The effects of mental rotation on computational thinking

Gentile, Manuel; Allegra, Mario; Arrigo, Marco; Conti, Daniela; Ottaviano, Simona; Reale, Francesco; Sciortino, Marinella

doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103613

Cited by 70 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…In fact, the result of the t-test comparing total scores on the Bebras tasks obtained by participants in the two groups showed a significantly higher performance in tasks solution in children attending the robotics laboratory. First of all, our findings are consistent with those reported by existing literature that confirmed the effectiveness of robotics education in supporting the acquisition of cognitive skills related to CT [19,20,36,37]. More specifically, findings of the present study are similar to those shown in a previous study evaluating the development of CT skills in a sample of fifth-grade students [38].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Educational Robotics in Primary School: Measuring the Development of Computational Thinking Skills with the Bebras Tasks

et al. 2019

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Research has shown that educational robotics can be an effective tool to increase students’ acquisition of knowledge in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and promote, at the same time, a progression in the development of computational thinking (CT) skills in K–12 (kindergarten to 12th grade) education. Within this research field, the present study first sought to assess the effect of a robotics laboratory on the acquisition of CT-related skills in primary school children. The study also aimed to compare the magnitude of the effect of the laboratory across third- and fourth-grade students. For the purpose of the study, a quasi-experimental post-test-only design was adopted, and a group of 51 students, from third- and fourth-grade classrooms, participating in the robotics laboratories, were compared to a control group of 32 students from classrooms of the same grades. A set of Bebras tasks was selected as an overall measure of CT skills and was administered to children in both the intervention and control groups. Overall, the results showed that programming robotics artefacts may exert a positive impact on students’ learning of computational thinking skills. Moreover, the effect of the intervention was found to be greater among third-grade children.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Educational Robotics in Primary School: Measuring the Development of Computational Thinking Skills with the Bebras Tasks

et al. 2019

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“…Development of the indicators of computational thinking is based on the research instrument by Città, Gentile, Allegra, Arrigo, Conti, & Ottaviano (2019); and Angeli & Giannakos (2019). Computational thinking is an aspect that is related to problem-solving using a lot of information and computation.…”

Section: Computational Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Students need to be able to think gradually, understand logarithm, and apply it to a computer program. They need to get in touch with the development of information to be used maximally on the computer (Angeli & Giannakos, 2019;Città et al, 2019). The indicators to be developed include 1) the ability to collect data systematically (such as from surveys, interviews, experiments, and library studies; 2) the ability to formulate problems such that it makes it possible the solution by computer or other digital devices by coding and calculating data; 3) the ability to analyze data (find patterns or statistical methods); 4) the ability to write a computer program in codes (such as by using logos, scribbles, or Excel programming); 5) the ability to make digital visualization (such as by models or graphics); and 6) the ability to tell others how to analyze data by using the computer.…”

Section: Computational Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to Use Digital Literacy as a Learning Resource for Teacher Candidates in Indonesia

Rusydiyah

Purwati

Prabowo

2020

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In the current era, the world of education faces challenges of how to design learning by using digital media with the intention to improve the instructional quality and students’ competencies. Digital media are important in the world of education since they are able to present materials contextually, visually, interestingly, and interactively. The present study was aimed at identifying teacher-candidate students’ perceptions on the use of digital literacy as a learning resource. The study was a survey involving students of the universities that had a partnership with USAID Priority as the research population. A sample of 168 students was selected from seven such universities. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. The weighting of the questionnaire scores used the Likert’s scale. The variable Digital Literacy consisted of four indicators of ICT basic competencies, informational skills, media awareness, and computational thinking. Findings show that the teacher-candidate students have good perceptions in the use of digital literacy as a learning resource. On the ICT basic skill indicator, the average score is at the high category; on the informational skill indicator, the average score is at the very high category; on the media awareness, the average score is at the high category; and on the computational thinking indicator, the average score is at the medium category.

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“…), algorithmic thinking (e.g., if–then operations), and pattern recognition, which is comparable to mental processes involved in programming 83 . Our results indicate that the ability of figural reasoning is closely related to programming experience and, thus, could be a fundamental component of CT skills, which are required for programming 14 , 23 , 84 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Programming experience associated with neural efficiency during figural reasoning

Helmlinger

Sommer

Feldhammer-Kahr

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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In the present study, we investigated neural processes underlying programming experience. Individuals with high programming experience might develop a form of computational thinking, which they can apply on complex problem-solving tasks such as reasoning tests. Therefore, N = 20 healthy young participants with previous programming experience and N = 21 participants without any programming experience performed three reasoning tests: Figural Inductive Reasoning (FIR), Numerical Inductive Reasoning (NIR), Verbal Deductive Reasoning (VDR). Using multi-channel EEG measurements, task-related changes in alpha and theta power as well as brain connectivity were investigated. Group differences were only observed in the FIR task. Programmers showed an improved performance in the FIR task as compared to non-programmers. Additionally, programmers exhibited a more efficient neural processing when solving FIR tasks, as indicated by lower brain activation and brain connectivity especially in easy tasks. Hence, behavioral and neural measures differed between groups only in tasks that are similar to mental processes required during programming, such as pattern recognition and algorithmic thinking by applying complex rules (FIR), rather than in tasks that require more the application of mathematical operations (NIR) or verbal tasks (VDR). Our results provide new evidence for neural efficiency in individuals with higher programming experience in problem-solving tasks.

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The effects of mental rotation on computational thinking

Cited by 70 publications

References 51 publications

Educational Robotics in Primary School: Measuring the Development of Computational Thinking Skills with the Bebras Tasks

Educational Robotics in Primary School: Measuring the Development of Computational Thinking Skills with the Bebras Tasks

How to Use Digital Literacy as a Learning Resource for Teacher Candidates in Indonesia

Programming experience associated with neural efficiency during figural reasoning

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