Unplugged Learning in the Kindergarten Computer Science Classroom

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact of teaching computer science to kindergarten using only unplugged learning rather than plugged or a mixture of plugged and unplugged learning on engagement. Participants included 71 kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students in a public school in rural central Iowa. Data was collected through behavior and off-task reminder tallies, as well as assessment data over nine classes equal to a trimester’s number of computer science classes. Students were taught using either strictly unplugged methods using games, books, manipulatives, and movement or a plugged/online curriculum using online puzzles and videos, including a couple of unplugged lessons. The study found that unplugged learning positively impacted behavior and off-task behavior. No statistical difference was shown in academic achievement; however, it is noted that more topics were covered in the unplugged group than that of the plugged group over the same amount of time. Overall, unplugged learning in kindergarten computer science class positively impacts engagement. The researcher recommends further studies extending the entire year of kindergarten, further studies extending the research through first grade should be considered as well

Impacts of Unplugged Activities in Computer Science

Computer Science is a fast-growing subject amongst schools. Inside of the program, Computer Science, programming or coding is generally taught. Students will typically learn to code by first using a computer and following instructions. The purpose of this literature review is to research different ideas about unplugged activities used while teaching coding in Computer Science. Unplugged activities are projects that are conducted in hands-on activities instructing students how to code before using a computer. The question that this paper is looking to answer is “What impacts do unplugged activities have on students learning to code?” The research conducted will give examples of different types of projects completed as well as data supporting theories

Computational Thinking in Education: Where does it fit? A systematic literary review

Computational Thinking (CT) has been described as an essential skill which everyone should learn and can therefore include in their skill set. Seymour Papert is credited as concretising Computational Thinking in 1980 but since Wing popularised the term in 2006 and brought it to the international community's attention, more and more research has been conducted on CT in education. The aim of this systematic literary review is to give educators and education researchers an overview of what work has been carried out in the domain, as well as potential gaps and opportunities that still exist. Overall it was found in this review that, although there is a lot of work currently being done around the world in many different educational contexts, the work relating to CT is still in its infancy. Along with the need to create an agreed-upon definition of CT lots of countries are still in the process of, or have not yet started, introducing CT into curriculums in all levels of education. It was also found that Computer Science/Computing, which could be the most obvious place to teach CT, has yet to become a mainstream subject in some countries, although this is improving. Of encouragement to educators is the wealth of tools and resources being developed to help teach CT as well as more and more work relating to curriculum development. For those teachers looking to incorporate CT into their schools or classes then there are bountiful options which include programming, hands-on exercises and more. The need for more detailed lesson plans and curriculum structure however, is something that could be of benefit to teachers

Computing as the 4th “R”: a general education approach to computing education

Computing and computation are increasingly pervading our lives, careers, and societies - a change driving interest in computing education at the secondary level. But what should define a "general education" computing course at this level? That is, what would you want every person to know, assuming they never take another computing course? We identify possible outcomes for such a course through the experience of designing and implementing a general education university course utilizing best-practice pedagogies. Though we nominally taught programming, the design of the course led students to report gaining core, transferable skills and the confidence to employ them in their future. We discuss how various aspects of the course likely contributed to these gains. Finally, we encourage the community to embrace the challenge of teaching general education computing in contrast to and in conjunction with existing curricula designed primarily to interest students in the field

Characteristics and problems of unplugged computer science curriculum for young children: comparative and practical research based on the curriculum in four countries

With the progress of computer science education in recent years, more and more educators have brought attention to computer science education among young children. Among all these strategies, the unplugged form has been shown to be more effective in teaching. However, recent studies have focused more on the impact of unplugged computer science courses on young children and less on whether these courses are appropriate for the developmental stage of young children. Therefore, this research summarized the curriculum characteristics by comparing different series of unplugged courses for young children from four nations. Then, in a 7-day workshop conducted in China\u27s urban areas, we explored the issues that arise in the implementation of these courses. This research reveals that, although the existing courses cater to a young age range, four issues can still be found, including difficulty, ability difference, too much cooperation, and emphasis on abstraction. Some of these issues may be handled by instructors, while others need consideration of the connection between curriculum design and the physical and cognitive development levels of young children. Furthermore, this research explored the acceptance of unplugged computer science among Chinese young children as well as its impact on their computational thinking level, achieving positive results

Serious Toys: Teaching Computer Science Concepts to Pre-Collegiate Students

Advancements in science and engineering have driven innovation in the United States for more than two centuries. The last several decades have brought to the forefront the importance of such innovation to our domestic and global economies. To continue to succeed in this information-based, technologically advanced society, we must ensure that the next generation of students are developing computational thinking skills beyond what was acceptable in past years. Computational thinking represents a collection of structured problem solving skills that cross-cut educational disciplines. There is significant future value in introducing these skills as early as practical in students\u27 academic careers. Over the past four years, we have developed, piloted, and evaluated a series of outreach modules designed to introduce fundamental computing concepts to young learners. Each module is based on a small embedded device a \u27serious toy\u27 designed to simultaneously engage visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners through lectures, visual demonstrations, and hands-on activities. We have piloted these modules with more than 770 students, and the evaluation results show that the program is having a positive impact. The evaluation instruments for our pilots consist of pre- and post-attitudinal surveys and pre- and post-quizzes. The surveys are designed to assess student attitudes toward computer science and student self-efficacy with respect to the material covered. The quizzes are designed to assess students\u27 content understanding. In this dissertation, we describe the modules and associated serious toys. We also describe the module evaluation methods, the pilot groups, and the results for each pilot study

Introducing Computational Thinking in K-12 Education: Historical, Epistemological, Pedagogical, Cognitive, and Affective Aspects

Introduction of scientific and cultural aspects of Computer Science (CS) (called "Computational Thinking" - CT) in K-12 education is fundamental. We focus on three crucial areas. 1. Historical, philosophical, and pedagogical aspects. What are the big ideas of CS we must teach? What are the historical and pedagogical contexts in which CT emerged, and why are relevant? What is the relationship between learning theories (e.g., constructivism) and teaching approaches (e.g., plugged and unplugged)? 2. Cognitive aspects. What is the sentiment of generalist teachers not trained to teach CS? What misconceptions do they hold about concepts like CT and "coding"? 3. Affective and motivational aspects. What is the impact of personal beliefs about intelligence (mindset) and about CS ability? What the role of teaching approaches? This research has been conducted both through historical and philosophical argumentation, and through quantitative and qualitative studies (both on nationwide samples and small significant ones), in particular through the lens of (often exaggerated) claims about transfer from CS to other skills. Four important claims are substantiated. 1. CS should be introduced in K-12 as a tool to understand and act in our digital world, and to use the power of computation for meaningful learning. CT is the conceptual sediment of that learning. We designed a curriculum proposal in this direction. 2. The expressions CT (useful to distantiate from digital literacy) and "coding" can cause misconceptions among teachers, who focus mainly on transfer to general thinking skills. Both disciplinary and pedagogical teacher training is hence needed. 3. Some plugged and unplugged teaching tools have intrinsic constructivist characteristics that can facilitate CS learning, as shown with proposed activities. 4. Growth mindset is not automatically fostered by CS, while not studying CS can foster fixed beliefs. Growth mindset can be fostered by creative computing, leveraging on its constructivist aspects

Female Students in Computer Science Education: Understanding Stereotypes, Negative Impacts, and Positive Motivation

Although female students engage in coding courses, only a small percentage of them plan to pursue computer science (CS) as a major when choosing a career path. Gender differences in interests, sense-of belonging, self-efficacy, and engagement in CS are already present at an early age. This article presents an overview of gender stereotypes in CS and summarizes negative impressions female students between 12 and 15 experience during CS classes, as well as influences that may be preventing girls from taking an interest in CS. The study herein draws on a systematic review of 28 peer-reviewed articles published since 2006. The findings of the review point to the existence of the stereotypical image of a helpless, uninterested, and unhappy "Girl in Computer Science". It may be even more troubling a construct than that of the geeky, nerdy male counterpart, as it is rooted in the notion that women are technologically inept and ill-suited for CS careers. Thus, girls think they must be naturally hyper-intelligent in order to pursue studies in CS, as opposed to motivated, interested, and focused to succeed in those fields. Second, based on the review, suggestions for inclusive CS education were summarized. The authors argue that in order to make CS more inclusive for girls, cultural implications, as well as stereotypization in CS classrooms and CS education, need to be recognized as harmful. These stereotypes and cultural ideas should be eliminated by empowering female students through direct encouragement, mentoring programs, or girls-only initiatives.Comment: 22 page

Teaching computing without computers : unplugged computing as a pedagogical strategy

This paper investigates unplugged computing as a formal pedagogical strategy to teaching computing to a Maltese secondary class of Year 9 students. It aims at identifying the effectiveness of this pedagogy outlining the strengths and weaknesses in its application, taking into consideration the level of attainment for students, as well as the impact on teachers’ lesson preparation. This research study is based on the delivery of five unplugged activities. It analyses students’ reaction when exposed to such unplugged activities to assess the viability of using this pedagogy when teaching computing concepts in a formal setting. The study concludes that unplugged computing is an effective pedagogical strategy that helps attain a high level of engage- ment and student involvement, encouraging teamwork and collaboration. Students experience a wide attention span and good retention through the constant link of computing scenarios to real- life examples and the use of tangible non-computing related objects. Notwithstanding, the study also identifies certain limitations of this pedagogy, mainly that it is not sufficient as a standalone pedagogy, but needs to be applied in conjunction with other pedagogies to be able to cover all the expected learning objectives of the curriculum.peer-reviewe