Introductory programming: a systematic literature review

As computing becomes a mainstream discipline embedded in the school curriculum and acts as an enabler for an increasing range of academic disciplines in higher education, the literature on introductory programming is growing. Although there have been several reviews that focus on specific aspects of introductory programming, there has been no broad overview of the literature exploring recent trends across the breadth of introductory programming. This paper is the report of an ITiCSE working group that conducted a systematic review in order to gain an overview of the introductory programming literature. Partitioning the literature into papers addressing the student, teaching, the curriculum, and assessment, we explore trends, highlight advances in knowledge over the past 15 years, and indicate possible directions for future research

Training Competences in Industrial Risk Prevention with Lego® Serious Play®: A Case Study

This paper proposes the use of the Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) methodology as a facilitating tool for the introduction of competences for Industrial Risk Prevention by engineering students from the industrial branch (electrical, electronic, mechanical and technological engineering), presenting the results obtained in the Universities of Cadiz and Seville in the academic years 2017–2019. Current Spanish legislation does not reserve any special legal attribution, nor does it require specific competence in occupational risk prevention for the regulated profession of a technical industrial engineer (Order CIN 351:2009), and only does so in a generic way for that of an industrial engineer (Order CIN 311:2009). However, these universities consider the training in occupational health and safety for these future graduates as an essential objective in order to develop them for their careers in the industry. The approach is based on a series of challenges proposed (risk assessments, safety inspections, accident investigations and fire protection measures, among others), thanks to the use of “gamification” dynamics with Lego® Serious Play®. In order to carry the training out, a set of specific variables (industrial sector, legal and regulatory framework, business organization and production system), and transversal ones (leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and communication), are incorporated. Through group models, it is possible to identify dangerous situations, establish causes, share and discuss alternative proposals and analyze the economic, environmental and organizational impact of the technical solutions studied, as well as take the appropriate decisions, in a creative, stimulating, inclusive and innovative context. In this way, the theoretical knowledge which is acquired is applied to improve safety and health at work and foster the prevention of occupational risks, promoting the commitment, effort, motivation and proactive participation of the student teams.Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities / European Social Fund: Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2017-22222

Training Competences in Industrial Risk Prevention with Lego (R) Serious Play (R): A Case Study

This paper proposes the use of the Lego (R) Serious Play (R) (LSP) methodology as a facilitating tool for the introduction of competences for Industrial Risk Prevention by engineering students from the industrial branch (electrical, electronic, mechanical and technological engineering), presenting the results obtained in the Universities of Cadiz and Seville in the academic years 2017-2019. Current Spanish legislation does not reserve any special legal attribution, nor does it require specific competence in occupational risk prevention for the regulated profession of a technical industrial engineer (Order CIN 351:2009), and only does so in a generic way for that of an industrial engineer (Order CIN 311:2009). However, these universities consider the training in occupational health and safety for these future graduates as an essential objective in order to develop them for their careers in the industry. The approach is based on a series of challenges proposed (risk assessments, safety inspections, accident investigations and fire protection measures, among others), thanks to the use of "gamification" dynamics with Lego (R) Serious Play (R). In order to carry the training out, a set of specific variables (industrial sector, legal and regulatory framework, business organization and production system), and transversal ones (leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and communication), are incorporated. Through group models, it is possible to identify dangerous situations, establish causes, share and discuss alternative proposals and analyze the economic, environmental and organizational impact of the technical solutions studied, as well as take the appropriate decisions, in a creative, stimulating, inclusive and innovative context. In this way, the theoretical knowledge which is acquired is applied to improve safety and health at work and foster the prevention of occupational risks, promoting the commitment, effort, motivation and proactive participation of the student teams

Submission to the Commons Select Committee on Education

Computing is a rigorous, intellectually rich discipline alongside Maths, Science, or History. Like those subjects, Computing explores foundational principles and ideas, rather than training students in skills that date quickly. In an increasingly digital, knowledge-based age, Computing is fundamental both to full citizenship, and to our economic health as a nation. Yet, incredibly, Computing is virtually absent from UK schools. Instead, secondary schools in England currently teach ICT. The original concept behind ICT was to teach students how to use software to solve real-world problems. That would have been a tremendous achievement had it succeeded. However, what has actually happened in far too many schools is that ICT focuses solely upon IT literacy, and supporting teaching and learning in other curriculum contexts. ICT is not the discipline of understanding and knowledge of computers and the way they work.The creation of the EBac provides the perfect opportunity to send a clear signal to schools and pupils of the importance of Computing. Our key recommendation is that Computing (unlike ICT) should “count” towards the English Baccalaureate.On behalf of Computing at School:Dr. John WoollardProf. Simon Peyton-JonesDr. Bill Mitchel

Digital Games in Primary Education

Digital educational games create a new perspective in learning culture, which go hand in hand with the interests of the pupils. Digital educational games are an innovation in primary education that can enhance children learning and acquiring skills. The integration of digital educational games in the school environment of primary education could effectively contribute to reforming the educational system. Early childhood education and primary education teachers can play a crucial role in supporting children’s digital game-based learning (DGBL). Teachers’ beliefs about using DGBL are important and often limit their efforts to integrate new technologies into the classroom. Positive views can help teachers embody DGBL in their teaching methods more easily. Thus, without the knowledge of teachers’ views and intentions about using DGBL in primary education settings, any potential innovations in this area may lack utility. The scope of this chapter is to investigate the pedagogical dimension of digital educational games as far as the primary education concerns, examine the factors that influence the effectiveness of games in the learning procedure, give valuable information in the designers of digital educational games, and finally examine primary school teachers’ beliefs about DGBL, as well as their confidence in integrating digital educational games in the classroom

Designing and Using Multiplayer Tabletop Mathematics Learning Games

Teachers may be attracted to the use of a game in a learning activity under the presumption that students will find the game experience to be more “fun” than typical classroom activities. The use of a game in a learning activity should help students attain important learning outcomes and engage them in mathematical reasoning and sense making. While most of the research attention has been devoted to digital learning games, multiplayer tabletop mathematics learning games afford unique opportunities (and challenges) to engage students in meaningful mathematical activity and discourse. Engle and Conant’s (2002) construct of productive disciplinary engagement is used to frame the notion of learner engagement with mathematical ideas during gameplay. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation applied to the mathematics learning game context suggested a motivational construct called subjective gameplay-value that captures multiple reasons behind a student’s willingness to play a learning game, including both enjoyment and learning value. Two sets of principles are proposed, based on these theoretical frameworks and the game-based learning literature: 1) design principles to guide creation of games that engage students with important mathematical ideas while also motivating them to play, and 2) implementation principles to help teachers make effective use of multiplayer tabletop mathematics learning games as classroom learning activities and to facilitate mathematical discourse. The function representations card game Curves Ahead! was created using the design principles, and then playtested as part of a design experiment to refine the game. Embedded in the game are mathematical tasks requiring students to connect and interpret multiple representations of functions. Early playtests suggested which game features were impacting subjective gameplay-value. After iterative refinements and modifications, the resulting game was playtested with differential calculus students to assess perceptions of its subjective gameplay-value. The calculus board game Assembly Lines was also created using the design principles. Embedded in the game are tasks requiring graphical interpretation of derivatives, antiderivatives, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Game sessions with calculus students were conducted using the implementation principles. Video recordings of the sessions were analyzed to investigate how calculus students were productively engaging with mathematical ideas. The results suggested that all students were engaged in mathematical reasoning and sense making during gameplay, and most students were making “intellectual progress.” The sessions also revealed potentially positive and negative impacts of participant interactions that have implications for teacher facilitation during gameplay

Shuffle, cut, and learn: Crypto Go, a card game for teaching cryptography

This article belongs to the Special Issue Mathematical Modeling and Simulation in Science and Engineering Education II.Cryptography is the mathematical core of information security. It serves both as a source of hard computational problems and as precise language allowing for the formalization of sound security models. While dealing with the mathematical foundations of cybersecurity is only possible in specialized courses (tertiary level and beyond), it is essential to promote the role of mathematics in this field at early educational stages. With this in mind, we introduce Crypto Go, a physical card game that may be used both as a dissemination and as an educational tool. The game is carefully devised in order to entertain and stimulate players, while boosting their understanding on how basic cryptographic tools work and interplay. To get a preliminary assessment of our design, we collected data from a series of test workshops, which engaged over two hundred players from different ages and educational backgrounds. This basic evaluation indeed confirms that Crypto Go significantly improves students' motivation and has a positive impact in their perception and understanding of the field.The printouts of Crypto Go decks, and some of the experimental workshops described in this paper have been financially supported by several institutions: Instituto Nacional de Ciberseguridad (INCIBE; contract 2018/00520/001), Fundación Madri+d (Science Week), and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Technological Fridays). M.I.G.V.'s work is funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme, grant number G5448 and by MINECO under Grant MTM2016-77213-R