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Is It Possible to Improve the Development of Executive Functions in Children by Teaching Computational Thinking?

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Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning, 12th International Conference (MIS4TEL 2022)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 580))

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Abstract

Multiple studies have investigated the impact of teaching coding on some cognitive processes, with promising results. Based on this background, the current study evaluated the effect of a computational thinking intervention on the executive functioning of school-age children. The research had a between-subjects experimental design, with pre and post measurements and a control group. The measurement instrument was the BANFE-2 battery. The experimental group participated in an 8-week intervention in which they were taught to coding using the micro:bit device and the MakeCode programming environment. The findings revealed significant transfer effects on the executive functions of the students.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad del Tolima, CUS Research Group, Calle 42 1-02, 730006, Ibagué, Colombia

    Carolina Robledo-Castro

  2. Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, Artificial Intelligence Research Group, Antigua Estación del ferrocarril, 170002, Manizales, Colombia

    Carolina Robledo-Castro, Luis Fernando Castillo-Ossa & Christian Hederich-Martínez

  3. Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 26-10, 170002, Manizales, Colombia

    Luis Fernando Castillo-Ossa

  4. Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Calle 72 11-86, Bogotá, Colombia

    Christian Hederich-Martínez

  5. Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Manizales, Campus la Nubia, Manizales, Colombia

    Luis Fernando Castillo-Ossa

Authors
  1. Carolina Robledo-Castro
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  2. Luis Fernando Castillo-Ossa
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  3. Christian Hederich-Martínez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolina Robledo-Castro .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Roma, Italy

    Marco Temperini

  2. University of Salerno, Montoro - Avellino, Italy

    Vittorio Scarano

  3. Leibniz University of Hanover, Hanover, Germany

    Ivana Marenzi

  4. DFKI GmbH, Berlin, Germany

    Milos Kravcik

  5. Computer and Information Technology Department, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania

    Elvira Popescu

  6. University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy

    Rosa Lanzilotti

  7. Faculty of Computer Science, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy

    Rosella Gennari

  8. University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    Fernando De La Prieta

  9. DISIM, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Tania Di Mascio

  10. University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Pierpaolo Vittorini

Ethics declarations

This research was financed by the Research Fund of the University of Tolima, project 430121.

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© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Robledo-Castro, C., Castillo-Ossa, L.F., Hederich-Martínez, C. (2023). Is It Possible to Improve the Development of Executive Functions in Children by Teaching Computational Thinking?. In: Temperini, M., et al. Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning, 12th International Conference. MIS4TEL 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 580. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20617-7_2

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