Towards Understanding Student's Mental Effort in Block- Based Programming Environments Using Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Abstract

Block-based programming environments such as Scratch and App Inventor are currently being used by millions of students around the world. Although block-based programming environments were created to make computing concepts simpler for students to understand and visualize, students continue to struggle with understanding some basic Computer Science (CS) concepts [1]. My research focuses on understanding how students interact and learn computing concepts in block-based programming environments from a cognitive perspective. In particular, I am using neurophysiological devices, electroencephalography (EEG), to measures students' mental efforts that is attention and perception during programming tasks.