The goal of this paper is to promote the use of R and Python as high-level, free, open-source programming environments that can be used as a computational and visualization tool for teaching differential equations. Both R and Python also allow for creating reproducible dynamic documents using Markdown, which combines live code, plain text, and…

Research indicates that understanding levels of abstraction (LOA) and being able to move between the levels is essential to programming success. For K-5 contexts we rename the LOA levels: problem, design, code and running the code. In our qualitative exploratory study, we interviewed five K-5 teachers on their uses of LOA, particularly the design…

The overall objective of this study is to understand how the fuzzy logic theory can be used in measuring the programming performance of the undergraduate students, as well as proving the advantages of using fuzzy logic in evaluation of students' performance. 336 students were involved in the sample of this quantitative study. The first group was…

Computational thinking, programming, coding, and analytical thinking are high-demand skills in today's educational and occupational arenas (Wing, 2006 & 2014). In addition to these skills, students need the ability to think creatively, work collaboratively, and develop design solutions to complex problems to succeed in school and a…

Computational thinking has received tremendous attention from computer science educators and educational researchers in the last decade. However, most prior literature defines computational thinking as thinking outcomes rather than thinking processes. Based on Selby and Woodland's framework, this study developed and validated the Computational…

In this paper, we explore the challenges experienced by a group of Primary 5 to 6 (age 12-14) students as they engaged in a series of problem-solving tasks through block-based programming. The challenges were analysed according to a taxonomy focusing on the presence of computational thinking (CT) elements in mathematics contexts: preparing…

Computational thinking has been taught in elementary classrooms in other countries for many years, but in the United States this has only been a focus recently due to the drastic shortage of computer scientists. Early exposure to computational thinking has been shown to motivate students to pursue STEM careers, especially computer science (Jin,…

Effectiveness of program visualization tools in teaching and learning programming is well documented. However most of program visualization tools are desktop applications, this study aims at investigating students' perception of program visualization on Android smartphones. Study result shows that program visualization using smartphones can arouse…

The notion of algorithm may be perceived in different levels of abstraction. In the lower levels it is an operational set of instructions. In higher levels it may be viewed as an object with properties, solving a problem with characteristics. Novices mostly relate to the lower levels. Yet, higher levels are very relevant for them as well. We…

This study examined the effectiveness of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) integrated approach via Scratch on five subconstructs of computational thinking (CT) among 29 male and 30 female students. A quasi-experimental design was employed in the research. The participants demonstrated the application of CT in designing…

A software to calculate the net charge and to predict the isoelectric point (pI) of a polypeptide is developed in this work using the graphical programming language LabVIEW. Through this instrument the net charges of the ionizable residues of the chains of the proteins are calculated at different pH values, tabulated, pI is predicted and an Excel…

A key debate in computer science education is whether and how computational thinking (CT) is used within disciplines other than computer science. Broad definitions provide many avenues for developing integrated instruction, as practices within existing activities can simply be reframed in terms of CT. But such general use of the term CT may…

Contemporary research has explored educational robotics, but it has not examined the development of computational thinking in the context of programming embodied interactions. Apart from the goal of the robot and how the robot will interact with its environment, another important aspect that should be taken into consideration is whether and how…

Computational thinking (CT) has attracted significant interest among many educators around the globe. Despite this growing interest, research on CT and programming education in elementary school remains at an initial stage. Many relevant studies have adopted only one type of method to assess students' CT, which may lead to an incomplete view of…

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…