Elementary Students’ Performance and Perceptions of Robot Coding and Debugging: Embodied Approach in Practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using robotics and programming, this study investigated the effects of different levels of embodied instruction on the problem-solving, debugging, programming proficiency, self-determination, and self-efficacy of students in ethnically diverse elementary classrooms. The first small-scale, quasi-experimental study involved 37 second-graders, who were randomly assigned to an embody or a non-embody group. Results showed that embodied planning activities benefited these young learners’ LEGO Robotics problem-solving and self-determination skills. Based on these findings, a second study implemented different types of embodied activities (full-embody, low-embody, and control condition) in a debugging problem-solving activity for 51 kindergarten and 1st-grade students, also from ethnically diverse populations. The findings from this study suggested that the embodied learning activities promoted students’ problem-solving skills in robotics and the use of debugging strategies in coding applications. However, different effects were found for groups by condition and the outcome variable. Based on these mixed results, the authors propose activities applicable in real-world elementary classrooms to introduce practical robotics and programming activities.