How to learn and teach a foreign language through computational thinking: Suggestions based on a systematic review

Programming has received extensive attention for the embodiment of computational thinking (CT) skills. However, the lack of in‐depth research on the characteristics of college students' CT skills in text‐based programming learning has resulted in the unknown distribution characteristics and evolution patterns of their CT skills, which cannot effectively constitute an effective tracking analysis of their CT skills, thus affecting the cultivation of creative thinking and problem‐solving skills for them. Therefore, the purpose of the paper is to explore the characteristics of college students' CT skills through text‐based programming work and discover the overall characteristics, individual differences and evolutionary patterns of their CT skills on the relation between text‐based programming and CT skills through data analysis. It was found that there are roughly five categories of CT difference and four major categories with nine subcategories of CT evolution among college students. The results showed that the Control and Data skills were the students' dominant skills. In contrast, Algorithm skills were relatively weak. Only about 1/3 of the students had the phenomenon of continuous skill improvement, and programming learning did not have a significant impact on the improvement of CT skills for some students. Finally, we propose several suggestions for CT skills development strategies in response to the students' characteristics in CT skills. The study can not only fill the gaps of the current study but also identify the evolutionary characteristics of students' CT skills, which can effectively intervene in college students' programming learning and help improve their CT skills.

Two studies were conducted to examine the use of grounded embodied pedagogy, construction of Imaginary Worlds (Study 1), and context of instructional materials (Study 2) for developing learners' Computational Thinking (CT) Skills and Concept knowledge during the construction of digital artifacts using Scratch, a block-based programming language. Utilizing a conceptual framework for grounded embodied pedagogy called Instructional Embodiment, learners physically enacted (Direct Embodiment) and mentally simulated (Imagined Embodiment) the actions and events as presented within pre-defined Scripts. Instructional Embodiment utilizes action, perception, and environment to create a dynamic, interactive teaching & learning scenario that builds upon previous research in embodied teaching and learning. The two studies described herein examined the effects of Instructional Embodiment, Imaginary World Construction, and Context on the development of specific Computational Thinking Concepts and Skills. In particular, certain CT Concepts, such as Conditionals, Variables, Thread Synchronization, Collision Detection, & Events, and CT Skills, such as abstraction and pattern recognition, were identified and measured within the learners' individual digital artifacts. Presence and/or frequency of these Concepts and Skills were used to determine the extent of Computational Thinking development. In Study 1, fifty-six sixth- and seventh-grade students participated in a fifteen-session curricular program during the academic school day. This study examined the type of instruction and continuity of Imaginary World Construction on the development of certain CT Skills and Concepts used in a visual novel created in Scratch. Main effects were found for learners who physically embodied the pre-defined instructional materials: embodying the pre-defined Scripts led to the learners using significantly more ‘speech’ Blocks in their projects and more Absolute Positioning Blocks for ‘motion’ than those who did not physically embody the same Scripts. Significant main effects were also found for continuity of Imaginary World Construction: learners who were instructed to continue the premise of the first digital artifact (Instructional Artifact) implemented significantly more computational structures in their second digital artifact (Unique Artifact) than those who were instructed to create a Unique Artifact with a premise of their own design. In Study 2, seventy-eight sixth- and seventh-grade students participated in a seventeen-session curricular program during the academic school day. This study examined the type of instruction and context of instructional materials on the development of CT Skills and Concepts during the construction of a video game using Scratch. Similar to Study 1, findings suggest that physically embodying the actions presented within the pre-defined instructional materials leads to greater implementation of many of these same structures during individual artifact construction. The study also showed that as the pre-defined Scripts become more complex (e.g. single-threaded to multi-threaded), the effect of physical embodiment on the development of CT Skills and complex CT Concept structures becomes less pronounced. Findings from this study also suggest that Context has a significant effect on identifying & implementing the CT Skill pattern recognition: learning CT Concepts from an Unfamiliar Context had a significant positive effect on the implementation of both Broadcast/Receive couplings and Conditional Logic & Operator patterns. In sum, the findings suggest that the type of instruction, the continuity of the Imaginary World being constructed, and the context of the instructional materials all play a significant role in the learners' ability to develop certain Computational Thinking Skills and Concept knowledge. The findings also suggest that a physically embodied approach to teaching abstract concepts that is grounded in an unfamiliar context is the most effective way to integrate a grounded embodied approach to pedagogy within a formal instructional setting.

