Young Children’s Representational Structures of Robots’ Behaviors

Despite the fact that the sophisticated technologies are a substantial component of children’s everyday environment, of the space within which they act, play and learn - the world of complex technological systems (their characteristics, and the knowledge and skills involved in operating, designing and programming them) is almost ignored in the preschool and elementary school curriculum. The study reported in this paper is part of a research plan embedded in the implementation of a comprehensive curriculum aiming to support the development of technological thinking in kindergartens, including knowledge and skills in areas such as design, the artifacts in our material culture, smart artifacts and robotic systems, or programming. This particular study aimed to address young children’s (aged 5-8) perception of the adaptive behavior of a robot and the representational-structures (or functioning schemes) they adopt to think about how its behaviors are generated and controlled. When children think about the robot’s behavior, they may adopt different perspectives that translate into different representational structures, (e.g., one-time episodic representation; a script that can became a reusable routine; a universal representation such as a rule of behavior). The findings evidence the high ability of young children engaged in programming to think in terms of abstract rules and to use these for programming and designing a robot’s behavior

Do we have an alternative methodology for teaching design?

The study reported here is a research project aimed to examine the relationship between alternative approaches towards design teaching (structural or functional), and the students’ mental modelling of the design process and the quality of their design process. The structural approach emphasizes the need for an ordered learning of the stages of the design process, while the functional approach emphasizes the teaching and study of design functions (rather than stages). 80 seventh graders, divided in two groups, were taught a unit on technological problem solving by either approach for fourteen classes (21 hours). Before, during and after the design process of a technological solution the students had to generate representations of this process and make portfolios representing their problem solving process. The results were analysed looking for: (a) The differences between the groups in the mental models which were constructed during the instruction process. (b) The differences between the groups in the quality of the process and the design functions implemented. Significant differences between the groups observed for many of the variables studied indicate that the functional approach represents a promising methodology for teaching design

From 3D to 2D: Drawing as documentation and reflection processes by young children

In this study, we examine drawings created by kindergarten children as a means of documenting artefacts constructed by their own. We seek to shed light on the characteristics of this particular drawing process, which involves a cognitive transition from a 3D object (physical construction) to a 2D drawing. Most theoretical and research work conducted focused on children’s free, intuitive and/or spontaneous drawing. And most data collection focused on children drawings of given objects, even their copy of drawings of objects, or on free representation of ideas or feelings. In this study, we addressed two aspects that differ from the foci of previous work: (a) children drew what they have constructed; and (b) the drawing has a functional purpose (i.e., documentation) as part of a design task. The study participants included 30 kindergarten children, aged 5-6. During freeform play, the children produced constructions using a building kit and documented these in drawings. A total of 39 constructions and corresponding drawings were analyzed. Data analysis was conducted to examine the characteristics of children’s drawings, as well as the relationship between the features of the constructions and the corresponding drawings. The insights emerging from the study indicate that drawing can serve as a tool for documentation and reflection in kindergarten and may aid in the development of technological thinking processes. &nbsp

The effect of alternative approaches to design instruction (structural or functional) on student perceptions of technological problem solving processes

The study reported here is part of a larger research project aimed to examine the relationship between alternative approaches towards design teaching (structural or functional), and the students’ mental modelling of the design process and the quality of their solutions to design tasks. The structural approach emphasises the need for an ordered learning of the stages of the design process, while the functional approach emphasises the teaching and study of design functions (rather than stages). 80 seventh graders, divided in two groups, were taught a unit on technological problem solving by either approach for 14 classes (21 hours). Before, during and after the design process of a technological solution the students had to generate representations of this process. The results were analysed looking for: a) the types of models of the design process constructed by the students b) consistency in the configuration of the design functions included in the models over time c) internal logic and coherence of the configuration of functions in the models d) recurrent use of design functions in different stages of the solution-generation process

Comparing Pedagogical Innovations

Innovation seems to be a constant – and necessary – theme in education. A common underlying rationale is that changes in education of all levels and types prepare citizens for life in the knowledge society. The contexts include intensifying globalisation, progressively shorter half-lives of knowledge, and economic competitiveness which requires increased collaboration and different ways of working (Hershock et al. 2007; Scardamalia & Bereiter 2010). As the creation and dissemination of knowledge are perceived to be of paramount importance, education requires new goals and processes. This view is applicable both in economically advanced countries (e.g. European Round Table of Industrialists 1997; OECD 2004) and in less developed countries (e.g. UNESCO 2003; Kozma 2008)