J. Velázquez‐Iturbide, Pedro Paredes Barragán, J. Urquiza-Fuentes
ScratchJr is a block-based language intended for young children aged 5 to 7 years old. The language and its app were developed using a learner-centered approach to make it usable and understandable to children. Obviously, Early Childhood teachers using ScratchJr must develop, as part of their content knowledge, an understanding of both the language and programming basics. Unfortunately, the materials made available by the constructors of ScratchJr were not envisaged for teacher development but for teacher instruction. Based on our concern with providing teachers a deep understanding of block-based programming, we present in the paper a study about teaching ScratchJr to pre-service teachers. It involved two groups, one trained with the materials developed by the ScratchJr creators and another one with materials that explain the run-time semantics of the different blocks of ScratchJr. The performance of both groups was compared with six questions extracted from the global exam of the course. The results show that pre-service teachers instructed with the novel approach performed better in predictive exercises or exercises focused on block understanding but performed worse in exercises consisting in translating a written behavior into scripts.
{"title":"An Experience in Explicitly Training Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers in Programming Concepts with ScratchJr","authors":"J. Velázquez‐Iturbide, Pedro Paredes Barragán, J. Urquiza-Fuentes","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556871","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556871","url":null,"abstract":"ScratchJr is a block-based language intended for young children aged 5 to 7 years old. The language and its app were developed using a learner-centered approach to make it usable and understandable to children. Obviously, Early Childhood teachers using ScratchJr must develop, as part of their content knowledge, an understanding of both the language and programming basics. Unfortunately, the materials made available by the constructors of ScratchJr were not envisaged for teacher development but for teacher instruction. Based on our concern with providing teachers a deep understanding of block-based programming, we present in the paper a study about teaching ScratchJr to pre-service teachers. It involved two groups, one trained with the materials developed by the ScratchJr creators and another one with materials that explain the run-time semantics of the different blocks of ScratchJr. The performance of both groups was compared with six questions extracted from the global exam of the course. The results show that pre-service teachers instructed with the novel approach performed better in predictive exercises or exercises focused on block understanding but performed worse in exercises consisting in translating a written behavior into scripts.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116400579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Enabling students to evaluate the impacts of computing, both positive and negative, on their own lives and on society is an internationally proclaimed goal of a K-12 computing education. While recent years have seen the development of competency models for several areas of computing education, no model yet exists for the evaluation of computing impacts. As such, it is unclear what prerequisites students actually need to fulfil in order to competently carry out such evaluations. This work-in-progress paper describes the rationale for and methods employed in a grounded theory study to describe and explicate the nature of such evaluation processes. Based on initial interview data, first insights are presented and challenges for future work are discussed.
{"title":"Modelling the Competency to Evaluate the Impacts of Computing","authors":"Michael T. Rücker","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556804","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556804","url":null,"abstract":"Enabling students to evaluate the impacts of computing, both positive and negative, on their own lives and on society is an internationally proclaimed goal of a K-12 computing education. While recent years have seen the development of competency models for several areas of computing education, no model yet exists for the evaluation of computing impacts. As such, it is unclear what prerequisites students actually need to fulfil in order to competently carry out such evaluations. This work-in-progress paper describes the rationale for and methods employed in a grounded theory study to describe and explicate the nature of such evaluation processes. Based on initial interview data, first insights are presented and challenges for future work are discussed.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126197724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Computational Thinking skills along with reading, writing, and calculating skills are basic skills for children’s future. Computational Thinking has much in common with problem-solving and creative thinking in general. With regard to Karl Popper "all life is problem-solving" [26], this contribution focuses on the common features of problem-solving and unplugged Computational Thinking, by using a special set of Computational Thinking tasks (INGA-Box). Choosing a mix of deductive and inductive approach, a classification scheme for observing the development of Computational Thinking in kindergarten was developed and evaluated with first datasets.
