Amanda Sullivan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Amanda Sullivan

Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 2017

Aim/Purpose: Over the past few years, new approaches to introducing young children to computation... more Aim/Purpose: Over the past few years, new approaches to introducing young children to computational thinking have grown in popularity. This paper examines the role that user interfaces have on children’s mastery of computational thinking concepts and positive interpersonal behaviors. Background: There is a growing pressure to begin teaching computational thinking at a young age. This study explores the affordances of two very different programming interfaces for teaching computational thinking: a graphical coding application on the iPad (ScratchJr) and tangible programmable robotics kit (KIBO). Methodology : This study used a mixed-method approach to explore the learning experiences that young children have with tangible and graphical coding interfaces. A sample of children ages four to seven (N = 28) participated. Findings: Results suggest that type of user interface does have an impact on children’s learning, but is only one of many factors that affect positive academic and socio-...

We present BacToMars, a collaborative multiplayer educational video game that engages elementary ... more We present BacToMars, a collaborative multiplayer educational video game that engages elementary school children in creative bio-design. We describe the design of the game, its learning goals, and findings from its preliminary evaluation when deployed in informal settings accompanied by a curricular intervention. Our findings shed light on how children play a collaborative multiplayer game while co-located, and on the potential of collaborative video games as a tool for teaching biological engineering to young children and for making a positive impact on their attitudes towards science.

The Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 2013

Prior work has shown that early childhood educators demonstrate a lack of knowledge and understan... more Prior work has shown that early childhood educators demonstrate a lack of knowledge and understanding about technology and engineering, and about developmentally appropriate pedagogical approaches to bring those disciplines into the classrooms. This paper reports a study in which 32 early childhood educators participated in an intensive three-day professional development workshop with the goals of: increasing teachers’ knowledge about robotics, engineering and programming, and pedagogies for teaching them in the early childhood classroom. results show a statistically significant increase in the level of knowledge in all the three areas of technology in general, pedagogy, and robotics content knowledge after participation in the institute. additionally, results show significant increases in several aspects of technology self-efficacy and attitudes toward technology. implications for designing effective technology focused professional development are discussed.

Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 2017

We present BacToMars, a collaborative educational video game that engages elementary school child... more We present BacToMars, a collaborative educational video game that engages elementary school children in creative bio-design. We describe the game, as well as how our iterative and participatory design process is shaping the game's development. We also discuss plans for on-site evaluations at local elementary schools to answer research questions pertaining to collaboration, a itudes, and the potential of video games as a tool for teaching biological engineering to young children. CCS CONCEPTS •Applied computing → Collaborative learning; Computer games; •Human-centered computing → Collaborative interaction; •Social and professional topics → K-12 education;

Proceedings of the 2017 Conference on Interaction Design and Children, 2017

We present BacToMars, an educational video game that engages elementary school children in a bio-... more We present BacToMars, an educational video game that engages elementary school children in a bio-design activity. We describe its design and implementation, and discuss design considerations for developing playful and developmentally-appropriate interactive activities, which enable children to grasp complex scientific concepts and apply bio-design to solve problems. We share results from preliminary evaluation, and describe next steps in our investigation.

Early Mathematics Learning and Development, 2018

Although we are surrounded by technology on a daily basis, the inner working of devices like phon... more Although we are surrounded by technology on a daily basis, the inner working of devices like phones and computers is often a mystery to children and adults alike. Robotics offers a unique way for children (and grown-ups!) to explore sensors, motors, circuit boards, and other electronic components together from the inside out. This chapter describes how robotics can be used as a playful medium in early childhood classrooms to learn foundational engineering and computer science concepts. By presenting vignettes from three early childhood classrooms that embarked on an eight-week KIBO robotics curriculum, this chapter highlights how educators with little to no prior engineering experience were able to successfully integrate robotics with traditional early childhood content such as literacy and science. KIBO is a developmentally appropriate robotics kit specifically designed for children ages 4-7 that is controlled with tangible programming blocks-no screen time required. The three classroom teachers worked with researchers from Tufts University and Lesley University to integrate KIBO robotics with the teachers' traditional learning units. The three vignettes will describe the following classroom experiences: using robotics to bring to life the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? in the context of literacy explorations; and in science, programming the life cycles of the frog and the butterfly, and using robots to model the movement of worms through different environments. These vignettes will highlight the very different approaches teachers took to introducing robotics to their students and how they utilized the engineering design process as a teaching tool that can be applied to most subject areas.

Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 2019

Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to explore whether having state Computer Science standards in place ... more Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to explore whether having state Computer Science standards in place will increase young children’s exposure to coding and powerful ideas from computer science in the early years. Background: Computer science education in the K-2 educational segment is receiving a growing amount of attention as national and state educational frameworks are emerging. By focusing on the app ScratchJr, the most popular free introductory block-based programming language for early childhood, this paper explores if there is a relationship between the presence of state frameworks and ScratchJr’s frequency of use. Methodology: This paper analyzes quantitative non-identifying data from Google Analytics on users of the ScratchJr programming app. Google Analytics is a free tool that allows access to user activity as it happens in real time on the app, as well as audience demographics and behavior. An analysis of trends by state, time of year, type of in-app activities completed, and...

Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 2014

This paper explores how robotics can be used as a new educational tool in a Montessori early educ... more This paper explores how robotics can be used as a new educational tool in a Montessori early education classroom. It presents a case study of one early educator's experience of designing and implementing a robotics curriculum integrated with a social science unit in her mixed-age classroom. This teacher had no prior experience using robotics in the classroom beyond a three-day professional development workshop. The case study was constructed by collecting data from surveys, interviews, and a personal blog written by the teacher documenting her experience. The outcome of this research project is a set of suggested criteria for effectively integrating foundational programming and engineering concepts into Montessori early education, based on the inclusion of Montessori tangibles, the need for teacher confidence, and the encouragement of student collaboration.

Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 2019

Aim/Purpose: Educational robotics competitions are a popular way to increase students’ interest i... more Aim/Purpose: Educational robotics competitions are a popular way to increase students’ interest in science and engineering during their K-12 years. However, female students are typically underrepresented in these competitions. The goal of this study is to determine differences in the experiences of male and female robotics competition students in order to better support female students and increase their representation in competition leagues. Background: VEX Robotics Competitions are one of the fastest-growing educational robotics competitions available to middle school and high school students around the world. Despite growing numbers of participants, VEX programs have a notice-able lack of female participants. In order to create a more diverse and representative program, it is important to investigate why fewer female students participate in the competitions and what can be done to better support female students. Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from V...

International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2017

In recent years, Singapore has increased its national emphasis on technology and engineering in e... more In recent years, Singapore has increased its national emphasis on technology and engineering in early childhood education. Their newest initiative, the Playmaker Programme, has focused on teaching robotics and coding in preschool settings. Robotics offers a playful and collaborative way for children to engage with foundational technology and engineering concepts during their formative early childhood years. This study looks at a sample of preschool children (N = 98) from five early childhood centers in Singapore who completed a 7-week STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) KIBO robotics curriculum in their classrooms called, ''Dances from Around the World.'' KIBO is a newly developed robotics kit that teaches both engineering and programming. KIBO's actions are programmed using tangible programming blocks-no screen-time required. Children's knowledge of programming concepts were assessed upon completion of the curriculum using the Solve-Its assessment. Results indicate that children were highly successful at mastering foundational programming concepts. Additionally, teachers were successful at promoting a collaborative and creative environment, but less successful at finding ways to engage with the greater school community through robotics. This research study was part of a large country-wide initiative to increase the use of developmentally appropriate engineering tools in early childhood settings. Implications for the design of technology, curriculum, and other resources are addressed.

This study aims to explore the relative differences in efficacy of three different computer progr... more This study aims to explore the relative differences in efficacy of three different computer programming interfaces for controlling robots designed for early childhood education. A sample of N=36 kindergarten students from 3 different classrooms participated in this research. Each classroom was randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: a tangible user interface, a graphical user interface, and a hybrid user interface. Comparisons between the three conditions focus on which interface yields better understanding of the programming concepts taught. Implications for designing developmentally appropriate computer programming interfaces for early childhood education are discussed.

Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 2016

Prior work demonstrates the importance of introducing young children to programming and engineeri... more Prior work demonstrates the importance of introducing young children to programming and engineering content before gender stereotypes are fully developed and ingrained in later years. However, very little research on gender and early childhood technology interventions exist. This pilot study looks at N=45 children in kindergarten through second grade who completed an eight-week robotics and programming curriculum using the KIWI robotics kit. KIWI is a developmentally appropriate robotics construction set specifically designed for use with children ages 4 to 7 years old. Qualitative pre-interviews were administered to determine whether participating children had any gender-biased attitudes toward robotics and other engineering tools prior to using KIWI in their classrooms. Post-tests were administered upon completion of the curriculum to determine if any gender differences in achievement were present. Results showed that young children were beginning to form opinions about which tech...

Teaching Computational Thinking and Coding to Young Children, 2021

The representation of women in technical fields such as computer science and engineering continue... more The representation of women in technical fields such as computer science and engineering continues to be an issue in the United States, despite decades of research and interventions. According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, only 21.1% of computer programmers are women, and only 16.5% of engineering and architecture positions are filled by women. This chapter discusses the long-term importance of exposing girls to computational thinking during their formative early childhood years (Kindergarten through second grade) in order to set them up for equal opportunities in technical fields throughout their later educational and career years. This chapter presents a case example of a K-2nd grade robotics and coding curriculum in order to highlight examples of developmentally appropriate technologies, activities, and strategies that educators can implement to foster young girls' computational thinking skills. Best practices and instructional strategies to support g...

Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 2018

Aim/Purpose: Bioengineering is a burgeoning interdisciplinary learning domain that could inspire ... more Aim/Purpose: Bioengineering is a burgeoning interdisciplinary learning domain that could inspire the imaginations of elementary aged children but is not traditionally taught to this age group for reasons unrelated to student ability. This pilot study presents the BacToMars videogame and accompanying curricular intervention, designed to introduce children (aged 7-11) to foundational concepts of bioengineering and to the interdisciplinary nature of scientific endeavors. Background: This pilot study explores the bioengineering-related learning outcomes and attitudes of children after engaging with the BacToMars game and curriculum intervention. Methodology: This study drew on prior findings in game-based learning and applied them to a videogame designed to connect microbiology with Constructionist microworlds. An experimental comparison showed the learning and engagement affordances of integrating this videogame into a mixed-media bioengineering curriculum. Elementary-aged children (N ...

Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 2013

This paper qualitatively examines the implementation of an intensive weeklong robotics curriculum... more This paper qualitatively examines the implementation of an intensive weeklong robotics curriculum in three Pre-Kindergarten classrooms (N=37) at an early childhood STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) focused magnet school in the Harlem area of New York City. Children at the school spent one week participating in computer programming activities using a developmentally appropriate tangible programming language called CHERP, which is specifically designed to program a robot's behaviors. The children used CHERP to program "Robot Recyclers" that they constructed using parts from LEGO ® Education WeDo™ Robotics Construction Sets. The Robot Recyclers were designed to help carry, push, and/or sort recyclable materials found in the classroom. Researchers were participant-observers in the robotics lessons over the course of curriculum implementation. Each lesson was taught by the researchers, with classroom teachers present in order to facilitate classroom management and assist with small group work. A combination of interviews, video, photographs, and classroom observations were used to document the students' experiences. Classroom teachers were also interviewed and asked to complete anonymous pre and post surveys. Results from this study provide preliminary evidence that Pre-Kindergarten children can design, build, and program a robot after just one week of concentrated robotics work. Additionally, results indicate that teachers were able to successfully integrate robotics work into their classrooms that included foundational math and literacy concepts while also engaging children in the arts. However, this study also highlights the difficulties and challenges that must be considered before implementing a robotics curriculum into a Pre-Kindergarten classroom, including opportunities for one-to-one adult assistance during building and programming activities.

