Block-based Programming Research Articles

Strengthening Computational Thinking in Engineering and Health Students Through Iot Activities and Block-Based Programming

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate computational thinking skills in engineering and health students at a public university in Peru. Theoretical Framework: To support the research, various theories on computational thinking, IoT, and block-based programming were reviewed. Additionally, evaluation instruments and problem-solving steps were analyzed. Method: These activities were developed using technological resources and block-based programming, integrated into an IoT environment. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests was employed to measure the impact of IoT activities and block-based programming in the classroom. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed [synthesize the main results of the research]. In the discussion section, these results are contextualized in light of the theoretical framework, highlighting the implications and relationships identified. Possible discrepancies and limitations of the study are also considered in this section. Research Implications: The results revealed that both engineering and health students improved their computational thinking skills in a balanced manner. However, it was observed that health students placed greater emphasis on the use of sensors, actuators, and block-based programming. Originality/Value: This study enriches the literature by applying methods that integrate technological resources in the classroom. The relevance and value of this research are evident in the urgent need to develop innovations that break the monotony of traditional educational approaches, offering students more dynamic learning experiences.

A Review of Implementations of Math Competency Oriented Teaching-Learning Systems

Mathematical skills are fundamental to students' cognitive and practical development and are essential to their academic and professional success. The implementation of effective teaching-learning systems is crucial to facilitate the acquisition of these competencies, providing students with tools and methodologies that promote a deep and lasting understanding of mathematical concepts, these systems must be interactive, adaptive and designed to address the individual needs of students, ensuring that each student can reach his or her maximum potential. This paper seeks to identify the methods used in the implementation of these systems, the technology and the relevant factors for their construction. The results show that gamification and game-based learning are popular and effective methods, while block-based programming is considered to be efficient. Factors include curriculum design, interactivity and content. Among the most used technologies, scratch and virtual reality (VR) are mentioned.

Exploring Debugging Challenges and Strategies Using Structural Topic Model: A Comparative Analysis of High and Low-Performing Students

Debugging is essential for identifying and rectifying errors in programming, yet time constraints and students’ trivialization of errors often hinder progress. This study examines differences in debugging challenges and strategies among students with varying computational thinking (CT) competencies using weekly coding journals from an online undergraduate CT course. Participants used Scratch, a block-based programming language, and their journals from five assignments were analyzed using Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and Structural Topic Modeling. High-performing students engaged with diverse topics and specific blocks tied to their weekly projects while low-performing students faced repetitive and broad challenges, such as understanding motion blocks and broadcast concepts. These patterns reveal that low-performing students struggle particularly during the ‘diagnose the fault’ phase of debugging, often hindering their progress in the final stage. Such challenges highlight the necessity for targeted educational interventions to improve the debugging proficiency and overall CT skills. The study underscores the importance of further research into students’ logical thinking processes during code review and debugging, suggesting the use of think-aloud protocols and detailed tracking of debugging practices for deeper insights. This research contributes to the field by showing that differentiated instruction and strategic support can enhance debugging skills across different student performance levels.

The design space of visualization tools for data science education: literature review and framework for future designs

Data science education is a rapidly growing field, motivating the development of several tools aimed at engaging students in data-related activities across all educational levels. Within this landscape, new block-based programming (BBP) environments have been developed to integrate data visualization functionalities. However, the construction of visualizations entails distinct goals and forms of interaction from those typically used in conventional programming, which should be considered in designing those environments. Drawing inspiration from taxonomies within the field of Information Visualization, we derived a framework for the analysis of educational tools in this domain comprising four categories: supported goals, expressiveness, abstraction, and transparency. We situate six existing BBP environments within the design space of the framework and illustrate its application by describing the design of [anonymized tool], a BBP environment developed to address a gap in data visualization tools for young audiences. Our goal is to contribute to a more theoretically grounded discussion on the topic by bridging the gap between well-established research on professional tools for data visualization and the design of related educational environments targeted at middle and high school students.

Improving Elementary Students’ Computational Thinking Skills through an Educational Robot Intervention: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Globally, many educational institutions recognize the importance of computational thinking and have begun incorporating it into primary education. Educators cultivate students’ computational thinking skills through block-based programming; however, a lack of digital learning tools that offer real interaction may negatively impact students’ computational thinking learning performances. This study proposes a cost-effective, block-based, programmable computational thinking educational robot developed using the open-source Arduino platform, combined with Android application development. This robot is specifically designed for use in elementary computational thinking education. To assess the impact of the proposed approach on elementary students’ learning achievement, motivation, and attitudes towards computational thinking education, a quasi-experimental design with control and experimental groups was implemented in the computational thinking curriculum at an elementary school. The experiment was conducted over a period of three weeks and involved two classes of students and one teacher. The control group engaged in computational thinking learning activities using computers, while the experimental group completed computational thinking learning activities using the computational thinking educational robot and application developed in this study. Data were collected through prior knowledge tests of computational thinking, learning motivation and attitude questionnaires, and computational thinking achievement tests completed by the students. The results indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group in learning achievement, motivation, and attitudes, demonstrating that physical interaction in learning can effectively enhance learning performances.

