Research Ideas
Research Ideas
Introduction
My research will focus on how coding and programming develops computational thinking in elementary school learners through the use of unplugged activities. Unplugged is a term often used when referring to activities designed to teach learners fundamental coding concepts, but without the use of a computer or machine (Huang & Looi, 2021). Students’ computational thinking will be observed through an afterschool coding program for 4th-5th students at a local elementary school. The study aims to begin with unplugged coding activities in order to build foundational coding skills, such as algorithms, loops, and debugging, as well as computational thinking (Hermans & Aivalogiou, 2017). The afterschool program will then explore learners’ ability to transition the knowledge and skills they gained through the unplugged activities to a hybrid of unplugged and plugged activities (Microsoft Bits, educational robots, Makey-Makey, etc), and ultimately to plugged activities (Scratch).
A secondary goal of the study is to determine how teaching elementary students to code and develop computational thinking skills might support the learning of mathematical concepts. For the purpose of this study, I will be using Georgia’s Mathematical Standards (2023). In 2021, the Department of Education created new mathematical standards which “focus on strategic mathematical thinking and reasoning” and “align mathematics to industry and workforce needs and 21st century skills” (2021, pg. 3). Since there is a shift towards mathematical thinking and reasoning in the new standards, I aim to determine which specific standards can be supported through unplugged and plugged coding activities. The data gathered in this study will be used to inform future research and curriculum design.
In order to better understand how coding and programming can be beneficial tools to help students develop computational thinking, I conducted a literature review. The articles reviewed focused primarily on studying how unplugged and plugged activities have been implemented to support computational thinking (Hu et al., 2023, Huang & Looi, 2021, Lee & Junoh, 2019). A common finding in the literature is that computer science education is beneficial for not only developing computational thinking, but also skills necessary “to work, innovate, and solve problems in a world that is increasingly shaped by computer technologies” (Huang & Looi, 2021, p.83). As new technologies are emerging and becoming a part of our everyday lives, it is important that children are exposed to computer science and computational thinking (CS/CT) (Lee & Junoh, 2019). The emphasis on computational thinking and computer science education has grown so much in recent years that many countries around the world have initiated policies and initiatives to integrate CS/CT into their educational systems (Huang & Looi, 2021, Brackman et al., 2017).
Though there is literature supporting the implementation of CS/CT, there is a lack of data pertaining specifically to younger learners developing computational thinking through coding and programing (Brackman et al., 2017, Hu et al., 2023, Huang & Looi, 2020). The literature that does exist, advocates the implementation of unplugged coding activities due to its ability to make abstract concepts more concrete (Bers, 2010, Hu et al., 2023, Lee & Junoh, 2019). Unplugged activities provide young learners opportunities to be exposed to coding concepts and computational thinking skills in a collaborative, playful, and concert environment (Bers, 2010, Lee & Junoh, 2019). It is my goal to expand upon the existing literature and data pertaining to developing computational thinking in elementary learners through unplugged and plugged coding activities.
Research Questions
How do computational thinking skills, programming skills, and interest in coding change for 4th and 5th grade learners after the 10-week after school program?
What role do the concepts developed through hands-on, unplugged activities play in children’s CT during plugged activities?
Where can coding be integrated to support the development of mathematical practices and content-specific standards in the 2023 version of Georgia Mathematical standards?
Methods
Participants
The proposed study will be offered to 4th- 5th grade students at a local elementary school. Flyers were created and will be sent home to 4th-5th grade students, advertising the after school program. Interested students will receive a letter informing guardians the details of the program and ask for consent to be a participant in a research study and to be video recorded. Participant consent will be collected prior to beginning the after-school program.
Procedures
Students will meet once a week over 6 weeks. After-school sessions will last for 1 hour. The program will have three stages. In Stage 1: The first 2 sessions will focus on developing computational thinking through unplugged activities. Unplugged coding are activities which teach coding concepts without the use of technology (Huang & Looi, 2021). Unplugged activities will focus on teaching students coding basics such as algorithms, loops, and conditions, using Code.org as resources. Example activity: Conditionals with Cards (Code.org)
In Stage 2: The next 2 sessions will focus on a blend of unplugged and plugged. Students will transfer computational thinking and coding skills developed in stage 1 to a more abstract context. The unplugged/plugged hybrid activities will utilize Microsoft Microbits and will be more student centered. Students will work in pairs to further develop their understanding of conditions, variables, and loops. Example activity: Magic 8 Ball (Micro:bit)
In Stage 3: The final 2 sessions focus on fully plugged activities, through Scratch. Activities will be more student centered. Students will have the opportunity to create a product of their choosing within given parameters. Example activity: Design a Game (Scratch)
Data Collection and Analysis
Pre-posttest: Participants will complete a test of CT and programming knowledge; items on the test will mirror blocks of code in Scratch. Analysis will consist of comparing descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation) at two point time.
Pre-post Survey: Participants will complete the Elementary Student Coding Attitudes Survey (ESCAS) (Mason & Rich, 2020). Students rate their agreement with statements on a Likert scale that captures the students’ thoughts on coding and its usefulness/ importance in their lives. Analysis will consist of comparing descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation) at two point time.
Video data: Periodically, participants will be video recorded so their activity can be later analyzed to determine how their bodily movements are a part of their thinking as they transition from unplugged to plugged activities. The data will be transcribed multimodally, meaning that images from the video will be paired with spoken dialogue to convey what was happening in specific moments of interest. In the transcripts, children’s faces will be obscured to protect their identity.
Analysis will entail watching the videos and tracking the bodily movements of participants over time. Each researcher will take a sub-group of students and code their gestures and movements for the CT and programming concepts they reflect. These will likely be displayed on a timeline to see which movements are reoccurring and how often. The results will be presented as frequency counts as well as de-identified descriptions of the types of movements and the concepts reflected in them.
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Brackman, C. P., Gonzalex, M. R., Robles, G., Leon, J. M., Casali, A., & Barone, D. (Eds).
(2017). Proceedings of 12th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education.
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Code.org. (n.d.). Lesson 12: Conditionals with cards.
https://studio.code.org/s/coursed-2022/lessons/12
Georgia Department of Education. (2023). Mathematics K-5.
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/Math-K-5.aspx
Georgia Department of Education. (2021, October). Georgia’s K-12 Mathematics Standards:
Explanation of Changes and Improvements. https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-
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computer science and computational thinking education. Computer Science Education,
31(1), 83-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/08993408.1789411
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classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(6), 709-716.
https://doi.org/10/1007/s10643-019-00967-z
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copedu.2020.103898
Micro:bit (n.d.). Magic 8 ball. https://microbit.org/projects/make-it-code-it/magic-8ball/
Scratch Foundation. (n.d.). Choose a tutorial. https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/editor/?tutorial=all