Playing with robots to understand computational thinking in children’s cognitive development.
The term computational thinking (CT) has been used as an umbrella term in order to describe the processes underlying the learning and application of computer science concepts as strategies for problems solving. Despite a growing body of academic literature on the subject, an increasingly established...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis de maestría |
| Estado: | Versión aceptada para publicación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2021 |
| País: | Uruguay |
| Institución: | Universidad de la República |
| Repositorio: | COLIBRI |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:colibri.udelar.edu.uy:20.500.12008/27719 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/27719 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Computational thinking Early childhood Educational robotics Cognitive development Pensamiento computacional Infancia Robotica educativa Desarrollo cognitivo |
| Sumario: | The term computational thinking (CT) has been used as an umbrella term in order to describe the processes underlying the learning and application of computer science concepts as strategies for problems solving. Despite a growing body of academic literature on the subject, an increasingly established positioning within educational policies and the development of a grand variety of tools designed to enhance computational thinking abilities, the relations between CT and other cognitive abilities in young children have been scarcely explored. In order to contribute to bridging this gap, we compared a previously reported computational thinking assessment with a battery of cognitive tests which included fluid intelligence, working memory, planning, sequencing, mental rotation, vocabulary and early math precursors such as numerical transcoding and symbolic magnitude comparison. Mixed linear regressions were implemented with CT as a dependent variable in order to explore the associations between our variables. Results suggest temporal sequencing ability and symbolic magnitude comparison are significant predictors of CT in preschoolers. Additionally, using a pre-test post-test experimental design with an active control group, we tested the efficacy of an educational robotics intervention with RoboTito, a robot designed for children which is programmable through the disposition of tangible objects in its environment. An eleven session intervention program using this robot was designed with the objective of creating playful learning instances were children would practice abilities associated with computational thinking. Data related to children’s engagement and participation throughout the intervention was gathered from filmed material from each session. Results suggests children with high engagement levels achieved better CT scores after the intervention. |
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