Comparing traditional and flipped classrooms in teaching block-based programming: effects on fifth-graders’ self-efficacy towards computational thinking skills, conceptual learning, and their perspectives

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of two teaching methods – face-to-face traditional teaching and the flipped classroom model – on fifth-grade students’ self-efficacy towards computational thinking skills, conceptual learning, and perspectives on programming within a block-based environment. Seventy-seven students participated in this mixed-method research with an exploratory sequential design. The quasi-experimental phase involved administering the Self-Efficacy Perception Scale for Computational Thinking Skills as a pretest and posttest to both experimental and control groups, along with weekly achievement tests during the treatment. Additionally, focus group interviews were conducted with 24 students after the treatment. The findings revealed that students in both groups improved their conceptual learning and self-efficacy in computational thinking. Moreover, both groups reported that discovery learning was particularly effective in enhancing their game and animation design skills during the treatment.

Computational thinking with game design: An action research study with middle school students

AbstractMiddle school students often enter Computer Science (CS) classes without previous CS or Computational Thinking (CT) instruction. This study evaluated how Code.org’s block-based programming curriculum affects middle school students’ CT skills and attitudes toward CT and CS. Sixteen students participated in the study. This was a mixed methods action research study that used pre- and post-tests, surveys, artifacts, and interviews as data sources. Descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, and inductive thematic analysis were administered. Findings showed a statistically significant increase in participants’ algorithmic thinking, debugging, and pattern recognition skills but not in abstraction skills. Attitudes toward CT and CS improved but the difference was not statistically significant. Qualitative themes revealed benefits of game-based learning to promote CT skills, collaboration to promote successful error debugging, and enjoyment of programming resulting from a balance between structured guidance and creative freedom. Findings emphasize the importance of low-threshold and engaging strategies to introduce novice learners to CT and CS.

InerSens: A Block-Based Programming Platform for Learning Sensor Data Analytics in Construction Engineering Programs

InerSens: A Block-Based Programming Platform for Learning Sensor Data Analytics in Construction Engineering Programs

Modeling students’ algorithmic thinking growth trajectories in different programming environments: an experimental test of the Matthew and compensatory hypothesis

In recent years, programming education has gained recognition at various educational levels due to its increasing importance. As the need for problem-solving skills becomes more vital, researchers have emphasized the significance of developing algorithmic thinking (AT) skills to help students in program development and error debugging. Despite the development of various text-based and block-based programming tools aimed at improving students’ AT, emerging evidence in the literature indicates insufficient AT skills among students. This study was conducted to understand the growth trajectory of students’ AT skills in different programming environments. The study utilized a multigroup experiment involving 240 programming students randomly assigned to three groups: a text-and-block-based group, a block-based-only group, and a text-based-only group. Students in the text-and-block-based group were exposed to Alice and Python; those in the block-based-only group were exposed to Alice; and those in the text-based-only group were exposed to Python. We found that participants’ growth trajectory in AT skills is linear, with a significant growth rate. Although between-person variability exists across groups, we observed a compensatory effect in the text-and-block-based and block-based-only groups. Additionally, we found significant differences in AT skills across the groups, with no evidence of a gender effect. Our findings suggest that combining text-based and block-based programming environments can lead to improved and sustained intra-individual problem-solving skills, particularly in the field of programming.

Introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Swarm Intelligence (SI) and Bio-Inspired Algorithms Concepts to Elementary and Secondary (K-12) Education Using Block-Based Programming Environments: A Simplified Simulation Inspired by Artificial Fish Swarm Optimization Algorithm (AFSO)

Introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Swarm Intelligence (SI) and Bio-Inspired Algorithms Concepts to Elementary and Secondary (K-12) Education Using Block-Based Programming Environments: A Simplified Simulation Inspired by Artificial Fish Swarm Optimization Algorithm (AFSO)

Enhancing programming learning performance through a Jigsaw collaborative learning method in a metaverse virtual space

BackgroundComputational thinking (CT) is crucial to fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Many elementary schools have been cultivating students’ CT through block-based programming languages such as Scratch using traditional teacher-centered teaching methods. However, the approach excessively relies on teacher lectures, so the teacher’s teaching load is hefty, and most students cannot receive timely assistance from teachers, thus reducing students’ programming learning performance, interest, and confidence. Therefore, this study designs a Jigsaw collaborative learning method implemented in a metaverse virtual space (JCLM-MVS) for peer-to-peer Scratch programming learning to promote learners’ programming learning performance, CT, and learning attitudes. This study used a quasi-experimental research method, with 48 fifth-grade students from two classes in Taiwan’s elementary school as the research participants. One class of 24 students was randomly assigned to the experimental group using JCLM-MVS to conduct Scratch programming learning, whereas the other class of 24 students was assigned to the control group using the traditional teacher-centered teaching method.Main findingsThe study found that the experimental group of learners showed significantly better Scratch programming learning performance and attitude than the control group, and there was no statistically significant difference in CT between both groups, but both learning approaches effectively promoted CT. Additionally, the interview results showed that most interviewees stated that using JCLM-MVS for Scratch programming learning could receive timely assistance from peers, make collaborative learning more efficient and learning more enjoyable, and more intend to use JCLM-MVS for Scratch programming learning than using traditional teacher-centered teaching method due to the effective collaborative interaction mechanisms and realistic learning space provided in the metaverse virtual space.Conclusions/potential implicationsThis study presents a novel and engaging learning approach by integrating a metaverse virtual space with the Jigsaw collaborative learning method, referred to as JCLM-MVS, which enhances the effectiveness of the Jigsaw collaborative learning method in promoting Scratch programming learning performance, CT, and attitudes.

Computational thinking in primary mathematics classroom activities

The integration of computational thinking (CT) into primary education is often facilitated using one or more CT tools, such as block-based programming environments and educational robotics. A major concern is that these CT tools often are used to design mathematics classroom activities that focus on CT at the expense of mathematics. Hence, there is a need to investigate more closely how CT tools can be used in primary mathematics classroom activities in ways that enable a stronger focus on the learning of mathematics. Using information ecology as a theoretical lens, this study aims to understand how and why CT tools are integrated into primary mathematics classrooms, and how teachers value the possible contributions of such tools. We draw on multiple interviews with two primary teachers, recordings of planning sessions where classroom activities that include CT were designed, the classroom implementations themselves, and reflective conversations with the teachers after the CT tools were integrated in their mathematics classrooms. A deductive analytical approach to our data revealed that (1) CT tools, to varying degrees, facilitate the learning of mathematics; (2) some CT tools were valued by teachers as a better ‘fit’ than others; and (3) CT tools are primarily used to support the learning of geometry, excluding other mathematical domains. Based on these findings, we suggest that there is a need for more research on the use of different CT tools and their role in the learning of primary mathematics. Moreover, more research is needed to understand how CT tools can be used in topics other than geometry.

Redefining computational thinking: Synergizing unplugged activities with block-based programming

Redefining computational thinking: Synergizing unplugged activities with block-based programming

TEACHING MATHEMATICS WITH VIRTUAL ROBOTS TO STUDENTS

The study introduces the case of development of mathematics oriented 20-h robotics course for students (n=50) with educational program of “6B01501 - Mathematics”. The research aimed at exploring the impact of robotics on students’ motivation and engagement by learning math using robotics activities. These activities include controlling virtual robots while learning Algebra concepts. Overall, the aim of practicing math using robots is to investigate the effectiveness of this approach to teaching math, and to identify ways to improve math education using technology. During the study, the researchers examined the global application of robotics and conducted a review of academic databases to collect relevant literature. The findings revealed a dearth of knowledge in the academic literature concerning this particular subject. The study was carried out for three months on the basis of NJSC "Zhetysu University named after Ilyas Zhansugurov" (Taldykorgan), during which the training program "Learning Mathematics with the help of robotics" was developed and tested. Example of lessons at roboblocky.com implemented by students presented in this article. Roboblocky is an educational platform that integrates robotics and programming to facilitate the instruction of mathematical and scientific concepts to students. The platform employs a block-based programming approach, which enhances the accessibility and comprehension of these concepts among students.Based on the available research, it can be concluded that teaching math with Roboblocky is a promising approach. Studies on using robotics to teach mathematics have shown that it can improve student engagement, achievement, problem-solving skills, and spatial reasoning. Additionally, the use of virtual robots in the classroom can promote positive attitudes towards learning among students

The effect of block-based programming activities on the computational thinking skills of pre-service primary school teachers

The effect of block-based programming activities on the computational thinking skills of pre-service primary school teachers

Examining mathematics teachers’ creative actions in programming-based mathematical activities

There has been a renewed interest in creativity as a twenty-first century skill in K-12 mathematics education. However, previous research has paid less attention to creative actions than to other learning outcomes, which are often product- instead of process-based, especially in a programming context. Thus, situated in the context of mathematical learning in a block-based programming environment, Scratch, this study seeks to investigate how in-service mathematics teachers develop mathematical concepts and programming skills to demonstrate their creative actions as a form of professional development. By conducting task-based interviews and thematic analysis, we found that testing and iterative practices of reusing and remixing are two important kinds of creative actions inspired by the programming environment, which give rise to new possibilities for doing mathematics in terms of generating new ways to engage in mathematical processes and to understand mathematics from a computational perspective. Our findings will inform teacher education and professional development programs addressing creativity in technology-enhanced mathematics classrooms, with particular attention to the role of mathematics, programming, and their interplay in inspiring teachers’ (and students’) creative actions and new possibilities for doing mathematics.

