical and technological dimensions, as well as the role of information and communication technologies as an integral part of their pedagogical work.
... Seen to impact teachers' implementation, value beliefs measure the importance that teachers place on a given area by asking them to state their level of agreement with a range of statements regarding the learning area (Rich et al., 2020). It has been shown to be an important component to consider when designing PLD to support teachers to overcome any misconceptions and instil them with the motivation to implement DT (Duncan et al., 2017). ...
To prepare young people for the increasingly complex and fluid world of their future, many countries have begun introducing digital technologies concepts and skills into their curricula. In 2017, the New Zealand National Curriculum was updated to incorporate digital technologies concepts in both the indigenous Māori-medium curriculum and the English-medium curriculum. This study investigated the long-term impact of three different models of digital technologies in professional learning and development on primary and intermediate schoolteachers’ knowledge and efficacy beliefs (value beliefs, self-efficacy beliefs and teaching efficacy beliefs). Professional learning and development were found to have a positive long-term impact on teachers’ digital technologies knowledge and efficacy beliefs, yet no one professional learning and development model was found to be more effective than another. Post professional learning and development, teachers were found to want more support on how to plan for Digital Technologies curricula implementation and fully adopt twenty-first-century pedagogical practices. School environments were shown to influence efficacy beliefs, and a lack of time in the classroom to plan for and upskill in digital technologies was reported. Limitations of the study are discussed, and areas for future research are identified.
... Both pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge are needed to effectively teach computational thinking. Studies in the last few years suggest many teachers undergo considerable professional development to understand and effectively teach computational thinking and highlight the need to prepare teachers in junior classrooms irrespective of the resources provided to them (Bell & Duncan, 2015;Bell et al., 2014;Duncan et al., 2017;Geldreich et al., 2018;Yadav et al., 2016). Bell and Roberts (2016) report teachers with little or no experience teaching computational thinking-related topics have identified unexpected opportunities for integrating computational thinking with other subjects such as maths or into the activities that enhance the development of collaborative skills among students. ...
Computational thinking, a key component for digital technologies, is defined as an approach to problem‐solving, designing computer systems, and understanding related human behaviours, while drawing on fundamental ideas of computing. It is critical that all young students acquire computational thinking skills during their school age. Technology practice is most successful when embedded within authentic contexts, thus this paper presents a study that facilitated the learning of two concepts of computational thinking: sequencing and orientation within culturally embedded technology practice. The study examines what pedagogies most effectively facilitate computational thinking learning for young Māori learners. In particular, what is the role of using authentic contexts in young Māori learners learning computational thinking? and what teaching strategies engage students effectively? The 4‐week study was undertaken at a local Primary School with a high Māori roll in a low socioeconomic area. The findings suggested that the learning is more effective when the concepts of computation thinking were embedded in the students' cultural and local environment (language, places, stories) through the learning context and the pedagogical strategies.
... Concerning what should be learned across the continuum of subjects at the various levels of learning, the applicability of CT concept remains a matter of debate [13]. Through problem-solving activities, the majority of academicians believe that the fundamental of CT skills such as abstraction, algorithmic thinking, pattern identification, and decomposition should be fostered in students. ...
Computational thinking (CT) has been promoted worldwide by educational systems and is an essential skill for technological citizens. Various strategies have been planned and developed to help in introducing, improving, and delivering CT. One of the strategies is by creating and developing the supporting tools for CT learning. In this article, educational robotics (ER) is chosen as the focus tool to support CT learning. Each CT and ER has a massive field of study. There are various available reports determining the suitability of CT subject integrated with ER for students' learning. However, all students do not develop similar style of learning and thinking. There is difference in their personal traits. There is a lack of research that designed CT learning through ER specifically based on student's preferences. Besides, it resulted in a challenge to determine the suitability of CT and ER for different kind of preferences. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an adaptive learning (AL) framework for students to deliver learning of CT through ER. The framework consists of three submodels: domain model, student model, and adaptation model. One case study is defined, which is learning the introductory level of CT through ER (CTER). At the end of the study, it can be observed that the AL framework produced positive results in performance and perception for various student categories. It was noted that students utilizing the AL framework had superior understanding of CTER. Individually or collaboratively, all students who applied or did not apply the AL framework in studying the CTER introduction had positive learning outcomes.
... CT can be used to teach students in fields such as social studies, art, music, English (Garvin et al., 2019), and English as a second language . Moreover, the integration of CT in the curriculum across different subjects can be effective in helping students and teachers improve their knowledge, skills, and attitudes in primary education (Duncan et al., 2017;Hsu et al., 2023). The policy can act as a catalyst for local authorities to provide high-quality CT teaching for primary school pupils by explicitly integrating CT objectives into curricula in core subject areas. ...
Computational thinking (CT) is valued as a thinking process that is required to adapt to the development of curriculum in primary education. In the context of modern information technology, English as a language subject emphasizes the necessity for changes in both learning and teaching modes. However, there is a lack of up-to-date synthesis research and a comprehensive overview surrounding CT integrated into English language curriculum learning and teaching in primary education. To address this research gap, this study conducted a systematic literature review on CT in the primary English curriculum, based on papers published from 2011 to 2021. The purpose of this review is to systematically examine and present empirical evidence on how CT can be integrated into the teaching and learning of the primary English language curriculum in educational contexts. The review was conducted based on the PRISMA 2020 statement and presents a synthesis of 32 articles. The CT-TPACK model was adopted as a lens and framework to analyze these articles. The results indicate that the relationship among CT, content knowledge of English language curriculum, pedagogy and learning knowledge, technology and resources is highlighted. Research on the integration of CT into English courses using unplugged activities is still insufficient. The research about how teachers and students use CT to support content knowledge of the English language curriculum in various educational contexts is still in its infancy.
... CT helps someone solve a problem by breaking the problem into smaller parts so that it can be easier to find solutions to solve the problem 10 . CT will train students in solving problems/ cases that exist and they will definitely need in their lives because every human being will never be separated from a problem [11][12][13][14] . Students who have mastered or are accustomed to CT will be tougher in facing challenges in the future and are not easy to give up 15,16 . ...
This study aimed to determine: (1) which one is more effective between Computational Thinking BasedLearning (CTBL) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) on learning achievement, (2) which one is better,students with left brain dominance or students with right brain dominance, (3) for each brain dominance,which one is better between CTBL and PBL. This study used a quasi-experimental research method witha 2x2 factorial design. The population in this study were all students of class VIII SMPN 1 Bendo in theAcademic Year 2020/2021, totaling 9 classes. The research sample included 45 students (two classes) whowere taken using cluster random sampling. The instrument used was a questionnaire on the students’ braindominance and a mathematics learning outcome test. From the results of this analysis, it can be concludedthat CTBL was more effective to implement compared to PBL in odd semester class eight students at SMP1 Bendo Magetan in the Academic Year 2020/2021. There were differences in the results of mathematicslearning achievement in students who were given CTBL and PBL in terms of the brain dominance of oddsemester class eight students at SMPN 1 Bendo Magetan in the Academic Year 2020/2021.
