No abstract

No abstract

Abstract:The ever-growing popularity of computer science has fostered the need for computational thinking (CT), especially in K-12 education. Pedagogy that infuses CT, as well as reliable methods for assessing CT, remain open problems. In this paper, we describe a 5th-9th grade STEM outreach program. Classes on micro controllers and computer programming are presented. Data collected through a newly designed self-efficacy instrument is used to determine effectiveness of these curricula at improving confidence in CT and problem solving skills. IntroductionThis paper describes a STEM outreach program where the Manhattan-Ogden Unified School District 383 has partnered with Kansas State University. This program lasts four weeks and is designed to expose 5th-9th grade students to STEM careers and subjects through hands-on activities. The program covers a large range of areas, including robotics, computer programming, agriculture, food science, unmanned aerial vehicles, clean energy, and construction science. Professional educators are paired with small groups (2-4) of pre-service teachers to run each class (maximum size of 18). This allows pre-service teachers to get practical, hands-on experience, as well as to learn new STEM activities to include in their own future classrooms. This also gives an excellent teacher to student ratio, providing a oneon-one learning experience for program participants. We focus, however, on measuring the impact of two classes on the program participants. Each class employed similar pedagogy and the Scratch (2009) 17 programming language. One relied heavily on computer science theory and space exploration as a theme, and the other used micro controllers as the foundation for activities. The goals of this research are as follows: 1. Develop effective curricula for improving student self-efficacy in CT, 2. Develop a reliable and effective way of measuring student self-efficacy in CT, and 3. Enforce the notion that CT is not problem solving (PS), but a component of cognition.

No abstract

No abstract