In this study, a personalized gamified recommender system was developed to help secondary-school students in Saudi Arabia learn computer programming. This recommender system supports those students by providing personalized recommendations to address their weaknesses and increase their motivation toward computer programming. A total of 60 female…

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of Minecraft-based coding activities on computational thinking (CT) of middle school students. In the study, CT was conceptualized so that it encapsulates not only the knowledge of computational concepts (e.g., loops and conditionals) but also the use of CT practices (e.g., testing and debugging).…

This review study synthesises the literature on how computational thinking (CT) and mathematical thinking (MT) are integrated into mathematics education research with a focus on tasks. A review of 28 relevant articles on the Web of Science Core Collection database indicated that (1) CT helps students develop and apply mathematical concepts and…

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…

This study adopted a meta-analysis to explore the effectiveness of unplugged activities (UA) and programming exercises (PE) teaching approaches on computational thinking (CT) education. Through a two-stage literature collection and selection process, 29 articles were included in the meta-analysis, 31 independent effect sizes (16 of UA and 15 of…

One approach to teaching game design to students with a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds is through team game projects that span multiple weeks, up to an entire term. However, open-ended, creative projects introduce a gamut of challenges to novice programmers. My goal is to assist game design students with the planning stage of their…

There has been a renewed interest in creativity as a twenty-first century skill in K-12 mathematics education. However, previous research has paid less attention to creative actions than to other learning outcomes, which are often product- instead of process-based, especially in a programming context. Thus, situated in the context of mathematical…

There is a recognized need to understand the current state of programming implementation in the Swedish compulsory school system. This study focused specifically on the implementation of programming in the school subject of technology for grades 4-6. In Sweden, the responsibility for choosing teaching and learning material lies with individual…

This study presents a new blended learning model that combines a computer-assisted learning system called Cognitive Apprenticeship Programming Learning System (CAPLS) with instructor co-teaching in an introductory programming course. CAPLS, as its unique aspect, functions as a master in cognitive apprenticeship, guiding learners throughout their…

There has been an increase of both neurodivergent students and enrollment in Computer Science programs in higher education. These increases have brought attention to two separate challenges: neurodivergent college students struggle more compared to their neurotypical peers and many students struggle in introductory computer science courses. This…

Apart from good instructional design and delivery, effective intervention is another key to strengthen student academic performance. However, intervention has been recognized as a great challenge. Most instructors struggle to identify at-risk students, determine a proper intervention approach, trace and evaluate whether the intervention works.…

In this paper, we provide instructors with an approach for a classroom activity for students in an introductory data science or statistics course who have little or no statistical programming experience. We designed this activity to help students improve their statistical literacy while exploring a social justice problem-the gender wage gap. To…

Artificial intelligence and technologies have started to directly affect and steer humanity with the developments in science and technology in recent years. Artificial intelligence is like a living organism that thinks, decides and remembers for humans. The effects and consequences of this situation on individuals and societies are explicitly…

The study of online higher education learning and academic achievement has increasingly emphasized self-regulated learning (SRL). Few studies so far have investigated the blockchain-based learning management system (LMS) and adaptive SRL intervention in online higher education. This paper aimed to develop a blockchain-enabled LMS as a…

Many empirical studies have shown that educational games and recent technologies impact education and increase learning effectiveness, students' motivation and engagement. The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the usability of Imikode, a virtual reality (VR) game that was developed to introduce the concepts of object-oriented programming to…