... Para tanto, conceitos e frameworks típicos da esfera tecnológica têm sido quase "naturalmente" associados à perspectiva de inovação em educação em diversas áreas. Já há algum tempo difundido no cenário acadêmico internacional, as dimensões envolvendo Inteligência Artificial (IA) na educação [Luckin et al 2016], Pensamento Computacional (PC) [Wing 2006;2010;2014] [Bower e Lister 2015], [Duncan et al 2017] e TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge ou Conhecimento Tecnológico Pedagógico do Conteúdo) [Mishra e Koehler 2006] são dimensões que vêm ganhando espaço na literatura nacional, não apenas vinculados ao escopo de inovação, mas do conhecimento necessário a todos os professores, em todas as áreas do conhecimento [Leone et al 2022], [Ferreira et al 2022]. ...
Considerando o cenário pós-pandêmico, onde as tecnologias se tornaram agentes importantes, um dos desafios é compreender o papel das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação na educação. O objetivo da pesquisa-ação participativa desenvolvida foi promover, em parceria com as redes públicas estaduais de ensino da região noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, um curso de formação continuada que construísse ideias inovadoras e disruptivas sobre o papel das tecnologias na educação básica. Os resultados sugerem processo reflexivo do papel do professor como curador do processo pedagógico, ciente de que seu conhecimento envolve as dimensões conteúdo, pedagógica e tecnológica como parte integrante do trabalho docente.
... Common misconceptions and issues include not understanding how to use or apply a concept even though they understand the meaning (e.g., they understand the term "algorithm" but do not understand how to use it in their classroom context) and prior knowledge from a different field overshadowing CT concepts (e.g., the term "decompose" also means "to rot") [ 52 ]. This may result in teachers rote learning the process or rule of the activity to demonstrate the same to their students rather than understanding the underlying principle of application (e.g., in a binary numbers activity, where black and white cards are used to represent 0 and 1, teachers get fixated on which color is 0 and which color is 1) [ 29 ]. Such misconceptions, if accumulated over time, may result in teachers' diminished ability to apply CT skills to different contexts and a lack of their ability to successfully integrate CT in their teaching. ...
Background and Objective . Teacher assessment research suggests that teachers have good conceptual understanding of CT. However, to model CT based problem-solving in their classrooms, teachers need to develop the ability to recognize when and how to apply CT skills. Does existing professional development (PD) equip teachers to know when and how to apply CT skills? What factors should PD providers consider while developing trainings for CT application skills?
Method . This retrospective observational study used a binomial regression model to determine what factors predict teachers’ probability of performing well on a CT application skills test.
Participants . Participants of this study were 129 in-service K-12 teachers from a community of practice in India.
Findings . Results show that teachers who have received at least one CT training, who have a higher teaching experience, and are currently teaching CT will have a higher probability of applying CT skills correctly to problems irrespective of the subject they teach and their educational backgrounds. However, receiving higher number of CT PD trainings was a negative predictor of teachers’ performance.
Implications . Implications for school administrators, professional development providers, and researchers are discussed. Teachers need ample opportunity to teach CT in their teaching schedules. Continuous professional development does not necessarily result in improved CT application skills unless careful consideration is given to the pedagogies used and to the resolution of misconceptions that teachers may have developed in prior training. Mixing plugged and unplugged pedagogical approaches may be beneficial to encourage transfer of CT application skills across different types of problems. Lastly, there is a need to develop valid and reliable instruments that measure CT application skills of teachers.
... Therefore, concepts and frameworks typical of the technological sphere have been almost "naturally" associated with the perspective of innovation in education in several areas. The dimensions involving Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education (LUCKIN et al, 2016), Computational Thinking (CP) (Wing, 2006;2014;Bower and Lister, 2015;Duncan et al, 2017) and TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) (Mishra and Koehler, 2006) are dimensions that have been gaining ground in the national literature, not only linked to the scope of innovation, but the knowledge necessary for all teachers, in all areas of knowledge (Leone et al, 2022;Ferreira et al, 2022). ...
... In fact, the introduction of CT concepts and practices has been formally recognised by many institutions across the world (Duncan et al., 2017;Bocconi et al., 2018;Pears et al., 2017). Malta is no exception, with a strategy underway for all students from Kindergarten to Year 11 to "understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computational thinking" (Catania, 2014, pg 15). ...
Recent educational developments have seen increasing attention attributed to Computational Thinking (CT) and its integration into school curricula. This has brought along a series of challenges for teachers integrating CT into their practice. The study presented in this article explores the journey of a Maltese secondary school teacher in his efforts to integrate CT within the context of a Math club. The teacher participant was recruited from the Malta EU Codeweek summer school, a pilot initiative that stemmed from the EU Codeweek’s Train the Trainer programme carried out during summer 2021. The qualitative methodology involved a case study research, with data collected from an online discussion forum, interviews with the participant teacher as well as an analysis of the teaching material developed by the teacher. The results shed light on the CT aspects that were used to scaffold the teaching of mathematical concepts and highlight the challenges and obstacles that the teacher encountered in his integration efforts. The discussion proposes that non-formal learning environments, such as in-break activities, can serve as test-beds for CT integration and emphasises the need for CT to be introduced much earlier on in Maltese schools. Ultimately, this study can substantially help inform further research and practice around the integration of CT in classroom practice.
... The analysis on the conceptual articulation in the texts, from the presented descriptors, even if in a preliminary way, demonstrates an association still timidly disseminated in Brazil, but quite deepened in other countries for some time, as pointed out by Shuchi Grover and Roy Pea (2013), Paul Curzon (2014), Matt Bower et al. (2015), and Caitlin Duncan et al. (2017). ...
Abstrakt. Brazylijski kontekst edukacyjny wykazał względny nacisk na to, co przewidują oficjalne dokumenty dotyczące jedynie "wykorzystania" ICT w przeciwieństwie do bardziej krytycznej po-stawy, która sytuuje te technologie jako instrumenty kulturowe o wymiarze wzmocnienia. W celu stworzenia teoretycznych i epistemologicznych ram dotyczących relacji między technologiami a edukacją niniejszy raport przedstawia koncepcje nieśmiało prezentowane w Brazylii, sformuło-wane na podstawie kompilacji badań opublikowanych w ciągu ostatnich pięciu lat na całym świecie. Słowa kluczowe: ICT; media; narzędzia poznawcze; abstrakcja; perspektywa społeczno-historyczna Pobrane z czasopisma Annales N-Educatio Nova http://educatio.annales.umcs.pl Abstract. The Brazilian educational context has shown a relative emphasis on what official documents foresee with regard to the mere "use" of ICT as opposed to a more critical stance that situates these technologies as cultural instruments with an empowerment dimension. With the purpose of constituting a theoretical and epistemological framework around the relationship between technologies and education, this report presents concepts hitherto shyly presented in Brazil, on the basis of the compilation of studies published in the last five years worldwide.
... Even after receiving professional development and support to integrate CT and computer science into their classroom lessons some teachers find themselves insufficiently prepared and sometimes do not feel confident enough teaching a new activity connected to CT skills [38]. ...
