Learning computer science concepts with Scratch

Meerbaum-Salant, Orni; Armoni, Michal; Ben‐Ari, Mordechai

doi:10.1080/08993408.2013.832022

Cited by 310 publications

(174 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

145

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Teachers express challenges that they face when teaching computational thinking concept and computing-related subjects (Grover & Pea, 2013). They are anxious when having to develop new learning resources and use novel technologies in class (Meerbaum-Salant, Armoni, & Ben-Ari, 2013). Some teachers are not confident in dealing with new and unfamiliar teaching materials (Curzon et al, 2009).…”

Section: Teaching Computational Thinking and The Challenges Involvedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving the Computational Thinking Pedagogical Capabilities of School Teachers

Bower¹,

Wood²,

Lai³

et al. 2017

AJTE

161

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Teaching Computational Thinking and The Challenges Involvedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving the Computational Thinking Pedagogical Capabilities of School Teachers

Bower¹,

Wood²,

Lai³

et al. 2017

AJTE

161

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…After reviewing 22 experimental evaluations, this significant difference issue was reported and criticized by Hundhausen (2002) as the drawback of AV technology from the pedagogical standpoint. In another study, Meerbaum-Salant et al (2013) found out that students still have difficulties with learning some concepts in spite of the use of Scratch. The final drawback of Scratch or other visual algorithm software programs is that they are generally used in extracurricular activities, such as summer campsor computer clubs (Meerbaum-Salant et al, 2013;Wolz, Maloney, & Pulimood, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The research studies revealed that Scratch is useful for helping students use computational constructs (Meerbaum-Salant, Armoni, & Ben-Ari, 2013); engage in programming processes (Resnick et al, 2009); acquire programming skills and motivation (Begosso & Silva, 2013), develop positive attitudes toward programming (Genç & Karakuş, 2012); gain experience working with advanced programming languages (Wolz, Leitner, Malan, & Maloney, 2009); and make reflections on their daily experiences (e.g., mathematical experiences) (Ke, 2014). However, there are still drawbacks to the use of Scratch for teaching programming.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ICT Teachers’ Acceptance of “Scratch” as Algorithm Visualization Software

Saltan¹,

Kara²

2016

HES

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aims to investigate the acceptance of ICT teachers pertaining to the use of Scratch as an Algorithm Visualization (AV) software in terms of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. An embedded mixed method research design was used in the study, in which qualitative data were embedded in quantitative ones and used to explain the results. The data were collected from 214 pre-service ICT teachers studying in four large public universities. Data was gathered through a questionnaire adapted from David's Technology Acceptance Survey (1989) and through open-ended questions. T-test and Pearson correlation, as well as descriptive statistics, were used to analyze quantitative data and constant analysis techniques were used to analyze qualitative data. Both kinds of data were mixed and are presented in the results section. The results show that pre-service ICT teachers mainly have positive and similar Scratch acceptance scores in terms of usefulness and ease of use. The factors explaining participants' perceived usefulness are identified as visual interface (37%), pedagogy(36%), and computational thinking (27%). The majority of the participants also found Scratch to be easy to use. Pre-service ICT teachers explained that what makes AV software easy to use is color separation (40%), drag and drop (30%), and familiar interface (30%). Additionally, no significant difference between the acceptance scores of the participants was found in terms of gender, years of programming experience, programming background, and the high school they graduated from as indicators of programming experience. Results congruent with previous studies regarding Scratch were found by the current study.

show abstract

“…Scratch uses blocks, which the pupils drag and drop to form their scripts. An avid research interest exists on how to fine tune the learning process with Scratch in order to achieve the best pedagogical results in primary schools [8], [12], [17], but also in elementary ones [14]. Towards, this end the research presented in this paper aims at filling a tutoring gap that often appears when following a classic introductory syllabus to Scratch programming, namely the teaching of concurrency concepts.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching Concurrent Programming Concepts Using Scratch in Primary School: Methodology and Evaluation

Fatourou¹,

Zygouris²,

Loukopoulos³

et al. 2018

Int. J. Eng. Ped.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract-Computer programming can help children develop problem solving and analytical skills. Thus, many countries have included computer science in the curriculum of primary school. Given differences in culture, available infrastructures, as well as the age pupils are introduced to computer science, forming a computer science curriculum still remains a challenge. Towards this end, this study focuses on exploring the potential merits of introducing concurrent programming concepts early in the learning process. The basic premise is that although concurrent programming at its full details is a rather advanced topic even at university level, it is everyday practice to perform two or more tasks simultaneously that might need (or not) some sort of synchronization. Therefore, the tutor can capitalize on everyday experience to explain basic concepts on concurrency. Such correlation between life experience and concurrent programming challenges may expand the cognitive functions of the pupils and provide them with further background to improve analytical thinking. The proposed curriculum for fifth and sixth grade primary school was adopted in seven classes in Greece. Results indicate that uninitiated to programming pupils at the age of ten (fifth grade) were able to comprehend basic concurrency topics, while pupils at the age of eleven (sixth grade) with some programming familiarity were able to understand more advanced concepts.

show abstract

Learning computer science concepts with Scratch

Cited by 310 publications

References 20 publications

Improving the Computational Thinking Pedagogical Capabilities of School Teachers

Improving the Computational Thinking Pedagogical Capabilities of School Teachers

ICT Teachers’ Acceptance of “Scratch” as Algorithm Visualization Software

Teaching Concurrent Programming Concepts Using Scratch in Primary School: Methodology and Evaluation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About