Logo: A cause for concern

Abstract

Over the past few years, the use of Logo in U.K. classrooms has increased very rapidly across all age ranges. It is used extensively as a tool for the development of problem-solving skills, the introduction of information processing techniques and the exploration of geometrical concepts. As a natural consequence of this wide use of Logo, it is becoming the first programming language met by many young learners. Much has been written about the power and appeal of Logo in its educational context, but there has been little consideration of the consequences of such extensive use of Logo as a programming language. It is also being used increasingly in control environments. This has many positive aspects but here too there are problems to be considered. This paper considers the programming environment of Logo and the programming style that it produces. The issues considered raise questions about the way that we teach Logo to children and the extent to which we use it in both pre-service and in-service training of teachers. Whilst recognising the power of Logo, we must also take account of its defects. Some possible strategies are presented.