This study aims to investigate Computational Thinking (CT) in preschool age children. We tried to assess the ability of developing CT skills in kindergarten, as well as to illustrate parents’ and preschool teachers’ directly involved aspects on CT. More specifically, we investigated the readiness of preschool children to engage in activities that develop CT by using Scratch Jr. Moreover, via individual interviews, the research sheds some light on preschool children’s parents’ perceptions on personal computers use, digital media, CT and programming. Finally, we investigated the views and perceptions of preschool teachers through an electronic questionnaire about CT and its entry in kindergarten. The kindergarteners’ interactive stories were evaluated with the use of a rubric which indicates the extremely high percentage of readiness to deal with CT and programming activities in kindergarten. The analysis of the parents’ interviews shows their distrust on readiness regarding children’s engagement in CT. Finally, the majority of preschool teachers uses personal computers in kindergarten to a different degree depending on their age, experience and training to develop a variety of learning areas. Regarding CT, kindergarten teachers’ aspects appear to be swayed from positive to neutral considering its introduction in the kindergarten classroom.
... Interviews with elementary teachers about the prospect of CT integration revealed they made many more connections to their mathematics teaching than to their science teaching (Rich, Yadav, & Schwarz, 2019). Teachers in another study who chose their own points of integration with the elementary curriculum commonly chose mathematics (Duncan et al., 2017). ...
One characteristic of high-quality mathematics teaching is supporting students in engaging in tasks of high cognitive demand. In this paper, we explore relationships between two elementary teachers’ efforts to integrate computational thinking (CT) practices—abstraction, debugging, and decomposition—into their mathematics instruction and their development of high-level tasks. Teachers engaged in professional development sessions about CT. Using their mathematics curriculum materials as a starting point, teachers then planned mathematics lessons to incorporate attention to at least one CT practice. Researchers transcribed their conversations and qualitatively coded the transcripts using an established framework for assessing the cognitive demand of tasks posed to students. Analyses of the planning conversations suggested that encouraging these teachers to examine their mathematics curriculum materials through the lens of CT practices supported them in adapting tasks from their curriculum materials in ways that raised the cognitive demand. Implications for the use of CT in elementary mathematics teacher education are discussed.
... 8). Several authors identify the benefits of teaching CT through unplugged activities (e.g., Bell & Vahrenhold, 2018;Duncan, et al., 2018;Sands, et al., 2018). In NZ, Bell et al. (2009) identified that CT can be difficult to teach, as many administrators lack understanding and find it difficult to apply effectively within the curriculum areas. ...
New digital technology areas were added to the New Zealand primary school technology curriculum in 2020. These areas aim to grow students who are not just passive users of technology but, instead, students who understand how computers work, who are digital creators, informed by design processes and critical thinking. The new digital areas of the technology curriculum appear to have created tension between the expectations of teachers and their relative capabilities. Examining three primary teachers' implementation of the new digital areas, this project utilised a participatory action research (PAR) methodology to review teachers’ journey of adoption. Findings indicated that implementing the curriculum areas was not as complex as teachers first imagined and that unplugged activities (those without devices) played a significant role in the new digital technology areas’ successful implementation in the classroom. The main themes that appeared from the data included levels of teacher knowledge, teacher confidence and curriculum learning area integration.
... The idea of Computational Thinking (CT) is not new, but in the past few years a definition from Wing triggered a new movement around this issue in many educational communities. As a result CT is a hot topic now, and several countries have recently introduced CT and Computer Sciences (CS) to the primary school curriculum (Bocconi et al., 2016;Brown et al., 2014;Duncan et al., 2017). CT has been used as a framework for developing a range of contents and skills, from computer literacy to computer science, including STEAM 3 , coding, robotics, or general problem solving (National Research Council, 2010). ...
... Many proposed curricular frameworks nurture CT in education. For instance, Duncan et al [15] applied logical reasoning and evaluation concepts of CT in their study. Because CT is a wellestablished technology, many researchers are attempting to study its concepts and attempt to apply them to educational frameworks to enhance youth performance. ...
Digital literacy is becoming a key factor in today’s digital revolution age. Computational Thinking (CT) is a new digital literacy that is gradually being introduced in the school curriculum due to its applicability in the daily problem-solving process. Educational Robotics (ER) has been increasingly used as a pedagogical tool to attract students to learn computer programming, and when integrated with CT, they can be used to develop high-order thinking skills. However, intertwining between CT and ER remains a challenge for teachers. This paper describes a method to expose secondary school children to CT concepts and skills through ER learning activities. The method integrates the four CT core concepts, which are problem analysis and algorithm; abstraction; pattern recognition; and decomposition, in a two days’ ER workshop implementation. The result of the study shows that the method of integrating CT with ER has the potential to nurture students’ CT and programming skills. This study shows a statistically significant increase in the students' understanding of the two CT concepts which are pattern recognition and decomposition concepts.
... Although the majority of robotic activities are observed at university level, in recent years the educational use of robots in primary and secondary education has developed a very strong presence (Alimisis, 2013;Bers, Ponte, Juelich, Viera & Schenker, 2002;Duncan, Bell & Atlas, 2017;Kazakoff & Bers, 2012;Van Lith & Caska, 2007). ...
Studies reveal a number of factors which influence teachers' decisions to use educational robotics (ER)in the classroom. One of these factors is teachers' professional development training (PDF). PDF is considered to be an encouraging factor that obstructs the successful application of educational robotics (ER) among the teachers. This chapter addresses the importance of professional development training (PDT) by examining its effectiveness in integrating educational robotics (ER) in the educational practice for teaching and learning purposes in various cognitive subjects. The sample of the study consisted of 23 elementary school teachers. The data used in this research was collected via pre and post structured questionnaires and classroom observations. The findings reveal the importance of PDT and suggest that PDT for teachers in ER were valuable in contributing to improve teachers ER skills and knowledge.
... In recent years, growing attention has been given to integrating programming instruction in elementary school (Allsop, 2019;Bell, Duncan, et al., 2016;Bell, Witten, et al., 2016;Duncan et al., 2017). For example, Hainey and colleagues (2019) utilized a novel approach called games-based construction learning (GBCL) to teach programming concepts in upper elementary school. ...
With the advancement in technology and the emphasis on computer science education, there has been a strong push for more widespread programming instruction at K-12 and higher education levels. Existing research has mostly focused on students at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Little work has involved students at the elementary school age, which has been considered a critical age to cultivate an interest in programming. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of a block-based programming interface (e.g., Hopscotch) on elementary school students’ attitudes toward programming. In this study, eighteen elementary school students in 4th -5th grades participated in a programming curriculum for about seven weeks in the US. A survey on attitude toward programming was distributed before and after the curriculum, to explore the change in attitudes toward programming. Students’ perception toward the block-based programming interface (e.g., Hopscotch) was also examined after the curricular activities. Students’ activities in lessons and artifacts from the culminating project were observed. The findings indicated that elementary school students had a positive perception of programming in the block-based programming interface. Also, the block-based programming activities contributed to more positive attitudes toward programming. Implications and limitations of the study were discussed.
