Enhancing computational thinking in upper elementary: A two-phase study examining the effect of unplugged activities

Abstract

This two-phase study investigated the effect of unplugged activities (UAs) on learning computational thinking (CT) with educational robotics (ERs) of upper elementary school students. In Phase 1, we conducted a case study, using multiple sources of qualitative data to identify challenges students encountered in learning CT with ERs. We found that children often failed to explicitly program robot behaviors, had difficulties shifting between allocentric and egocentric reference frames, and understanding the ‘flow of control’. Based on these findings, we developed UAs to help students practicing task decomposition, identifying patterns in tasks, and applying abstraction and algorithmic thinking. In Phase 2, we tested the effects of the UAs in a quasi-experimental study conducted in a summer school. The results show that UAs targeting students' challenges significantly improved their learning of CT skills and programming. We discuss our approach and findings in relation to developing practical intervention designs for teachers and curriculum developers.