Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Teacher Transformations in Developing Computational Thinking: Gaming and Robotics Use in After-School Settings

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Emerging Research, Practice, and Policy on Computational Thinking

Abstract

The challenges of addressing increasing calls for the inclusion of computational thinking skills in K-12 education in the midst of crowded school curricula can be mitigated, in part, by promoting STEM learning in after-school settings. The Visualization Basics: Using Gaming to Improve Computational Thinking project provided opportunities for middle school students to participate in after-school clubs focused on game development and LEGO robotics in an effort to increase computational thinking skills. Club leaders and teachers, however, first needed to develop proficiency with the computational tools and their understanding of computational thinking. To achieve these goals, teachers participated in two online professional development courses. After participating in the courses, teachers’ understanding of and attitudes toward computational thinking skills were mostly positive. Observations of club sessions revealed that teachers provided a mix of structured and open-ended instruction. Guided instruction, such as using detailed tutorials for initial exposure to a concept or process, was most commonly observed. One area identified for improvement was the duration of the courses, which provided limited time for teachers to develop deep and robust computational thinking skills. Despite this limitation, the data collected thus far suggest that teachers’ understanding of and attitudes toward computational thinking skills improved.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Akcaoglu, M. (2016). Design and implementation of the Game-Design and Learning program. TechTrends, 60(2), 114–123. doi:10.1007/s11528-016-0022-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akcaoglu, M., & Koehler, M. J. (2014). Cognitive outcomes from the Game-Design and Learning (GDL) after-school program. Computers & Education, 75, 72–81. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2014.02.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ardito, G., Mosley, P., & Scollins, L. (2014). WE, ROBOT: Using robotics to promote collaborative and mathematics learning in a middle school classroom. Middle Grades Research Journal, 9(3), 73–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atmatzidou, S., & Demetriadis, S. (2016). Advancing students’ computational thinking skills through educational robotics: A study on age and gender relevant differences. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 75(Part B), 661–670. doi:10.1016/j.robot.2015.10.008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barr, D., Harrison, J., & Conery, L. (2011). Computational thinking: a digital age skill for everyone: the National Science Foundation has assembled a group of thought leaders to bring the concepts of computational thinking to the K-12 classroom. Learning & Leading with Technology, 38(6), 20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barr, V., & Stephenson, C. (2011). Bringing computational thinking to K-12: what is Involved and what is the role of the computer science education community? ACM Inroads, 2(1), 48. doi:10.1145/1929887.1929905.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bers, M. U., Flannery, L., Kazakoff, E. R., & Sullivan, A. (2014). Computational thinking and tinkering: Exploration of an early childhood robotics curriculum. Computers & Education, 72, 145–157. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.10.020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, Q., O’Byrne, W. I., & Kafai, Y. B. (2016). Computational Participation. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 59(4), 371–375. doi:10.1002/jaal.496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denner, J., Werner, L., & Ortiz, E. (2012). Computer games created by middle school girls: Can they be used to measure understanding of computer science concepts? Computers & Education, 58(1), 240–249. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.08.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: an introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1958). Experience and Nature (Vol. 1st ser, 2nd ed.). La Salle, IL: Open Court Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Educational Policies Commission. (1961). The Central Purpose of American Education (p. 27). Washington, D.C: National Education Association. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED029836.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grover, S., & Pea, R. (2013). Computational thinking in K-12: A Review of the state of the field. Educational Researcher, 42(1), 38–43. doi:10.3102/0013189X12463051.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Honeyford, M. A., & Boyd, K. (2015). Learning through play: portraits, photoshop, and visual literacy practices. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 59(1), 63–73. doi:10.1002/jaal.428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kafai, Y. (1995). Minds in Play: Computer Game Design As a Context for Children’s Learning. Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Kafai, Y. (1996). Software by kids for kids. Communications of the ACM, 39(4), 38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kafai, Y. (2006). Playing and making games for learning: instructionist and constructionist perspectives for game studies. Games and Culture, 1(1), 36–40. doi:10.1177/1555412005281767.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kafai, Y., & Burke, Q. (2013). Computer programming goes back to school: Learning programming introduces students to solving problems, designing applications, and making connections online. Phi Delta Kappan, 95(1), 61–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khanlari, A. (2013). Effects of robotics on 21st Century Skills. European Scientific Journal, 9(27.) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.uwyo.edu/docview/1524821792/abstract/E91502C4C03E4CCEPQ/1.