... In some countries, such as England, Australia, or New Zealand, CT has been formally integrated into the curriculum using different approaches (Duncan et al., 2017). In the United States, the learning of computer science is being promoted by the federal government throughout all educational levels in the same way as in Singapore, Nigeria and Turkey (Atun & Usta, 2019;Bocconi et al., 2016b;Igbokwe, 2015). ...
In modern society technology is widely used and, with the digitization of many services, this is an upward trend. Therefore, computational thinking (CT) is an increasingly important concept; an aspect that is being reflected on educational policies and the extracurricular offer of different countries. This study aims to look at the efficacy of private after-school extracurricular robotics activities, controlling fluid intelligence (Gf), a determining aspect in solving novel problems. A sample of 112 fifth-grade Spanish students was chosen, who completed two tests, the computational thinking test (CTt) (Román-González, 2016 Román-González, M. (2016). Códigoalfabetización y Pensamiento Computacional en Educación Primaria y Secundaria: Validación de un instrumento y evaluación de programas. Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (España). Escuela Internacional de Doctorado. Programa de Doctorado en Educación.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) and the KBIT fluid intelligence subtest (Kaufman, 1990 Kaufman, A. S. (1990). Kaufman brief intelligence test: KBIT. American Guidance Service. [Google Scholar]). The results showed a great influence of Gf on the prediction of CT and significant differences between the students that had not attended after-school extracurricular classes and those that had attended for two or more years. Thus, this study substantiates the effectiveness of private extracurricular classes in promoting CT in the long term. Given the importance of CT nowadays, legislators should consider to include CT in compulsory education because private extracurricular classes could promote inequity.
... In reviewing the situation in Spain regarding Computing Education in pre-university stages made by the Spanish Computing Scientific Society (SCIE), with the support of the Spanish Board of Deans of Computing Schools (CODDI), it was recommended to establish a subject titled "Informatics", which was implemented as a mandatory course offered in both primary and secondary education (Velázquez-Iturbide, 2018). In many countries the focus of visual programming is primarily at primary level (Bell, Duncan, & Atlas, 2016;Duncan, Bell, & Atlas, 2017;Sáez-López, Román-González, & Vázquez-Cano, 2016). ...
Effective and reliable assessment approaches to computational thinking in secondary education are in demand. This paper uses a guided technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, incorporating a visual execution environment (VEE) and Scratch project for secondary school students as a method to teach and assess computational thinking. The objective is to investigate if computational thinking and programming concepts can be improved upon following this method, and if the K-12 children are able to improve their computational thinking skills. The research study was conducted over 2 years in a school setting using the guided VEE and project developed following the dimensions of Computational Thinking process. The project participants came from two cohorts, an after-school programming camp and an in-school environment. Data was collected over two academic years and a quasi-experimental procedure with pre- and post-test was followed. The results demonstrate knowledge gain on computational and programming concepts and encourages us to convey how students translate (as opposed to transfer) their computational thinking experiences into reality. The results indicate the students achieved significant improvement in their computational thinking development.
... The analysis on the conceptual articulation in the texts, from the presented descriptors, even if in a preliminary way, demonstrates an association still timidly disseminated in Brazil, but quite deepened in other countries for some time, as pointed out by Shuchi Grover and Roy Pea (2013), Paul Curzon (2014), Matt Bower et al. (2015), and Caitlin Duncan et al. (2017). ...
p>The Brazilian educational context has shown a relative emphasis on what official documents foresee with regard to the mere “use” of ICT as opposed to a more critical stance that situates these technologies as cultural instruments with an empowerment dimension. With the purpose of constituting a theoretical and epistemological framework around the relationship between technologies and education, this report presents concepts hitherto shyly presented in Brazil, on the basis of the compilation of studies published in the last five years worldwide.</p
... In some countries, such as England, Australia, or New Zealand, CT has been formally integrated into the curriculum using different approaches (Duncan et al., 2017). In the United States, the learning of computer science is being promoted by the federal government throughout all educational levels in the same way as in Singapore, Nigeria and Turkey (Atun & Usta, 2019; Bocconi et al., 2016b;Igbokwe, 2015). ...
The interest in computational thinking development at pre-university education stage is increasing. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to address two main objectives: (a) to analyze the effectiveness of empirical interventions in K-12 education for the development of Computational Thinking (CT); and (b) to identify and evaluate the variables that influences the effectiveness of the interventions. The analysis was especially focused on the intra-group effect sizes. Interventions show large effect size in the development of CT in the comparison between pre- and post-tests (g = 1.044). Among the different types of interventions, programming is the most efficient learning tool.
... For several decades, a scenario has appeared (De Rider, 2000;Dutton & Kholi, 1996) wherein the focus on competencies has been widely imposed in higher education (Arranz, Ubierna, Arroyabe, Pérez, & Fernández de Arroyabe, 2017;Duncan, Bell, & Atlas, 2017;Eizagirre Sagardia, Altuna Urdin, & Fernández Fernández, 2017;Herrmann, Gerlach, & Seelig, 2015). This is the context in which the European Higher Education Area exists (Declaration of Bologna, 1999) and in which the Tuning Project (González & Wagenaar, 2003) can be considered the referent in curricular transformations of the university educational systems grouped around the aforementioned Declaration. ...
This paper addresses an issue of concern with regards to the teaching of competencies within the context of undergraduate university studies, in this case, in the field of social work. In it, we question if the basic curricular processes of the explicit instructional, teaching and assessment system regarding specific competencies of professional social work are effective in promoting, improving or training in the performance of these specific competencies, or if, on the hand, they are axiological in nature and can better explain the performance of specific competencies by undergraduate students studying social work. A survey method has been followed, analyzing the interaction between these three factors in relation to the self-perception of competency performance. The results suggest that the subjective assessment of the competencies by undergraduate students of social work could affect the relationship between the perception of teaching and evaluation of competencies and the subjective level of their own competency in them. These results provoke an inescapable reflection on the validity of pedagogical practices for promoting the self-assessed performance of the specific competencies of social work by future professional practitioners, opening the door to a reflection on the ways of influencing the competency performance of the current teaching and evaluation processes in higher education.
... Καθώς τα νέα προγράμματα σπουδών ακόμη και στην προσχολική εκπαίδευση προωθούν την ανάπτυξη της ΥΣ, η τριτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση πρέπει να προετοιμάζει κατάλληλα τους μελλοντικούς εκπαιδευτικούς ώστε να μπορούν να ανταποκρίνονται στις αυξημένες νέες απαιτήσεις (Duncan, Bell & Atlas 2017;Topalli & Cagiltay 2018). Ως εκ τούτου, η εισαγωγή της ΥΣ σε όλες τις βαθμίδες της εκπαίδευσης, ακόμη και στην προσχολική, απαιτεί την αποτελεσματική προετοιμασία των μελλοντικών εκπαιδευτικών στη χρήση υλικού, υπηρεσιών και κατάλληλων διδακτικών στρατηγικών (Benton, Hoyles, Kalas & Noss 2017;Bocconi et al. 2016). ...
Τα τελευταία χρόνια το ενδιαφέρον για την ποιότητα της παρεχόμενης εκπαίδευσης αυξάνεται διεθνώς ενώ παρατηρείται ραγδαία αύξηση των προσπαθειών ανάπτυξης συστημάτων αξιολόγησης που να παρέχουν αξιόπιστες πληροφορίες αναφορικά με την ποιότητα της διδασκαλίας. Η διαμορφωτική αξιολόγηση έχει μεγάλη βαρύτητα για την ποιότητα της διαδικασίας διδασκαλίας της μάθησης καθώς τοποθετεί τον μαθητή στο επίκεντρο της όλης διδακτικής διαδικασίας στηριζόμενη στο δίπολο εκπαιδευτικού-μαθητή. Στον αντίποδα, ο όγκος και η συχνή επανάληψη των τεστ που χρησιμοποιεί η διαμορφωτική αξιολόγηση αποτελεί και έναν από τους μεγαλύτερους περιορισμούς που καθιστούν δύσκολη την εφαρμογή της σε πραγματικές συνθήκες διδασκαλίας στην τάξη. Ωστόσο, οι παραπάνω περιορισμοί μπορούν να αρθούν με τη χρήση ενός συστήματος αξιολόγησης με τη βοήθεια ηλεκτρονικού υπολογιστή, το οποίο μπορεί να «αυτοματοποιήσει» τον ιδιαίτερα αυξημένο φόρτο εργασίας του εκπαιδευτικού. Στην παρούσα έρευνα παρουσιάζουμε το Dr. Scratch, το οποίο αποτελεί ένα δωρεάν διαδικτυακό εργαλείο το οποίο αξιολογεί τα έργα Scratch σε 7 διαστάσεις της Υπολογιστικής Σκέψης.
... Open questions concerning CS curriculum design include at what age CS should be integrated, with what content and whether it should be as a standalone discipline or transversal (Barr and Stephenson 2011;Mannila et al. 2014;Yadav et al. 2016;Duncan et al. 2017;Webb et al. 2017). In their review of the status of computing in education in 21 European countries, Balanskat and Engelhardt (2015) highlighted the various means of integrating digital education in the curriculum and found that only 8 countries integrated Digital Education in primary school, and only three as a compulsory discipline. ...
Integrating computer science (CS) into school curricula has become a worldwide preoccupation. Therefore, we present a CS and Robotics integration model and its validation through a large-scale pilot study in the administrative region of the Canton Vaud in Switzerland. Approximately 350 primary school teachers followed a mandatory CS continuing professional development program (CPD) of adapted format with a curriculum scaffolded by instruction modality. This included CS Unplugged activities that aim to teach CS concepts without the use of screens, and Robotics Unplugged activities that employed physical robots, without screens, to learn about robotics and CS concepts. Teachers evaluated positively the CPD and their representation of CS improved. Voluntary adoption rates reached 97% during the CPD and 80% the following year. These results combined with the underpinning literature support the generalisability of the model to other contexts.
... In both experiments, results showed such module was effective to influence teachers' understanding of CT and to improve their positive attitudes toward CT and its integration into the classroom. Bower and Falkner [2015] conducted a pilot survey on 44 pre-service teachers, investigating their awareness of CT, conceptions regarding the term, use of IT and pedagogical strategies for CT development, and confidence in teaching CT. Duncan et al. [2017] report the post-lesson feedbacks from 13 primary school teachers (with no previous experience in teaching computer science) participating in an ongoing study on teaching CT in New Zealand. They report about teacher confidence, level of difficulty of the lessons, common themes emerged in the answers, and teachers' misconceptions. ...
... They conducted 24 semistructured interviews and identified several challenges, including isolation, lack of adequate CS background, and limited professional development resources. Duncan et al. (2017) analyzed the feedback of 13 teachers participating in a study that examines the implementation of new primary school topics based on computational thinking in New Zealand. The teachers had no previous experience in teaching CS and volunteered to take part in a program where they receive professional development and support to integrate computational thinking and CS in their teaching. ...
While several countries have already introduced Computer Science or programming into their primary school curricula (e.g., the UK, Australia, or Finland), Germany has not yet developed mandatory guidelines on how to deal with these matters. Although there is an agreement that students of all ages should gain insight into the recognition and formulation of algorithms, the focus in primary school is often still on the mere use of computers. Programming courses, on the other hand, are increasingly found in extracurricular activities. It is still open to what extent and in what form algorithms and programming can and should be introduced in primary schools in the longer term. To help answer this question, we trained 40 primary school teachers in algorithms and programming and examined how they implement the topics in their individual schools. Among these are teachers who teach programming in class (formal learning) as well as teachers who offer their students extracurricular programming activities on a voluntary basis (non-formal learning). We interviewed all teachers about how they implemented the topics, what advantages they saw in the individual formats, and what challenges they encountered. In this paper, we outline our didactical approach as well as the results of our interview study.
... Compared to Barr and Stephenson (2011), mostly data manipulation terms were left out for being either too broad, not-well defined or not considered a skill. Generalization and evaluation were added from CSTA and ISTE and those skills of CT have been used later by several authors (Anderson, 2016, Selby, 2015, Csizmadia et al., 2015, Angeli et al., 2016, Dagienė and Sentence, 2016, Marcelino et al., 2016, Duncan et al., 2017and Dagienė et al., 2017. As some of the dimensions of CSTA and ISTE (2011) are common with Selby and Woollard (2013), several authors have con-sidered both ideas (Seiter and Foreman, 2013, Dasgupta and Purzer, 2016and Mouza et al., 2017. ...
Computer science concepts have an important part in other subjects and thinking computationally is being recognized as an important skill for everyone, which leads to the increasing interest in developing computational thinking (CT) as early as at the comprehensive school level. Therefore, research is needed to have a common understanding of CT skills and develop a model to describe the dimensions of CT. Through a systematic literature review, using the EBSCO Discovery Service and the ACM Digital Library search, this paper presents an overview of the dimensions of CT defined in scientific papers. A model for developing CT skills in three stages is proposed: i) defining the problem, ii) solving the problem, and iii) analyzing the solution. Those three stages consist of ten CT skills: problem formulation, abstraction, problem reformulation, decomposition, data collection and analysis, algorithmic design, parallelization and iteration, automation, generalization, and evaluation.
... Key words: Educational Robotics, Science, Design and Technology, Space, Curriculum Εισαγωγή Η ραγδαία αύξηση στη χρήση των τεχνολογιών της πληροφορίας και της επικοινωνίας (ΤΠΕ) και η έντονη ενασχόληση των μαθητών με τις τεχνολογίες αυτές, δημιούργησε νέες προκλήσεις για τα εκπαιδευτικά ιδρύματα (Anderson, 2008;. Κύριοι φορείς αυτής της μεγάλης πρόκλησης είναι οι εκπαιδευτικοί οι οποίοι αποτελούν ένα από τα σημαντικότερα κομμάτια της αλλαγής (Erstad, Eickelmann & Eichhorn, 2015).Τα τελευταία χρόνια φάνηκε έντονη η εκπαιδευτική ενσωμάτωση των ρομπότ στη μαθησιακή διαδικασία (Kazakoff & Bers, 2012;Sullivan & Bers, 2015;Duncan, Bell & Atlas, 2017). Αρκετά σχολεία και πανεπιστήμια άρχισαν να εντάσσουν τη ρομποτική στην εκπαίδευση των μαθητών μιας και μπορεί να υποστηρίξει τη μάθηση σε πολλά γνωστικά αντικείμενα όπως είναι επιστήμη, τα μαθηματικά, η τεχνολογία και η πληροφορική . ...
Πρακτικά Συνεδρίου: "Ψυχολογικές Επιδράσεις της Διάχυσης της Μαζικής Επικοινωνίας στην Καθημερινότητα" που διοργανώθηκε από το Πρόγραμμα Ψυχολογίας της Σχολής Επιστημών της Αγωγής και Κοινωνικών Επιστημών του Πανεπιστημίου Frederick στις 28-29 Απριλίου, 2018 Λεμεσό, 2018
... Similar to other studies (Bean et al., 2015), many students indicated their intent to use Scratch in their future teaching, recognising that embedding Scratch programming into other areas can "[..] actually enhance lessons," and that "I really felt like I could apply this to my future classroom." As new curricula in preschool and primary education is covering computational thinking, digital technologies and related areas are being introduced, many preservice teachers are having to undergo professional development to be able to deliver the new material (Duncan et al., 2017). Game-based learning, problem-based learning, visual programming and projects are technologies and pedagogical approaches that can potentially help learners to perform better in the introduction to programming course, in turn affecting their performances in projects (Topalli and Cagiltay, 2018). ...
A growing number of countries, in Europe and beyond have established clear policies and frameworks for introducing Computational Thinking and computer programming to young children. Researchers, educators, and key stakeholders believe that these skills should be taught and used in early childhood classrooms to initiate the cognitive development of students at an earlier age. The introduction of CT in the curriculum is creating a strong demand for pre-service development, as many teachers did not learn about CT and computer programming in their initial education. In response to this identified need, new initiatives in Universities are underway seeking to bring CT and programming into pre-service teachers’ education around the world. We adopted Scratch as the introductory programming language for a semester course in the department of Preschool Education in the University of Crete. The aim of using Scratch was to excite students’ interest and familiarise them with the basics of programming. For 13 weeks, students were introduced to the main Scratch concepts and, afterwards, were asked to prepare their projects. For the projects, they were required to develop a game to teach certain concepts about Mathematics or Physical Science and/or present an Aesop myth to preschool age students. The results we obtained were more satisfactory than expected and, in some regards, encouraging.
This paper presents a systematic literature review of professional development programs in Computational Thinking. Computational thinking (CT) has emerged as an essential set of skills that everyone should develop to participate in a global society. However, there were no pre-service or in-service teacher programs to integrate CT into the K-12 classrooms until very recently. Thus, it is important to identify how educators and researchers address the challenges to prepare the next generation of students and what gaps persist in the current literature. We review existing work in this field from two perspectives: First, we analyze the learning outcomes, assessment methods, pedagogical approaches, and pedagogical tools used in the Professional Development programs in CT. Second, we examine how these programs assess the teachers’ knowledge and skills as outcomes. We used the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework to characterize existing literature and identify possible gaps in the preparation of pre-service and in-service teachers in CT. Our results suggest that: (1) existing evidence is limited to developed countries; (2) many studies are only focusing on teachers understanding the concepts but do not explore how the participants evaluate or create learning activities; (3) no studies look into classroom observations as part of the program, which limits our understanding to how these programs work; and (4) most programs use block-based programming languages as the tool to develop student computational thinking. While block-based programming languages are used for introductory training programs, students are often expected to transfer their learning to more professional programming languages.
Bu çalışma, K12 düzeyindeki okullarda gerçekleştirilen programlama eğitimlerine ilişkin ebeveyn algısının belirlenmesine yönelik geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçek (PEEAÖ-K12) geliştirilmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ölçek geliştirme süreci ölçeğe temel oluşturan teorilere ilişkin alan yazın taraması ile başlamıştır. Kapsam geçerliliği çalışması sonucunda 36 maddeden oluşan taslak ölçek, Bursa il merkezindeki okullarda öğrenim gören 5 ve 6. sınıf öğrencilerinin ebeveynlerine (860 ebeveyn) uygulanmıştır. Ölçme aracına ait yapı geçerliğinin sağlanması amacıyla yapılan Açımlayıcı Faktör Analizi (AFA) işlemleri sonrası farkındalık, destek ve beklenti boyutları altında toplam 21 maddeden oluşan nihai form elde edilmiştir. Ölçeğin üç boyutlu faktör yapısı toplam varyansın % 71.135’ini açıklamaktadır. Ölçeğin tümü için elde edilen Cronbach Alpha iç tutarlık güvenirlik katsayısı .958 iken alt boyutlarına ait güvenirlik değerleri sırasıyla .94, .87 ve .95 olarak belirlenmiştir. Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi (DFA) sonuçları, modele ait uyum iyiliği indekslerinin hem tatmin edici hem de kabul edilebilir düzeyde olduğunu göstermektedir (x2/sd=1.849, TFI=.933, IFI=.942, NFI=.923, CFI=.942, RMSEA=. 073, RMR=.045). DFA'ya göre faktör yükleri .52 ile .91 arasında değişmektedir. Uygulanan Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi (DFA) neticesinde AFA kapsamında oluşan faktör yapısı doğrulanmış olup modele ait uyum iyiliği indekslerinin kabul edilebilir düzeyde anlamlı olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda okullarda yürütülen programlama etkinliklerine dair ebeveyn algısını belirlemede kullanılabilecek geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı ortaya konulmuştur.
The first Australasian computing education conference was held in 1996. Australasian authors had presented papers at SIGCSE, but a local conference gave them a far more affordable option, and it flourished. Australasia has also been well represented at both ITiCSE and ICER since their inceptions. Other Australasian innovations in CER include the conventicles, local meetings at which the computing educators in a city could meet and share papers that they had presented at conferences further afield. This chapter summarises the history and growth of computing education publication, and subsequently of computing education research, in Australia and New Zealand. At a more detailed level, it briefly discusses a number of research projects in New Zealand, in Australia, and across the oceanic divide between the two. It also devotes a section to school-level computing education, an area that has seen a great deal of recent activity in both countries.
Computer science education has been researched in Israel for a few decades, both at the K-12 and the undergraduate levels. The rich variety of the investigated topics addressed from the very beginning issues beyond the introductory course and programming, including the nature of the discipline and its fundamental ideas and concepts, which are stable, unlike the more technological aspects. Understanding the nature of the discipline and mapping its fundamental ideas and concepts constitute the basis on which curricula stand. Therefore, we chose to organize this chapter around ideas and concepts of CS. In line with this perspective, we will discuss research of all age levels: K-12, undergraduate, and even the graduate level, as well as research relating to teachers. We will present design-based research, which accompanied the design of new curricula, as well as studies aiming at identifying phenomena, or investigating educational hypotheses. We will also point out current challenges and possible future directions.
