The purpose of the current study was to explore the effect of modality (constructionist mBlock, Scratch, and Python interventions) on six-grade students' computational thinking, programming attitude, and achievement. The pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was used to explore the research questions. The study group consisted of 105…

An unplugged approach to teaching enables students to explore Computational Thinking without using a computer. It might appear that if students are to learn programming, they should focus on computer-based work; however, it appears that using "unplugged" activities before engaging in computer-based coding (programming) activities for…

Computational thinking (CT) is an essential skill required for every individual in the digital era to become creative problem solvers. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships between computational thinking skills, the Big Five personality factors, and learning motivation using structural equation modeling (SEM). The…

Many introductory computer science (CS) courses are intended to address the increased demand for computer literacy and the development of cross-cutting concepts and practices of computational thinking (CT). Colleges and universities offer introductory CS courses every semester toward this end. The issue is centered on how to support CT learning in…

Small teaching approaches are well-structured, incremental teaching improvement techniques supported by research in cognitive science, memory, and learning. I systematically implement a series of small teaching activities in an introductory programming course to tackle the teaching and learning challenges faced by instructors and students. The…

Due to the character of programming languages, reading ability may have more impact on learning to program than on learning in other subjects. This paper describes an exploratory study of the relationship between reading skills, as perceived through eye tracking, and the ability to program. An empirical investigation into this relationship…

Background: With the increasing interdisciplinarity between computer science (CS) and other fields, a growing number of non-CS students are embracing programming. However, there is a gap in research concerning differences in programming learning between CS and non-CS students. Previous studies predominantly relied on outcome-based assessments,…

Computational thinking in physics has many different forms, definitions, and implementations depending on the level of physics or the institution it is presented in. To better integrate computational thinking in introductory physics, we need to understand what physicists find important about computational thinking in introductory physics. We…

When solving counting problems, students often struggle with determining what they are trying to count (and thus what problem type they are trying to solve and, ultimately, what formula appropriately applies). There is a need to explore potential interventions to deepen students' understanding of key distinctions between problem types and to…

Since the publishing of Nolan and Temple Lang's "Computing in the Statistics Curriculum" in 2010, the American Statistical Association issued new recommendations in the revised GAISE college report. To reflect modern practice and technologies, they emphasize giving students experience with multivariable thinking. Students develop…

Current developments in the statistics community suggest that modern statistics education should be structured holistically, that is, by allowing students to work with real data and to answer concrete statistical questions, but also by educating them about alternative frameworks, such as Bayesian inference. In this article, we describe how we…

In recent years, computer science has become a cornerstone of modern society. As a result, enrollment in undergraduate computer science programs has expanded rapidly. While the influx of talent into the field will undoubtedly lead to countless technological developments, this growth also brings new pedagogical challenges. Educational resources,…

Courses on computer programming are included in the curricula of almost all engineering disciplines. We surveyed the research literature and identified the techniques that are commonly used by instructors for teaching these courses. We observed that visual programming and game-based learning can enhance computational thinking and problem-solving…

A teacher's objective is to provide students the cognitive strategies that enable them to think critically, make decisions, and solve problems. In order to guide student learning, teachers should be aware of the concepts that are prerequisite to the understanding of others and also of typical student misconceptions. The goal of this study was to…

In the study herein aimed at incorporating the entrepreneurship mindset early on in the engineering curriculum of undergraduate students via a final project of an introductory programming course with MATLAB. Students were asked to find a need on campus, in the society, or in the market with a business potential and write a standalone application…