Using Scaffolded Activities to Teach Computational Thinking to Middle School Girls (original) (raw)

Computer Programming Workshops with Playful Environments for Middle School Girls

—This research to practice full paper explores the role of programming workshops for girls of primary education in changing perceptions and interests of this audience regarding joining this field. A programming workshop with the playful environment Scratch and a teaching-learning approach based on challenges was held in a middle school of city in the northeast of Brazil, and was analyzed using a mixed-methods case study. Results point to increased interest in the field after the workshop and no confirmation of erroneous stereotypes about the area. We conclude that this type of workshop is relevant to better understand and potentially improve girls' perceptions about the field of computing.

Exposing middle school girls to programming via creative tools

2005

This paper explores design concepts and principles to engage middle school girls in learning preliminary programming concepts through different media and interaction techniques. Creating a greeting card and creating a personal avatar for an Instant Messenger (IM) were two approaches that were examined. Findings suggest that an IM avatar creation tool, with guiding principles including partial manipulation of code, immediate feedback, engaging content, reinforcement exercises, and transition from concrete to abstract examples, may interest girls to start learning programming concepts.

Designing Analog Games that Engage Girls with Computer Science Concepts

International Journal of Designs for Learning

This design case describes the development of three analog games intended to introduce middle-school-age girls to core computer science (CS) concepts. We describe the learning objectives, game mechanics, and narrative elements of each game, and some key problems and decisions that we confronted during the design process. Our design process was guided by two key goals and assumptions: (a) the games should help players develop a situated understanding of CS concepts through engaging them in computational thinking (CT) practices associated with each concept, and (b) game mechanics and story elements should be meaningfully integrated with and supportive of the games’ learning objectives. We discuss several challenges that we encountered in the design process, both in identifying CT practices that lent themselves to game mechanics, and in finding ways to embed mechanics into stories in a meaningful way. Data from gameplay sessions suggests that, on the whole, girls found the games engagi...

Computational thinking for youth in practice

2011

Computational thinking (CT) is a term coined by Jeannette Wing [11] to describe a set of thinking skills, habits and approaches that are integral to solving complex problems using a computer and widely applicable in the information society. Thinking computationally draws on the concepts that are fundamental to computer science, and involves systematically and effi ciently processing information and tasks. CT involves defi ning, understanding, and solving problems, reasoning at multiple levels of abstraction, understanding and applying automation, and analyzing the appropriateness of the abstractions made. CT shares elements with various other types of thinking such as algorithmic thinking, engineering thinking, design thinking, and mathematical thinking. As such, CT draws on a rich legacy of related frameworks as it extends previous thinking skills. This paper aims to help computing and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educators understand computational thinking (what it looks like "in practice", how it connects with their existing curriculum, and how to nurture computational thinking in today's youth) by sharing rich examples from National Science Foundation funded Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), Academies for Young Scientists (AYS) and Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE) programs. The examples provide a lens through which one can consider the implications for learning and teaching computational thinking in grades K through 12.

Engaging Primary School Children in Computational Thinking: Designing and Developing Videogames

Education in the knowledge society, 2018

Resumen Este artículo presenta los resultados de un proyecto sobre Pensamiento Computacional en niños de primaria. Durante el proyecto, llamado Computational Thinking for children education, 81 estudiantes de una escuela primaria en Italia se han orientado al diseño y desarrollo de juegos de computadora a través de la plataforma de desarrollo de juegos Microsoft Kodu. Se han propuesto diferentes actividades a los niños con el objetivo de promover habilidades de Pensamiento Computacional. Se ha adoptado un enfoque narrativo a lo largo del proyecto. Los resultados preliminares de la experiencia educativa resaltan que la adopción del aprendizaje narrativo y la reproducción física de objetos de programación manipulativos proporcionan una oportunidad para el desarrollo de habilidades de Pensamiento Computacional. Además, la constancia durante el proceso de aprendizaje afecta la adquisición de habilidades de desarrollo del juego; finalmente, el diseño e implementación de juegos de computadora usando Kodu ha tenido una influencia positiva significativa en la percepción de la programación de computadoras. Abstract This paper presents the results of a project on Computational Thinking education for primary school pupils. During the project-called Computational Thinking for children education-81 students from a primary school in Italy have been guided to the design and development of computer games through the Microsoft Kodu game development platform. Different activities have been proposed to the pupils with the aim of promoting Computational Thinking abilities and skills. A narrative approach has been adopted throughout the project. Preliminary results of the educational experience highlight as the adoption of narrative learning and physical reproduction of manipulative programming objects provide an affordance for the development of Computational Thinking abilities. Furthermore, constancy during the learning process affects the acquisition of game development skills; finally, the design and implementation of computer games using Kodu have had a significant positive influence on the perception of computer programming.

A congress for children and computational thinking for everyone

Proceedings of the 13th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education, 2018

As final event of the project "Informatics-A Child's Play?!", which aimed at introducing computational thinking in primary and secondary schools, the authors initiated the first Children's Congress in 2016 with the main theme of "Languages-Pictures-Information". This is now an annual event, where all participating children can slip into the role of researchers and present the results of their projects accomplished together with their teachers as well as teacher students of different master courses. As preparation the project teams get an introduction into computational thinking and several computer science concepts with the task of applying at least one of them in their project and the development of creative products. The themes of the Children's Congress are relatively open and fit into every subject, because our main aim is introducing computational thinking "by the way" to all participants. During their work on cross-curricular or even subject specific projects, pupils, students and teachers learn that basics of computational thinking are or can be integrated in every subject. This paper reports on the implementation and procedure of the Children's Congress and gives an overview of the projects accomplished in the first two years (2016 and 2017). It describes how and where computational thinking has been integrated and presents the main results of the evaluation gained from interviews and questionnaires.

Fostering Computational Thinking skills in the Last Years of Primary School

International Journal of Serious Games, 2019

The introduction of Computational Thinking (CT) in Italian compulsory schools is on the way, and there is a general need for new methodologies to support teachers’ work. A one-year long learning path supporting the development of CT skills in primary school students through game making activities was defined and tested in a case study with one grade 5 class. All students in the class were actively involved regardless of their personal interest, their participation was generally high, their skills increased along the project, and the main objectives were reached. Nevertheless, results suggest that a longer time span is needed for students to master deeply the new concepts and tools, class organization proved to be crucial and this confirms the need for an adequate teachers’ training before introducing CT in classroom activities. Students demonstrated to be on the right path to approach CT through game making, but they still need to be guided in taking the player’s perspective and mak...

Recommendations to Support Computational Thinking in the Elementary Classroom

Mobile applications intended to provide exposure to the concepts of computer programming and coding, referred to as coding apps, are becoming increasingly recognized as useful tools for classroom instruction (Hutchison, Nadolny, & Estapa). For example, the Scratch Jr app provides opportunities for users to create stories, games, and animations through visual coding and, as a result, experience what it is like to be a computer programmer. These programming apps can be used to expose students not only to computer programming or coding, but they also teach mathematics concepts and the broader skills associated with computational thinking by asking students to engage in tasks that require them to do things such as group variables, apply conditional logic, develop algorithmic functions, calculate angles within geometric shapes and more. Computational thinking described as a problem solving process and can be defined as follows: Formulating problems in a way that enables us to use a computer and other tools to help solve them; logically organizing and analyzing data; representing data through abstractions such as models and simulations; automating solutions through algorithmic thinking (a series of ordered steps); identifying, analyzing, and implementing possible solutions with the goal of achieving the most efficient and effective combinations of steps

Building Capacity for Computational Thinking in Youth through Informal Education

Journal of Museum Education

Building Computational Thinkers, a three-year research study, explored how educators and designers can most effectively support the development of computational thinking capacity, and how these learning experiences could be customized to meet the needs of different learners. This research study focused on three specific exhibit design approaches that conveyed problem decomposition content in The Science Behind Pixar (Pixar), a 13,000 square foot traveling exhibition about the computer science, mathematics, and science behind Pixar's innovative films. Phase One investigated how novice learners could be supported to interact with exhibits and understand problem solving strategies that tackle complex, creative challenges in computer programming. Phase Two investigated the affordances of these exhibits to build capacity, feelings of efficacy, and interest in problem decomposition content in middle and high school youth. The findings in this paper describe the types of scaffolds that can be used to support computational thinking in novice youth, as well as how a combination of exhibit approaches were found to increase youth perceptions, understanding, and beliefs of computer programming. It will also discuss how two exhibit approaches worked particularly well for engaging girls in problem decomposition content.