Resumo As chamadas "reformas" educacionais em vários países do Ocidente têm enfatizado políticas de mercado, fazendo com que estudantes atendam a um "perfil" intimamente ligado ao mercado de trabalho, seguindo uma lógica tecnicista e capitalista. Em um movimento cíclico, essas questões têm sido pauta da própria formação de professores, e, no que diz respeito ao papel das TICs nesse processo formativo, em virtude do olhar tecnicista e instrumental vigente, diversos equívocos vêm sendo verificados no processo pedagógico. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo é estabelecer um arcabouço teórico e conceitual profundo acerca da integração entre TICs e formação docente, tendo o pensamento computacional como eixo articulador dos processos educacionais mediados pelas TICs, concebendo-as não por seu mero uso e sim como ferramentas cognitivas. Para tanto, realizamos uma análise teórica em artigos, dissertações e teses a partir do portal de periódicos da Capes e no software de gestão e compartilhamento de artigos Mendeley. 3 Resultados preliminares apontam para a necessidade de inserir, na formação docente, questões relacionadas não apenas "sobre" o uso das TICs, sob uma perspectiva instrumental, mas sim "com" esses instrumentos, tendo a concepção de ferramenta cognitiva como embasamento, algo já adotado em vários outros países. Palavras-chave: Formação de professores. TICs. Ferramentas cognitivas. Pensamento computacional.
Background and Context
There is a need for teachers who are prepared to teach integrated CS/CT throughout the K-12 curriculum. Drawing on three vignettes of teacher instructional practice, we build on a growing body of literature around how teachers integrate CS/CT into their classrooms after attending CS/CT focused professional development.
Objective
We are interested in what different instructional approaches look like when elementary teachers engage in teaching CS/CT and what kinds of discourse accompany each of these instructional approaches.
Method
We utilized a two-step process to code video data of classroom instruction for four teachers. We conducted macro level coding to gain an understanding of the types of knowledge, instructional strategies, and discourse displayed by each teacher. We then conducted micro-level discourse analysis utilizing Brennan and Resnick’s framework for assessing the development of computational thinking.
Findings
We present vignettes of teachers using three distinct instructional approaches, direct instruction, discovery learning, and scaffolding and modeling. We look across vignettes to discuss the affordances and limitations of each instructional approach.
Implications
Our findings have implications for how we design curriculum and instruction and conduct CS/CT professional development for K-12 teachers who will integrate CS/CT with other subjects.
There is a global consensus that computational thinking (CT) should be integrated into education, and empowerment is often used as an argument for why future generations need to be able to think computationally. In this paper we report on a systematic literature survey that categorises various strands of empowerment as they unfold in CT education research. We apply an existing categorisation tool that defines the use of empowerment in relation to five interpretations: management, critical, democratic, functional and educational empowerment. Our analysis identifies several important limitations in the current literature. First, ‘empowerment’ is frequently used, but seldom defined, in current CT education literature. Second, the understanding of empowerment varies substantially depending on geographic region, which means that empowerment as an end-goal in CT education may differ significantly from region to region. Our study also found that critical and managemental empowerment are under-represented in the international CT education literature, but are more prevalent in research carried out in the Nordic countries. We conclude this paper by suggesting a research agenda to secure a more palpable research literature related to empowerment and to CT in education, to support future research, and to support ongoing policy-making.
The purpose of this study is to systematically examine the existing literature on the teaching approaches and tools used to prepare primary school teachers to integrate computational thinking (CT) in their offering. In addition, the study considers perceptions of teachers towards teaching approaches for CT. Thirty (30) journal articles and conference proceedings that met the selection criteria were reviewed and thematically analysed. Teaching approaches and tools that have been used to train teachers on teaching CT in primary schools include unplugged computing, robotics, programming and game-based learning activities. Teachers' perceptions toward the teaching approaches for integration of CT were positive and progressive after interventions. To support teachers, most studies introduced modules within teacher-education curriculum or a professional development course for in-service teachers. The results indicated that most of the integrations are done within mathematics and science classes. Also, coding remains a useful way to teach CT. To prepare teachers to teach CT concepts and skills, both pre-service and in-service teachers need practice teaching those concepts in authentic contexts. The review highlights the need for research that addresses the developing country context and working context of teachers as teaching strategies would differ from the developed countries context which has dominated the current research done.
The purpose of this study is to systematically examine the existing literature on the teaching approaches and tools used to prepare primary school teachers to integrate computational thinking (CT) in their offering. In addition, the study considers perceptions of teachers towards teaching approaches for CT. Thirty (30) journal articles and conference proceedings that met the selection criteria were reviewed and thematically analysed. Teaching approaches and tools that have been used to train teachers on teaching CT in primary schools include unplugged computing, robotics, programming and game-based learning activities. Teachers’ perceptions toward the teaching approaches for integration of CT were positive and progressive after interventions. To support teachers, most studies introduced modules within teacher-education curriculum or a professional development course for in-service teachers. The results indicated that most of the integrations are done within mathematics and science classes. Also, coding remains a useful way to teach CT. To prepare teachers to teach CT concepts and skills, both pre-service and in-service teachers need to practice teaching those concepts in authentic contexts. The review highlights the need for research that addresses the developing country context and working context of teachers as teaching strategies would differ from the developed countries context which has dominated the current research done.
Apa itu Computational Thinking (CT)? CT dapat digunakan untuk memecahkan masalah pada skala yang rumit secara algoritmik, dan sering digunakan untuk mewujudkan peningkatan efisiensi yang besar. Buku Computational Thinking: Pemecahan Masalah di Abad ke-21 merupakan sebuah buku teks yang berisi tentang konsep-konsep Computational Thinking (CT) di beberapa disiplin ilmu. Buku ini mengulas tentang sejarah munculnya CT, tokoh-tokoh yang mengawalinya, dan hal apa saja yang melatarbelakangi kemunculan CT. Pengertian CT juga disajikan dalam Bab 2. Selain itu ulasan tentang CT di beberapa disiplin ilmu juga disajikan secara runtut dan rinci di dalam buku ini. Mulai dari CT dalam bidang Teknologi Informasi beserta contoh-contohnya, CT dalam bidang Sains, CT dalam bidang Matematika, CT dalam bidang pendidikan, dan yang terakhir CT dalam bidang Pendidikan Matematika. Yang tak kalah menarik dari isi buku ini adalah di akhir bab, penulis memaparkan sekitar 50 artikel hasil-hasil penelitian CT dari berbagai sumber di seluruh dunia. Buku ini ditujukan kepada para mahasiswa, dosen, peneliti, dan akademisi lain yang ingin memperdalam pengetahuan tentang CT.
A Concept Inventory (CI) is a set of multiple choice questions used to reveal student's misconceptions related to some topic. Each available choice (besides the correct choice) is a distractor that is carefully developed to address a specific misunderstanding, a student wrong thought. In computer science introductory programming courses, the development of CIs is still beginning, with many topics requiring further study and analysis. We identify, through analysis of open-ended exams and instructor interviews, introductory programming course misconceptions related to function parameter use and scope, variables, recursion, iteration, structures, pointers and boolean expressions. We categorize these misconceptions and define high-quality distractors founded in words used by students in their responses to exam questions. We discuss the difficulty of assessing introductory programming misconceptions independent of the syntax of a language and we present a detailed discussion of two pilot CIs related to parameters: an open-ended question (to help identify new misunderstandings) and a multiple choice question with suggested distractors that we identified.
