Teaching modeling in computer science as an ecosystem: a provocative analogy

Gogolla, Martin; Stevens, Perdita

doi:10.1080/08993408.2018.1463634

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Moreover, this study enriches our understanding of analogical reasoning in STEM education, which has been a critical teaching strategy and learning objective (Alizadeh et al, 2015;Gogolla & Stevens, 2018). The EAD approach offers a unique learning configuration for young students to adopt analogical reasoning.…”

Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

An embodied, analogical and disruptive approach of AI pedagogy in upper elementary education: An experimental study

Dai,

Lin,

Liu

et al. 2023

Brit J Educational Tech

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While AI has become more prevalent in our society than ever, many young learners are found holding various naive, erroneous conceptions of AI due to the influence of their technology and media environments. To address this issue, this study seeks to propose a novel pedagogical solution to improve upper‐elementary school students' scientific understanding of AI. Following a theory‐informed design convention, we propose an embodied, analogical and disruptive (EAD) approach which is centred on a human–AI comparison through analogical teaching and embodied interaction. To evaluate the impact of this approach, a matched‐group experimental study with pre‐ and posttest interviews was conducted among 77 Grade 6 elementary students in China. The statistical analysis showed that the experimental group, learning via the EAD approach, significantly outperformed their counterparts receiving direct instruction in terms of student growth in understanding. Qualitative analyses revealed the strengths of the EAD approach in supporting student engagement, abstract thinking and system thinking, and its limitations in cognitive overload and communication issues. Patterns of student learning were identified, including their mental schemas and strategies. The EAD approach, as an evidence‐based, age‐appropriate pedagogical solution, demonstrates the value of embodied cognition and human–AI analogy in AI education in elementary education. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Many young students hold naive, erroneous conceptions about AI. Pedagogical design has long been a critical challenge in teaching AI in K‐12 schools. Human–AI analogies are often used to teach AI, but with obvious pitfalls to be fixed. What this paper adds An embodied, analogical and disruptive (EAD) approach is proposed to improve students’ understandings of AI. An experimental study shows statistically significant greater gains in students’ understanding with the EAD approach than with the conventional AI‐only direct instruction approach. Qualitative analysis shows the strength of the EAD approach in supporting student engagement, abstract thinking and systems thinking, and its limitations in cognitive overload and communication issues. Implications for practice and/or policy The EAD approach offers a novel pedagogical solution to promote inclusive and quality AI education for young learners. The EAD approach highlights the pedagogical value of embodied cognition and human–AI analogy in AI education. The EAD approach can complement programming and other plugged activities in AI, and more broadly technology and engineering education.

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Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

An embodied, analogical and disruptive approach of AI pedagogy in upper elementary education: An experimental study

Dai,

Lin,

Liu

et al. 2023

Brit J Educational Tech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An analogy rooted in Gentner’s (1983) structure mapping theory is to logically map and compare concepts from a familiar source domain with those in the unfamiliar target domain—“A is like B” (e.g., a database is like a brain). Analogies have long been used to teach difficult, abstract ideas in STEM education (Gogolla & Stevens, 2018). In analogical teaching, teachers can select a familiar, appropriate student-world analogue to assist their explanations of the intended concepts.…”

Section: Research Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of an Analogy-Based Approach of Artificial Intelligence Pedagogy in Upper Primary Schools

Dai,

Lin,

Liu

et al. 2023

Journal of Educational Computing Research

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent topic in K-12 education recently. However, pedagogical design has remained a major challenge, especially among young learners. Guided by the Zone of Proximal Development theory and AI education research literature, this design-based study proposes an analogy-based pedagogical approach to support AI teaching and learning in upper primary education. This pedagogical approach is centered on human–AI comparison, where humans are gradually shifted from an analogue to a contrast to make visible the attributes, mechanisms, and processes of AI. To evaluate its effectiveness, a quasi-experimental study with mixed methods was conducted. The quantitative comparison shows that the participants in the experimental group learning with the analogy-based pedagogical approach significantly outperformed their peers with the conventional direct instructional approach in all three dimensions of AI knowledge, skills, and ethical awareness. Qualitative analyses further reveal its pedagogical benefits, including demystifying AI through relatable and engaging learning, supporting student comprehension and skill mastery, and nurturing critical thinking and attitudes. The analogy-based approach contributes to the field of K-12 AI education with an age-appropriate, child-friendly pedagogical approach. Notably, AI education should prioritize teaching for student understanding, and AI should be recognized as an independent subject with interdisciplinary applications.

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“…The last ten years has seen increasing research directed towards the use of metaphorical language within science education and other related areas (e.g., Amin, Jeppsson, & Haglund, 2015) such as metaphor use in relation to energy (e.g., Dreyfus et al, 2014), metaphors in problem-solving (Hidalgo-Cespedes, Marin-Raventos, Lara-Villagran, & Villalobos-Fernandez, 2018) and the metaphorical nature of the language used in textbooks (Bråting & Kilhamn, 2021;Hedberg, Haglund, & Jeppsson, 2015;Stavrum, Bungum, & Persson, 2020). In parallel, growing research concerning computer science education related to metaphors, computing concepts and programming languages is emerging (e.g., Gogolla & Stevens, 2018;Long, 2007;Robins, Rountree, & Rountree, 2003;Woollard, 2005). Research in computer science has a long tradition of metaphor-based studies in areas such as humanmachine-interaction (Carroll & Mack, 1985;Hurtienne et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reading the Code Between the Lines

Larsson

2022

NorDiNa

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Recent work in computer science education shows that natural language plays a pivotal role in learners’ understanding of programming concepts. This study explores metaphorical expressions in four computer programming textbooks and online resources in Swedish upper secondary education. The Metaphor Identification Procedure was applied to identify metaphoric language. The metaphors reveal how expressions such as the ‘program asking’ or the ‘function building’ are structured in relation to embodied experiences. The results show that central concepts are structured in relation to metaphors such as Inanimate Phenomena are Human Agents and Organisation is Physical Structure. Findings also demonstrate differences in the types of metaphors are present in each resource, with Events are Actions communicated most frequently. Lastly, the resources vary in how they describe the role of the programmer: as a ‘constructor’ or ‘instructor’. This implies that the discovered metaphoric structure in textual resources might influence students’ subsequent learning of programming concepts.

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Teaching modeling in computer science as an ecosystem: a provocative analogy

Cited by 4 publications

References 10 publications

An embodied, analogical and disruptive approach of AI pedagogy in upper elementary education: An experimental study

An embodied, analogical and disruptive approach of AI pedagogy in upper elementary education: An experimental study

Effect of an Analogy-Based Approach of Artificial Intelligence Pedagogy in Upper Primary Schools

Reading the Code Between the Lines

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