<span lang="EN-US">Based on the study, computational thinking skills are influenced by science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, and there is a relationship between computational thinking skills and 21st-century skills. However, studies related to STEM attitudes, computational thinking and their impact on 21st-century skills are still very few and limited. The purpose of our study was to examine the impact of STEM attitudes and computational thinking on 21st-century. This research uses a quantitative approach. The participants of this study were students of a vocational school in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (N=290). Research data in STEM attitude, computational thinking, and 21st-century skills using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques using the Smart PLS application. The results of the study obtained several findings, including: the model proposed in this study was valid; STEM attitude has a positive and significant effect on computational thinking; and computational thinking has a positive and significant effect on 21-st century skills. It can be argued that when STEM attitudes and computational thinking are more positive, 21-st century skills will improve. These findings have implications that curriculum development and STEM learning practices have to develop students’ computational thinking skills and 21st-century skills, especially in vocational schools.</span>

This research aims to create a tool for assessing students' computational thinking (CT) skills in relation to biology concepts. The study followed a research and development approach, utilizing a modified 4D design model, with the dissemination phase excluded. Various data collection techniques were employed, including observations, literature reviews, documentation, surveys, interviews, and tests. The findings showed that the developed instrument was valid, having been evaluated by three experts. The material expert rated it at 95%, the assessment and evaluation expert at 88%, and the linguist at 90%. In terms of readability, the instrument scored 75%, indicating a "good" rating. The overall validity of the instrument was found to be 0.70, placing it in the high validity range, while its reliability score was 0.82, reflecting a very high level of dependability. The assessment of students' computational thinking skills in biology revealed that 25% of students scored in the low range, 28% in the medium range, and 57% in the high range. From these findings, it can be concluded that the CT test tool is both valid and appropriate for evaluating students' computational thinking skills.

This research aims to examine the effect of Mind Games activities on problem-solving skills and computational thinking skills of 5th grade students. Sequential explanatory design, one of the mixed research methods, was used in the research. The research was carried out in a quasi-experimental design pretest-posttest without a control group with 17 5th grade students in a secondary school in Adıyaman. The research was carried out with an experimental period of 6 weeks. Before the experimental study, the problem-solving skills and computational thinking skills scales were applied to the students as a pre-test. Kapsul game activity was performed in the first week of the experimental study. ABC Baglama activity was held during the week. Sudoku activity was held in the 3rd week. In the 4th week, Three Stone game activities were held. Kendoku game activity was held in the 5th week. In the 6th week, Kakuro game activity was held. Statistical values in the study were calculated using the SPSS program. To collect quantitative data, a pre-test of problem-solving skills and computational thinking skills was applied to the students before the experimental process. After the experimental process, problem-solving skills and computational thinking skills scales were applied as a posttest. The applied pre-test and post-test results were analyzed with the paired sample t-test. Additionally, to collect qualitative data to strengthen the research, an interview form was applied to obtain the opinions of the students about the experimental process. In line with the findings obtained because of the experimental study, it can be said that the mind game activities have a positive effect on the students' computational thinking and problem-solving skills, and the lesson turns into more fun.

Advancing students’ computational thinking skills through educational robotics: A study on age and gender relevant differences

This paper investigates the relationship between the use of robotics in learning towards self-efficacy and computational thinking skills. This paper also examines whether there is a relationship between computational thinking skills and self-efficacy. This paper employed a systematic literature review method by examining forty articles drawn from ‘computational thinking’, ‘self-efficacy’ and ‘educational robotics’ keywords in the literature. The majority of research indicates that the use of robotics in learning facilitates the development of computational thinking skills as well as learners’ self-efficacy. The paper advocates that future research should examine the extent of computational thinking skills and self-efficacy influence on student behavior.

Computational thinking skill is an important skill individuals should acquire to meet the requirements of the digital age. The aim of the study is to predict the computational thinking skills of middle school students through ANFIS approach, which is an adaptive neural network-based fuzzy logic. Students' computational thinking skill scores were predicted by creating a model based on grade level and academic achievement variables. Grade level and academic achievement served as the model's input variables, and computational thinking skill scores served as the model's output variable. