Exploring K-8 Teachers’ Preferences in a Teaching Augmentation System for Block-Based Programming Environments

Abstract

Multiple disciplines have taken interest in investigating and using teaching augmentation (TA) tools that are designed to support teachers’ pedagogical capabilities during classroom activities. TA systems can take various forms (e.g., dashboards, ambient displays). However, research on TA systems that complement K-8 teachers’ in-class when their students are learning to program in block-based programming environments (BBPEs) is nascent. For a TA system to positively impact teaching practices, the system’s design should be informed by a strong understanding of its stakeholders’ preferences. Through 10 semi-structured interviews with and 37 anonymous survey responses from K-8 teachers, we identify respondents’ preferences for potential BBPE TA systems. To put their preferences into context, we also describe how respondents typically teach programming using a BBPE and monitor students’ progress. Our mixed-methods approach reveals how TA systems could best target teachers’ attention level when teaching using BBPEs and assist in interpreting students’ behaviors while learning to code. Using these findings, we identify directions for future TA systems to best assist teachers in making data-driven instructional decisions and meeting students’ learning needs.