Computers in the Schools, 2016

KIBO is a developmentally appropriate robotics kit for young children that is programmed using in... more KIBO is a developmentally appropriate robotics kit for young children that is programmed using interlocking wooden blocks; no screens or keyboards are required. This study describes a pilot KIBO robotics curriculum at an urban public preschool in Rhode Island and presents data collected on children's knowledge of foundational programming concepts after completing the curriculum. The curriculum was designed to integrate music, literacy, and design with engineering and robotics. Children (N = 64) from seven preschool classrooms, ranging in age from 3 to 5, participated in the study. Findings indicated that children as young as age 3 could create syntactically correct programs for the KIBO robot, although older preschoolers (closer to age 5) performed better than younger preschoolers on a standardized programming task. Additionally, all students generally performed better on the programming tasks that required them to manipulate less programming instructions. Implications for designing developmentally appropriate curriculum and scaffolding for young children are addressed.

International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2015

In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the missing ''T'' of technology and ''E'' o... more In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the missing ''T'' of technology and ''E'' of engineering in early childhood STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) curricula. Robotics offers a playful and tangible way for children to engage with both T and E concepts during their foundational early childhood years. This study looks at N = 60 children in pre-kindergarten through second grade who completed an 8-week robotics curriculum in their classrooms using the KIWI robotics kit combined with a tangible programming language. Children were assessed on their knowledge of foundational robotics and programming concepts upon completion of the curriculum. Results show that beginning in pre-kindergarten, children were able to master basic robotics and programming skills, while the older children were able to master increasingly complex concepts using the same robotics kit in the same amount of time. Implications for developmentally appropriate design of technology, as well as structure and pace of robotics curricula for young children are addressed.

International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2012

Early childhood is a critical period for introducing girls to traditionally masculine fields of s... more Early childhood is a critical period for introducing girls to traditionally masculine fields of science and technology before more extreme gender stereotypes surface in later years. This study looks at the TangibleK Robotics Program in order to determine whether kindergarten boys and girls were equally successful in a series of building and programming tasks. The TangibleK Program consisted of a six lesson robotics and programming curriculum that was implemented in three different kindergarten classrooms (N = 53 students). Although previous research has found that males outperform females in robotics and programming related fields, it was hypothesized that the young age of participants and their limited cultural indoctrination regarding gender stereotypes would allow boys and girls to have equal success in this program. Although boys had a higher mean score than girls on more than half of the tasks, very few of these differences were statistically significant. Boys scored significantly higher than girls only in two areas: properly attaching robotic materials, and programming using Ifs. Overall, both boys and girls were able to successfully complete the program.

Early Childhood Education Journal, 2012

This paper examines the impact of programming robots on sequencing ability during a 1-week intens... more This paper examines the impact of programming robots on sequencing ability during a 1-week intensive robotics workshop at an early childhood STEM magnet school in the Harlem area of New York City. Children participated in computer programming activities using a developmentally appropriate tangible programming language CHERP, specifically designed to program a robot's behaviors. The study assessed 27 participants' sequencing skills before and after the programming and robotics curricular intervention using a picture-story sequencing task and compared those skills to a control group. Pre-test and post-test scores were compared using a paired sample t test. The group of children who participated in the 1-week robotics and programming workshop experienced significant increases in post-test compared to pre-test sequencing scores.

Computers & Education, 2014

By engaging in construction-based robotics activities, children as young as four can play to lear... more By engaging in construction-based robotics activities, children as young as four can play to learn a range of concepts. The TangibleK Robotics Program paired developmentally appropriate computer programming and robotics tools with a constructionist curriculum designed to engage kindergarten children in learning computational thinking, robotics, programming, and problem-solving. This paper documents three kindergarten classrooms' exposure to computer programming concepts and explores learning outcomes. Results point to strengths of the curriculum and areas where further redesign of the curriculum and technologies would be appropriate. Overall, the study demonstrates that kindergartners were both interested in and able to learn many aspects of robotics, programming, and computational thinking with the TangibleK curriculum design.