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation (Learning in Doing: Social, Cognitive and Computational Perspectives). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Q. (2010). Digital game building: learning in a participatory culture. Educational Research, 52(4), 427–443. doi:10.1080/00131881.2010.524752.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council. (2011). Committee for the Workshops on Computational Thinking: Report of a Workshop on the Pedagogical Aspects of Computational Thinking. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickerson, H., Brand, C., & Repenning, A. (2015). Grounding Computational Thinking Skill Acquisition Through Contextualized Instruction (pp. 207–216). Proceedings of the eleventh annual International Conference on International Computing Education Research. Omaha, NE: ACM Press. doi:10.1145/2787622.2787720.

  • Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papert, S., & Harel, I. (1991). Situating Constructionism. In Constructionism (pp. 1–11). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.papert.org/articles/SituatingConstructionism.html.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1969). The Psychology of the Child. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Repenning, A. (2012). Programming goes back to school. Communications of the ACM, 55(5), 38. doi:10.1145/2160718.2160729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Repenning, A., Webb, D. C., Koh, K. H., Nickerson, H., Miller, S. B., Brand, C., et al. (2015). Scalable game design: a strategy to bring systemic computer science education to schools through game design and simulation creation. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), 15(2), 1–31. doi:10.1145/2700517.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salomon, G., & Perkins, D. N. (1998). Individual and social aspects of learning. Review of Research in Education, 23, 1–24. doi:10.2307/1167286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uchida, D., Cetron, M., & McKenzie, F. (1996). Preparing-Students-for-the-21st-Century. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education. Retrieved from https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781578860470/Preparing-Students-for-the-21st-Century.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vygotskiĭ, L. S., & Cole, M. (1978). Mind in Society: the Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webb, D. C., Repenning, A., & Koh, K. H. (2012). Toward an emergent theory of broadening participation in computer science education. In Proceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 173–178). ACM. Retrieved from http://dl.acm.org.libproxy.uwyo.edu/citation.cfm?id=2157191.

  • Wing, J. (2006). Computational thinking. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yadav, A., Mayfield, C., Zhou, N., Hambrusch, S., & Korb, J. T. (2014). Computational thinking in elementary and secondary teacher education. Transactions on Computing Education, 14(1), 5:1–5:16. doi:10.1145/2576872.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yadav, A., Zhou, N., Mayfield, C., Hambrusch, S., & Korb, J. T. (2011). Introducing computational thinking in education courses. In Proceedings of the 42Nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 465–470). New York, NY, USA: ACM. doi:10.1145/1953163.1953297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuen, T. T., Boecking, M., Stone, J., Tiger, E. P., Gomez, A., Guillen, A., & Arreguin, A. (2014). Group tasks, activities, dynamics, and interactions in collaborative robotics projects with elementary and middle school children. Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 15(1), 39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (DRL #1311810). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA

    Alan Buss & Ruben Gamboa

Authors
  1. Alan Buss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ruben Gamboa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alan Buss .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. 150K MCKB, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA

    Peter J. Rich

  2. Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA

    Charles B. Hodges

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Buss, A., Gamboa, R. (2017). Teacher Transformations in Developing Computational Thinking: Gaming and Robotics Use in After-School Settings. In: Rich, P., Hodges, C. (eds) Emerging Research, Practice, and Policy on Computational Thinking. Educational Communications and Technology: Issues and Innovations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52691-1_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52691-1_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52690-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52691-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation