The Effect of Digital Activities on the Technology Awareness and Computational Thinking Skills of Gifted Students (eTwinning Project Example)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of interdisciplinary activities organised online within the scope of an eTwinning project carried out with gifted students on the students’ technology awareness and computational thinking (CT). The study was carried out through web-based tools for a period of 3 months in the year 2020. A single-group pretest-posttest design, one of the pre-experimental designs, was used in the study. The participants were 50 gifted students continuing their education at Science and Art Centres affiliated to the National Education Ministry in 6 different provinces of Anatolia. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used together in the study. A technology awareness and computational thinking scale was chosen as the quantitative data collection tool, while mind maps were used as the qualitative data collection tool. As a result of the research, a significant increase in the participants’ technology awareness and computational thinking was determined in favour of the posttest, while this increase was verified through the mind-mapping technique applied to the students. At the end of the study, the findings were discussed, and recommendations were made for future studies.

ÖZEL YETENEKLİ ÖĞRENCİLERİN DİJİTAL OKURYAZARLIK ve SİBERAYLAKLIK DÜZEYLERİ ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİNİN İNCELENMESİ

“…In earlier research performed in SACs, it was discovered that gifted students had high levels of educational technology self-efficacy as well as information and technology literacy skills (Bayra, 2020;Nacaroğlu, 2020). Several educational process experiences that allow gifted students to adapt to new technologies, support their higher-order thinking, and empower them to use and generate with technology may have contributed to their digital literacy abilities (Avcu & Er, 2020a, 2020bAvcu, Ayverdi, Ülker & Karakış, 2020;Ayverdi & Öz;Avcu & Ayverdi, 2022;Avcu & Yaman, 2022;Bozok, Geniş & Avcu, 2020;Çevik, 2021;Del Siegle, 2023;Önal & Önal, 2021). Following the findings of recent research, it can be concluded that gifted students acquired digital literacy, which is a 21st-century skills, through the education they received in SACs (Nacaroğlu, 2020).…”