{"title":"Observing Computational Thinking Skills of Kindergarten Children","authors":"Larissa Meyer-Baron, Ramona Stieger, Bettina Waldvogel, Nicole Schumann, Cornelia Ruedisueli, Franziska Mayr","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556867","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556867","url":null,"abstract":"Computational Thinking skills along with reading, writing, and calculating skills are basic skills for children’s future. Computational Thinking has much in common with problem-solving and creative thinking in general. With regard to Karl Popper \"all life is problem-solving\" [26], this contribution focuses on the common features of problem-solving and unplugged Computational Thinking, by using a special set of Computational Thinking tasks (INGA-Box). Choosing a mix of deductive and inductive approach, a classification scheme for observing the development of Computational Thinking in kindergarten was developed and evaluated with first datasets.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121471185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The revamping of computing curricula has brought topics that had rarely been taught previously to primary school children, such as principles of functioning of the Internet. Before new lessons can be prepared for children, mapping their preconceptions about respective topics is often useful. Here, we mapped preconceptions about the functioning of the Internet among 28 5th graders and 28 9th graders in the Czech Republic through clinical interviews. Altogether, we identified 112 preconceptions and, unlike in previous works, we organised about half of the most prevalent ones into the form of mental maps; this among two groups of children: those with less vs. more knowledge about the Internet.
{"title":"Internet in the mind of children: Mental maps of beginner and advanced 5th and 9th graders","authors":"Anna Yaghobová, C. Brom","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556816","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556816","url":null,"abstract":"The revamping of computing curricula has brought topics that had rarely been taught previously to primary school children, such as principles of functioning of the Internet. Before new lessons can be prepared for children, mapping their preconceptions about respective topics is often useful. Here, we mapped preconceptions about the functioning of the Internet among 28 5th graders and 28 9th graders in the Czech Republic through clinical interviews. Altogether, we identified 112 preconceptions and, unlike in previous works, we organised about half of the most prevalent ones into the form of mental maps; this among two groups of children: those with less vs. more knowledge about the Internet.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131514462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Teaching methods are a variety of pedagogical approaches that can be used by teachers to enable student learning in the classroom. While the efficiency of these methods largely depends on the characteristics of the individual learners and the classroom dynamics, the characteristics of the teachers and their opinions towards these methods determine the actual integration in the classroom. But an appropriate judgment on the suitability of these methods for different teaching situations needs years of practice, which is why preservice teachers’ opinions towards using these methods might differ from other teachers’ experiences. To address this mismatch in Computer Science Teacher Education, we replicated a study by Zendler et al. with 16 preservice teachers and compare the results in this article. Results indicate that preservice teachers have a more generally positive opinion towards the use of teaching methods in specific learning phases than experienced teachers, but also a lower range of preferences. Problem-based learning was found to be the best-ranked method for both, preservice and experienced teachers, while other methods’ evaluations differ. In particular, preservice teachers also prefer project work and programmed instruction. We conclude that teaching methods should be a part of Computer Science Teacher Education, not just in theory, but also in practice.
{"title":"Comparing Teachers’ and Preservice Teachers’ Opinions on Teaching Methods in Computer Science Education","authors":"A. Dengel, Rupert Gehrlein","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556866","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556866","url":null,"abstract":"Teaching methods are a variety of pedagogical approaches that can be used by teachers to enable student learning in the classroom. While the efficiency of these methods largely depends on the characteristics of the individual learners and the classroom dynamics, the characteristics of the teachers and their opinions towards these methods determine the actual integration in the classroom. But an appropriate judgment on the suitability of these methods for different teaching situations needs years of practice, which is why preservice teachers’ opinions towards using these methods might differ from other teachers’ experiences. To address this mismatch in Computer Science Teacher Education, we replicated a study by Zendler et al. with 16 preservice teachers and compare the results in this article. Results indicate that preservice teachers have a more generally positive opinion towards the use of teaching methods in specific learning phases than experienced teachers, but also a lower range of preferences. Problem-based learning was found to be the best-ranked method for both, preservice and experienced teachers, while other methods’ evaluations differ. In particular, preservice teachers also prefer project work and programmed instruction. We conclude that teaching methods should be a part of Computer Science Teacher Education, not just in theory, but also in practice.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126314819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper reports on developing deeper self-directed learning (DSDL) in a database design course, and on the factors that hindered and promoted knowledge transfer. Cognitive load theory and social constructivist theory were incorporated to enhance DSDL. The population was third-year Computer Applications Technology (CAT) education students at a South African university (N=73) enrolled in a database design course. Convenience sampling was applied. Data-collection instruments were transfer tests, the Transferable Learning Orientations tool, and interviews. It was concluded that the intervention to develop DSDL promoted transfer of knowledge and skills. The results of this research can inform instructional practices to promote such transfer in database design. More research needs to be done to determine the influence of the suggested strategy to develop DSDL in terms of other contexts and to refine a strategy to develop DSDL.
{"title":"Developing deeper self-directed learning in database design: Factors that influence knowledge transfer","authors":"S. V. Zyl, E. Mentz","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556873","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556873","url":null,"abstract":"This paper reports on developing deeper self-directed learning (DSDL) in a database design course, and on the factors that hindered and promoted knowledge transfer. Cognitive load theory and social constructivist theory were incorporated to enhance DSDL. The population was third-year Computer Applications Technology (CAT) education students at a South African university (N=73) enrolled in a database design course. Convenience sampling was applied. Data-collection instruments were transfer tests, the Transferable Learning Orientations tool, and interviews. It was concluded that the intervention to develop DSDL promoted transfer of knowledge and skills. The results of this research can inform instructional practices to promote such transfer in database design. More research needs to be done to determine the influence of the suggested strategy to develop DSDL in terms of other contexts and to refine a strategy to develop DSDL.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134304161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Since computer science is still mainly male dominated, academia, industry and education jointly seek ways to motivate and inspire girls, for example by introducing them to programming at an early age. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has forced many such endeavours to move to an online setting. While the gender-dependent differences in programming courses have been studied previously, for example revealing that girls may feel safer in same-sex groups, much less is known about gender-specific differences in online programming courses. In order to investigate whether gender-specific differences can be observed in online courses, we conducted an online introductory programming course for Scratch, in which we observed the gender-specific characteristics of participants with respect to how they interact, their enjoyment, the code they produce, and the creativity exposed by their programs. Overall, we observed no significant differences between how girls participated in all-female vs. mixed groups, and girls generally engaged with the course more actively than boys. This suggests that online courses can be a useful means to avoid gender-dependent group dynamics. However, when encouraging creative freedom in programming, girls and boys seem to fall back to socially inherited stereotypical behavior also in an online setting, influencing the choice of programming concepts applied. This may inhibit learning and is a challenge that needs to be addressed independently of whether courses are held online.
{"title":"Gender-dependent Contribution, Code and Creativity in a Virtual Programming Course","authors":"Isabella Graßl, G. Fraser","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556861","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556861","url":null,"abstract":"Since computer science is still mainly male dominated, academia, industry and education jointly seek ways to motivate and inspire girls, for example by introducing them to programming at an early age. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has forced many such endeavours to move to an online setting. While the gender-dependent differences in programming courses have been studied previously, for example revealing that girls may feel safer in same-sex groups, much less is known about gender-specific differences in online programming courses. In order to investigate whether gender-specific differences can be observed in online courses, we conducted an online introductory programming course for Scratch, in which we observed the gender-specific characteristics of participants with respect to how they interact, their enjoyment, the code they produce, and the creativity exposed by their programs. Overall, we observed no significant differences between how girls participated in all-female vs. mixed groups, and girls generally engaged with the course more actively than boys. This suggests that online courses can be a useful means to avoid gender-dependent group dynamics. However, when encouraging creative freedom in programming, girls and boys seem to fall back to socially inherited stereotypical behavior also in an online setting, influencing the choice of programming concepts applied. This may inhibit learning and is a challenge that needs to be addressed independently of whether courses are held online.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114932822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luisa Greifenstein, Isabella Graßl, Ute Heuer, G. Fraser
Computational thinking is increasingly introduced at primary school level, usually with some form of programming activity. In particular, educational robots provide an opportunity for engaging students with programming through hands-on experiences. However, primary school teachers might not be adequately prepared for teaching computer science related topics, and giving feedback to students can often be challenging: Besides the content of the feedback (e.g., what problems have to be handled), the way the feedback is given is also important, as it can lead to negative emotional effects. To support teachers with the way of giving feedback on common problems when teaching programming with robotics, we conducted a study consisting of seven workshops with three third and four fourth grade primary school classes. Within seven different activities, the 116 primary school children first programmed the Ozobot Evo robot in the pen-and-paper mode and then on a digital device. Throughout these activities we collected data on the problems the students encountered, the feedback given, and the fun they experienced. Our analysis reveals eight categories of problems, which we summarise in this paper together with corresponding possible feedback. We observed that problems that are urgent or can harm the students’ self-efficacy have a negative impact on how enjoyable an activity is perceived. While direct instruction significantly decreased the experienced fun, hints had a positive effect. Generally, we found programming the Ozobot Evo to be encouraging for both girls and boys. To support teachers, we discuss ideas for giving encouraging feedback on common problems of Ozobot Evo programming activities and how our findings transfer to other robots.
