Investigating the Association between Algorithmic Thinking and Performance in Environmental Study

Abstract

Presently, computational thinking (CT) is considered necessary for adapting to the future. Concurrently, the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the demand for strengthening Environmental Education as a means to improve sustainability and stimulate environmental protection and public health. Having in mind that CT does not concern only technocrats but also applies in solving everyday problems, we introduce the novel idea of the synergistic learning of CT and Environmental Study. Thus, our research aim is to explore the correlation between algorithmic thinking (AT), as a fundamental CT competency, and educational achievements in the Environmental Study course during the early primary school years. Towards this end, we implemented a quantitative research study, employing an innovative assessment framework we propose. The adoption of cluster sampling eventuated in a sample of 435 students. The exploitation of ordinal logistic regression analysis and machine learning method validated the correlation of the two fields and pointed out that AT levels constitute a predictive factor for performance in the Environmental Study course and vice versa. These results support the novel idea of concurrently cultivating environmental consciousness and CT and build a robust base for future studies that will focus on providing an ecological reflection on CT activities.

Καλλιέργεια Της Υπολογιστικής Σκέψης Και Της Περιβαλλοντικής Ευαισθητοποίησης Μέσω Της Ρομποτικής Στην Πρώτη Σχολική Ηλικία

“…Η ταυτόχρονη καλλιέργεια της ΥΣ και της ΠΕ σε εκπαιδευτικά περιβάλλοντα πρώιμης παιδικής ηλικίας έχει πρόσφατα προταθεί στο πλαίσιο ερευνητικής προσέγγισης που αξιοποιεί ένα πρωτοποριακό σχήμα, που συνδυάζει τεχνικές οπτικού και βασισμένου σε κείμενο προγραμματισμού, με έμφαση στην αντικειμενοστρέφεια (Kanaki et al, 2022). Προχωρώντας ένα βήμα παραπέρα, προτείνουμε ένα καινοτόμο πλαίσιο διδασκαλίας και μάθησης, που αξιοποιεί τη ρομποτική με στόχο την παράλληλη ενίσχυση θεμελιωδών δεξιοτήτων της ΥΣ και της ΠΕ στην πρώτη σχολική ηλικία.…”

How to Learn and How to Teach the Five Content Areas: Programming Languages, Game Design, Computer Thinking, Algorithmic Thinking and Robotics Programming - A Systematic Review of Journal Publications From 2015 to 2020”

“…Kong, Chiu, and Lai [37] in his study confirms the fact of Brennan and Resnick [38] and Papert [39] that, with the development of CT, students can creatively express their ideas. In addition to computer thinking [33,34,40,41,42,43] algorithmic thinking has been studied in the literature [44,45], [46], [47]. [48] present empirical proofs and further guidance on the assessment of the ability of elementary school students to do games-based programming.…”