Mathematics Games Creation by Using Block-Based Programming (Scratch) to Enhance Students Learning Experiences

The use of information technology in making teaching materials by teachers can improve students' learning experiences. One of learning methods that can be adopted with technology integration is game-based learning design. The problem is that teachers generally lack the ability to utilize technology in learning process. Through this service activity, the team provides assistance to teachers at MTsN 5 and MTsN 6 Padang in designing interesting learning process using game-based learning design. This approach produces active involvement of students in the learning process while increasing students' creativity and understanding.

Professional Development in Computational Thinking: A Systematic Literature Review

This paper presents a systematic literature review of professional development programs in computational thinking (CT). CT has emerged as an essential set of skills that everyone should develop to participate in a global society. However, there were no pre-service or in-service teacher programs to integrate CT into the K–12 classrooms until very recently. Thus, it is important to identify how educators and researchers address the challenges to prepare the next generation of students and what gaps persist in the current literature. We review existing work in this field from two perspectives: First, we analyze the learning outcomes, assessment methods, pedagogical approaches, and pedagogical tools used in the professional development programs in CT. Second, we examine how these programs assess the teachers’ knowledge and skills as outcomes. We used the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework to characterize existing literature and identify possible gaps in the preparation of pre-service and in-service teachers in CT. Our results suggest that (1) existing evidence is limited to developed countries; (2) many studies are only focusing on teachers understanding the concepts but do not explore how the participants evaluate or create learning activities; (3) no studies look into classroom observations as part of the program, which limits our understanding to how these programs work; and (4) most programs use block-based programming languages as the tool to develop student CT. While block-based programming languages are used for introductory training programs, students are often expected to transfer their learning to more professional programming languages.

Combining Game-Based Learning with Design Thinking Using Block-based Programming to Enhance Computational Thinking and Creative Game for Primary Students

This research aims to develop a combining game-based learning with design thinking using block-based programming to enhance computational thinking and creative games for primary students and will be referred to as game-based learning from now on. The purpose of this research is to 1) develop a model for game-based learning, 2) develop the system for game-based learning, 3) evaluate students' computational thinking after implementing game-based learning, and 4) evaluate the creative games created by students after game-based learning is implemented. The research tools included 1) the model for the game-based learning, 2) the model-appropriate evaluation form, 3) the learning system evaluation form 4) the computational thinking evaluation form, and 5) the creative game evaluation form. The research results showed that 1) the evaluation results of the model are appropriate for teaching at the highest level (x  = 4.82, SD = 0.42) and could be used for experimental teaching, 2) The results of game-based learning system quality are at the highest level (x  = 4. 57, S.D. = 0. 50). The researcher implements a game-based learning model and system to teach a sample group of 24 students in grade 4, using a purposive sampling method. The results of the implementation could be summarized as follows: 1) the results of students' computational thinking evaluation after implementing the model and system are significantly higher than before at the .05 level. 2) evaluation results of creative games that students developed after implementing the model and system are at a high level (x  = 4.29, S.D. = 0.52)

Deepening children’s STEM learning through making and creative writing

Current trends demonstrate that researchers and K-12 educators are moving towards integrating computational thinking (CT) concepts outside of the computer science (CS) classroom (Lee et al., 2020). However, one of the present challenges includes a lack of engaging learning content and instruction for translating computational concepts that non-CS instructors can bring into their classrooms. Our research team developed the Grove-Blockly platform, a website that employs block-based programming and physical computing elements with simulations to support CT learning and IoT practices. We designed a 5-day workshop with the National Writing Project for students to engage in STEAM learning through making and creative writing. By examining students’ learning through the processes and outcomes of making, coding, and creative writing, we aim to better understand how learning occurs at the intersections of making, writing, and computing. The findings show students’ positive learning outcomes of CT and physical computing from the workshop. Mainly, students gained a deeper understanding of IoT elements (e.g., sensors, actuators) through the process of making and creative writing. This work provides empirical evidence on how students learn CT and computational practices through making and creative writing. Finally, we discuss how the engagement of STEAM practices supports and empowers students’ learning of CT and physical computing through the creation of e-crafts by students.