{"title":"Common Problems and Effects of Feedback on Fun When Programming Ozobots in Primary School","authors":"Luisa Greifenstein, Isabella Graßl, Ute Heuer, G. Fraser","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556860","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556860","url":null,"abstract":"Computational thinking is increasingly introduced at primary school level, usually with some form of programming activity. In particular, educational robots provide an opportunity for engaging students with programming through hands-on experiences. However, primary school teachers might not be adequately prepared for teaching computer science related topics, and giving feedback to students can often be challenging: Besides the content of the feedback (e.g., what problems have to be handled), the way the feedback is given is also important, as it can lead to negative emotional effects. To support teachers with the way of giving feedback on common problems when teaching programming with robotics, we conducted a study consisting of seven workshops with three third and four fourth grade primary school classes. Within seven different activities, the 116 primary school children first programmed the Ozobot Evo robot in the pen-and-paper mode and then on a digital device. Throughout these activities we collected data on the problems the students encountered, the feedback given, and the fun they experienced. Our analysis reveals eight categories of problems, which we summarise in this paper together with corresponding possible feedback. We observed that problems that are urgent or can harm the students’ self-efficacy have a negative impact on how enjoyable an activity is perceived. While direct instruction significantly decreased the experienced fun, hints had a positive effect. Generally, we found programming the Ozobot Evo to be encouraging for both girls and boys. To support teachers, we discuss ideas for giving encouraging feedback on common problems of Ozobot Evo programming activities and how our findings transfer to other robots.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128817845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Florian Obermüller, Robert Pernerstorfer, Lisa Bailey, Ute Heuer, G. Fraser
Programmable robots are engaging and fun to play with, interact with the real world, and are therefore well suited to introduce young learners to programming. Introductory robot programming languages often extend existing block-based languages such as Scratch. While teaching programming with such languages is well established, the interaction with the real world in robot programs leads to specific challenges, for which learners and educators may require assistance and feedback. A practical approach to provide this feedback is by identifying and pointing out patterns in the code that are indicative of good or bad solutions. While such patterns have been defined for regular block-based programs, robot-specific programming aspects have not been considered so far. The aim of this paper is therefore to identify patterns specific to robot programming for the Scratch-based mBlock programming language, which is used for the popular mBot and Codey Rocky robots. We identify: (1) 26 bug patterns, which indicate erroneous code; (2) three code smells, which indicate code that may work but is written in a confusing or difficult to understand way; and (3) 18 code perfumes, which indicate aspects of code that are likely good. We extend the LitterBox analysis framework to automatically identify these patterns in mBlock programs. Evaluated on a dataset of 3,540 mBlock programs, we find a total of 6,129 instances of bug patterns, 592 code smells and 14,495 code perfumes. This demonstrates the potential of our approach to provide feedback and assistance to learners and educators alike for their mBlock robot programs.
{"title":"Common Patterns in Block-Based Robot Programs","authors":"Florian Obermüller, Robert Pernerstorfer, Lisa Bailey, Ute Heuer, G. Fraser","doi":"10.1145/3556787.3556859","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3556787.3556859","url":null,"abstract":"Programmable robots are engaging and fun to play with, interact with the real world, and are therefore well suited to introduce young learners to programming. Introductory robot programming languages often extend existing block-based languages such as Scratch. While teaching programming with such languages is well established, the interaction with the real world in robot programs leads to specific challenges, for which learners and educators may require assistance and feedback. A practical approach to provide this feedback is by identifying and pointing out patterns in the code that are indicative of good or bad solutions. While such patterns have been defined for regular block-based programs, robot-specific programming aspects have not been considered so far. The aim of this paper is therefore to identify patterns specific to robot programming for the Scratch-based mBlock programming language, which is used for the popular mBot and Codey Rocky robots. We identify: (1) 26 bug patterns, which indicate erroneous code; (2) three code smells, which indicate code that may work but is written in a confusing or difficult to understand way; and (3) 18 code perfumes, which indicate aspects of code that are likely good. We extend the LitterBox analysis framework to automatically identify these patterns in mBlock programs. Evaluated on a dataset of 3,540 mBlock programs, we find a total of 6,129 instances of bug patterns, 592 code smells and 14,495 code perfumes. This demonstrates the potential of our approach to provide feedback and assistance to learners and educators alike for their mBlock robot programs.","PeriodicalId":136039,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the 17th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127713050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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