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A Work in Progress Paper: Evaluating a Microworlds-based Learning Approach for Developing Literacy and Computational Thinking in Cross-curricular Contexts

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Craig JenkinsAuthors Info & Claims

WiPSCE '15: Proceedings of the Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education

Pages 61 - 64

https://doi.org/10.1145/2818314.2818316

Published: 09 November 2015 Publication History

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Abstract

In the 1960s, Papert and his team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed Turtle Graphics using the LOGO programming language. Underpinning this development was a profound new philosophy of how learning happens with computers: a microworlds-based approach to learning. The wider aim of this research project is to examine how a microworlds-based approach may be revived in contemporary educational contexts by secondary school teachers in cross-curricular subject areas. It examines the microworld as a tool for secondary level learning at ages eleven-to-fourteen and explores its potential role in making relevant conceptual learning accessible through practical, constructionist approaches in cross-curricular applications.

This particular work-in-progress paper reports on a comparative evaluation of a microworlds-based approach to teaching poetic verse in the subject domain of drama. A quasi-experimental design was used in order to measure performance gains in specific aspects of computational thinking and literacy development following the microworld-based intervention. Preliminary data reveals a higher improvement in performance but further qualitative data needs to be collected in order to provide further insight to support the quantitative findings.

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Cited By

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Shehzad URecker MClarke-Midura JDoyle MStephenson BDorn BSoh LBattestilli L(2023)A Literature Review Examining Broadening Participation in Upper Elementary CS EducationProceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3545945.3569873(570-576)Online publication date: 2-Mar-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3545945.3569873
Eriksson EBaykal GTorgersson O(2022)The Role of Learning Theory in Child-Computer Interaction - A Semi-Systematic Literature ReviewProceedings of the 21st Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3501712.3529728(50-68)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3501712.3529728
Luo TReynolds JMuljana P(2022)Elementary Students Learning Computer Programming: an investigation of their knowledge Retention, Motivation, and perceptionsEducational technology research and development10.1007/s11423-022-10112-0Online publication date: 6-Jul-2022
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10112-0
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Index Terms

A Work in Progress Paper: Evaluating a Microworlds-based Learning Approach for Developing Literacy and Computational Thinking in Cross-curricular Contexts
1. Applied computing
  1. Enterprise computing
2. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education

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WiPSCE '15: Proceedings of the Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education

November 2015

149 pages

ISBN:9781450337533

DOI:10.1145/2818314

Conference Chairs:
Judith Gal-Ezer
The Open University of Israel
,
Sue Sentance
King's College London & Computing At School
,
Jan Vahrenhold
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].

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King's College London: King's College London
ACM: Association for Computing Machinery

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Published: 09 November 2015

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WiPSCE '15: Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education

November 9 - 11, 2015

London, United Kingdom

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Shehzad URecker MClarke-Midura JDoyle MStephenson BDorn BSoh LBattestilli L(2023)A Literature Review Examining Broadening Participation in Upper Elementary CS EducationProceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3545945.3569873(570-576)Online publication date: 2-Mar-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3545945.3569873
Eriksson EBaykal GTorgersson O(2022)The Role of Learning Theory in Child-Computer Interaction - A Semi-Systematic Literature ReviewProceedings of the 21st Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3501712.3529728(50-68)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3501712.3529728
Luo TReynolds JMuljana P(2022)Elementary Students Learning Computer Programming: an investigation of their knowledge Retention, Motivation, and perceptionsEducational technology research and development10.1007/s11423-022-10112-0Online publication date: 6-Jul-2022
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10112-0
Costa JMoro SMiranda GArnold T(2020)Empowered learning through microworlds and teaching methods: a text mining and meta-analysis-based systematic reviewResearch in Learning Technology10.25304/rlt.v28.239628Online publication date: 12-Oct-2020
https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2396
Matos SBlikstein PAbrahamson D(2017)The Sound LabyrinthProceedings of the 2017 Conference on Interaction Design and Children10.1145/3078072.3079726(258-267)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3078072.3079726
Lukkarinen ASorva JSheard JMontero C(2016)Classifying the tools of contextualized programming education and forms of media computationProceedings of the 16th Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research10.1145/2999541.2999551(51-60)Online publication date: 24-Nov-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2999541.2999551

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Work in progress: How do first-year engineering students develop as self-directed learners?

Using Microworlds to Introduce Programming to Novices

Work in progress: Supporting Latino and English Language Learners' written communication skills: A research-based pedagogical intervention

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