Bricklayer: Elementary Students Learn Math through Programming and Art

As computer science becomes more prevalent in the K-12 world, elementary schools are increasingly adopting computing curricula. Computer scientists have recognized the connection between math and computer science, but little work has demonstrated how and whether computer science can support improved learning in math. This paper reports on a project in which elementary students in a gifted program used Bricklayer, a functional programming environment that supports artistic and mathematical expression. A pre- and post-test design demonstrates significant learning gains in coordinate graphing and visual-spatial skills

Bulldozing the STEM Silos in Omaha: While Engaging P-12 Teachers and Building Campus STEM Excellence

It has been said that all universities “do STEM these days”, but what exactly does it take to “do STEM” well? Questions commonly heard on a university campus these days include: “What is the STEM context for inquiry?”, “Should P-16 STEM be a campus priority?”, “How can a campus break down departmental silos for interdisciplinary workforce development?” In many ways STEM represents, at its core, an interdisciplinary approach and workforce development context to learning, that rigorously engages the core concepts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Tsupros, N., Kohler, R. and Hallinen, J., 2009; National Science and Technology Council, 2018). Additionally, STEM concepts are found in most any P-16 curriculum (to include reading, writing, philosophy, history, etc.). How does it all come together for a campus trajectory toward STEM excellence? These questions, as well as projected workforce needs, put “STEM” as an important conversation on most campuses these days, and it certainly is the case on our campus, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Further, it is a truly a national dialogue, as educational institutions strive to more effectively work across disciplinary lines for “convergence”, where the insights and approaches from different disciplines can come together for finding creative solutions for our most difficult societal problems (National Research Council, 2014). Convergence is also a growing theme for innovations in P-12 STEM teacher training, such as at the National Science Foundation’s 2018 Noyce Teacher Scholarship Summit (http://www.nsfnoyce.org) and also across scientific programs as one of NSF’s 10 big ideas (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/)

The Bricklayer Ecosystem - Art, Math, and Code

This paper describes the Bricklayer Ecosystem - a freely-available online educational ecosystem created for people of all ages and coding backgrounds. Bricklayer is designed in accordance with a "low-threshold infinite ceiling" philosophy and has been successfully used to teach coding to primary school students, middle school students, university freshmen, and in-service secondary math teachers. Bricklayer programs are written in the functional programming language SML and, when executed, create 2D and 3D artifacts. These artifacts can be viewed using a variety of third-party tools such as LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), LDraw, Minecraft clients, Brickr, as well as STereoLithography viewers