There is a call for change in the treatment of ICT curriculum in our schools driven by the relatively recent acknowledgement of the growing importance of ICT in industry and society, and the need to empower youth as
producers, as well as consumers, of technology. ICT curriculum in previous incarnations tended to focus on
ICT as a tool, with the development of digital literacy as the key requirement. Areas such as computer science (CS) or computational thinking were typically isolated into senior secondary programs, with a focus on programming and algorithm development, when they were considered at
all. New curricula introduced in England, and currently under debate within Australia, have identified the need to
educate for both digital literacy and CS, and the need to promote both learning areas from the commencement of schooling, Foundation (F) to year 12. In this paper, we discuss the main trends and learning
objectives of these new curricula, identifying key areas requiring further research and development by the CS
Education community. We undertake a review of current research in CS Education within the F-12 context, to
identify research that can guide effective implementation and provide opportunities for further research. .
Computing professionals and educators face the responsibility to make computation available to thinkers of all disciplines. Computing education researchers are using experimentation and design to demonstrate that important questions can address important questions about how humans come to understand computing. Computing education research draws to a variety of disciplines to make computing education better. They draw on methods from education, sociology, and psychology in order to measure learning about computing and understand the factors that influence that learning. One can broaden access to computing ideas and capabilities by making computing education better.
Summary form only given. My vision for the 21st Century: computational thinking will be a fundamental skill used by everyone in the world. To reading, writing, and arithmetic, let's add computational thinking to every child's analytical ability. Computational thinking has already influenced other disciplines, from the sciences to the arts. The new NSF cyber-enabled discovery and innovation initiative in a nutshell is computational thinking for science and engineering. Realizing this vision gives the field of computing both exciting research opportunities and novel educational challenges. The field of computing is driven by technology innovation, societal demands, and scientific questions. We are often too easily swept up with the rapid progress in technology and the surprising uses by society of our technology, that we forget about the science that underlies our field. In thinking about computing, I have started a list of "Deep Questions in Computing," with the hope of encouraging the community to think about the scientific drivers of our field.
Computer Science and programming are being introduced to school curricula in many western countries in an effort to equip students with Computational Thinking skills. However, as these subjects are still relatively new to pre-tertiary education there is much investigation to be done into how best to present these topics and how to prepare teachers. In this study we focus on the presentation of topics relating to computing, Computational Thinking, and Computer Science for primary schools.
We analyse English-language curricula that have been published, specifically the English, Australian and CSTA curricula for primary schools. From this we establish the main topics covered, and how they are positioned to be suitable for students from the first year of school to approximately their eighth year.
We then report on a pilot study of a curriculum based on Computational Thinking; long term the study will encompass a range of topics and year levels, but the pilot focused on topics suitable for 11 to 12 year old students. Here we detail the design of this part of the curriculum, the manner of its delivery, and the experiences and observations of the generalist teacher who taught the course. Through assessment data, student responses to an attitude survey, and class observations we have evaluated the pilot curriculum. The findings of this study are being used to inform the design of a planned larger scale study.
Much of what we can do with Computer Science seems like magic, such as searching billions of items in a fraction of a second, or decrypting a secure message without needing to know the key that was used to encrypt it. Other parts are surprising — surely given a fast enough computer we can find the optimal solution to a problem? This paper investigates magical and paradoxical ideas in computer science, and how these relate to Computer Science education.
Computer science in UK schools is undergoing a remarkable transformation. While the changes are not consistent across each of the four devolved nations of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), there are developments in each that are moving the subject to become mandatory for all pupils from age 5 onwards. In this paper, we detail how computer science declined in the UK, and the developments that led to its revitalisation: a mixture of industry and interest group lobbying, with a particular focus on the value of the subject to all school pupils, not just those who would study it at degree level. This rapid growth in the subject is not without issues, however: there remain significant forthcoming challenges with its delivery, especially surrounding the issue of training sufficient numbers of teachers. We describe a national network of teaching excellence which is being set up to combat this problem, and look at the other challenges that lie ahead.
Mathematics popularization is an important, creative kind of research, entangled with many other research programs of basic interest — Mike Fellows
This chapter is a history of the Computer Science Unplugged project, and related work on math and computer science popularization that Mike Fellows has been a driving force behind, including MEGA-Mathematics and games design. Mike’s mission has been to open up the knowns and unknowns of mathematical science to the public. We explore the genesis of MEGA-Math and “Unplugged” in the early 1990s, and then the sudden growth of interest in Unplugged after the year 2003, including the contributions from many different cultures and its deployment in a large variety of contexts. Woven through this history is the importance of story: that presenting math and computing topics through story-telling and drama can captivate children and adults alike, and provides a whole new level of engagement with what can be perceived as a dry topic. It is also about not paying attention to boundaries — whether teaching advanced computer science concepts to elementary school children or running a mathematics event in a park.
Visual program simulation (VPS) is a form of interactive program visualization in which novice programmers practice tracing computer programs: using a graphical interface, they are expected to correctly indicate each consecutive stage in the execution of a given program. Naturally, students make mistakes during VPS; in this article, we report a study of such mistakes.
Visual program simulation tries to get students to act on their conceptions; a VPS-supporting software system may be built so that it reacts to student behaviors and provides feedback tailored to address suspected misconceptions. To focus our efforts in developing the feedback given by our VPS system, UUhistle, we wished to identify the most common mistakes that students make and to explore the reasons behind them. We analyzed the mistakes in over 24,000 student-submitted solutions to VPS assignments collected over three years. 26 mistakes stood out as relatively common and therefore worthy of particular attention. Some of the mistakes appear to be related to usability issues and others to known misconceptions about programming concepts; others still suggest previously unreported conceptual difficulties. Beyond helping us develop our visualization tool, our study lends tentative support to the claim that many VPS mistakes are linked to programming misconceptions and VPS logs can be a useful data source for studying students' understandings of CS1 content.
Information processes and computation continue to be found abundantly in the deep structures of many fields. Computing is not---in fact, never was---a science only of the artificial.
Some of the significant factors associated with computational thinking are presented. Computational thinking indicates a mental orientation to formulate problems as conversions of some input to an output and looking for algorithms to perform the conversions. The term also includes thinking with many levels of abstraction, use of mathematics to develop algorithms, and examining a solution. Several scientists think that the information processes can occur naturally and that computation is required to understand and control them. Computational thinking needs to be considered as a practice instead of a principle, that further means a method of doing thing at which various level of skills can be developed. The US National Science Foundation's Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) invites researchers to discuss how their projects advance computational thinking.
Computational Thinking: A Digital Age Skill for Everyone. Learning & Leading with Technology
- B D Barr
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Top 10 myths about teaching computer science
- M Guzdial
Computer science unplugged
- T Bell
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Exploring computational thinking
- Education Google
Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management from the Creator of Lateral Thinking. Little, Brown and Co
- E De Bono