Computational thinking and programming have emerged as central 21st-century skills. Several countries have embedded these skills in their school curricula. This study investigates how an optional programming course affects eighth-grade mathematical problem solving in Norway using a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests. These tests…

There is substantial evidence that incorporating interactive environments for game-based instruction has a significant potential to support the development of computational thinking and programming skills in primary education students. However, it is not clear whether a simulation game (SG) with different user interface elements, created via…

The robotics context is suggested as a context that supports the learning of the sciences including mathematics. The present study investigates how the robotics context affects students' motivation for learning mathematics. Two groups of seventh-grade students participated in the present research: a robotics class (32 students) and a regular class…

All primary school children in England are required to write computer programs and learn about computational thinking. There are moves in other countries to this effect such as the U.S. K-12 Computer Science Framework (CSF) for development. Debates on how to program and what constitutes computational thinking are ongoing. Here we report on a study…

We explored the potential of a robotics application in education as a measurement tool of child executive functioning skills. Sixty-five kindergarteners received assignments to go through a maze with a programmable robot, the Bee-Bot. Via observation we quantified how they solved these tasks. Their performance was successfully aggregated into a…

In this case study, a group of nine 4th grade children were introduced to the Logo programming language during three 90-minute sessions over a four-week period. They attended a private university-based laboratory school serving students with various learning disabilities. This project demonstrated that a classic version of Logo captured the…