Multiple Case Studies About Robotics in Compulsory Education

Programming is fundamental to the development of computational thinking, one of the essential skills for the 21st century. Tangible programming can be a powerful ally of this process from an early age, especially if it supports STEM tasks areas and inclusion. These are the pillars of the TangIn project, under which four qualitative case studies were developed with the aim of to evaluate the lesson plans designed within the scope of the project and the potential of its implementation for the development of the mentioned dimensions. The statistical and content analysis which the questionnaires applied to 43 teachers from Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, and Latvia were submitted to conclude that students were always very committed and motivated during activities and developed specific and transversal skills related to STEM, including the ability to program and value colleagues, what contributed to its inclusion, regardless of sex and socio-economic conditions.

Introduction to Computational Thinking With MI-GO

The present study is part of a research about computational thinking and tangible robotics. A robot in development in Portugal, MI-GO robot, is part of the basis of this research. The objective is to determine the attitude of young students concerning tangible robots and to observe in what measure they contribute to the development of their STEM skills. On the other hand, it also aims to know what are the opinions of educators, teachers, and researchers concerning MI-GO's characteristics and what is their value, adequacy and suitability for the educational grades of young learners (from 5 to 10). The study consists on a qualitative approach based in a case study methodology, using the techniques of questionnaire and observation. At first the data reveal a clear adhesion to the robot and tangible programming by learners, and the researchers that analyzed the device consider it was a very adequate one and presented several suggestions to improve it.

Educational Robotics and Tangible Devices for Promoting Computational Thinking

Recently, efforts have been made to add programming activities to the curriculum that promote computational thinking and foster 21st-century digital skills. One of the programming modalities is the use of Tangible Programming Languages (TPL), used in activities with 4+ year old children. In this review, we analyze solutions proposed for TPL in different contexts crossing them with non-TPL solutions, like Graphical Programming Languages (GPL). We start to characterize features of language interaction, their use, and what learning activities are associated with them. Then, in a diagram, we show a relation between the complexity of the languages with factors such as target age and output device types. We provide an analysis considering the type of input (e.g., TPL versus GPL) and output devices (e.g., physical robot versus graphical simulation) and evaluate their contribution to further insights about the general trends with respect to educational robotic systems. Finally, we discuss the opportunities to extend and improve TPLs based on the different solutions identified.

Computer Science Unplugged: A Systematic Literature Review

The computer science (CS) unplugged approach intends to teach CS concepts and computational thinking skills without employing any digital tools. The current study conducted a systematic literature review to analyze research studies that conducted investigations related to implementations of CS unplugged activities. A systematic review procedure was developed and applied to detect and subsequently review relevant research studies published from 2010 to 2019. It was found that 55 research studies (17 articles + 38 conference proceedings) satisfied the inclusion criteria for the analysis. These research studies were then examined with regard to their demographic characteristics, research methodologies, research results, and main findings. It was found that the unplugged approach was realized and utilized differently among researchers. The majority of the studies used the CS unplugged term when referring to “paper–pencil activities,” “problem solving,” “storytelling,” “games,” “tangible programming,” and even “robotics.”

Involving Users and Creating Symbols for Tangible Programming: a Case Study with TaPrEC

INTRODUCTION: Participatory Design is an approach that is characterized by the active participation of users as part of the design team, thus reflecting their perspectives and needs in the product design. BrainDraw is a participatory technique for use in the design phase of product creation. This article investigates the use of participatory practices with elementary school teachers, aiming at the redesign of the programming blocks of TaPrEC, a tangible programming environment for children. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed at the redesign of symbols for the repetition blocks of TaPrEC involving the main stakeholders. METHOD: A Case Study in an educational space that offers activities during out-of-school hours to children was carried out using the BrainDraw technique with a group of elementary school teachers to redesign the symbols of the repetition blocks of the TaPrEC. The experimentation and evaluation of the created symbols were carried out by the same teachers and a group of elementary school children. We also applied the Self-Assessment Manikin form to assess the participants' affective responses during participatory activities. RESULTS: The results of the workshops highlight that the symbols created by the teachers have been better accepted by teachers and children. This positive acceptance may result from the fact that the participatory solutions proposed by the teachers suggest associations with everyday elements such as traffic signs and the symbol of multiplication. CONCLUSION: Participatory Design is a process that involves researchers and end-users in creating products for their use. Using this approach, we studied different symbol proposals for representing and understanding the repetition blocks of TaPrEC, a tangible programming environment, to promote a solution that had the participation of stakeholders and reached a solution that made sense to them.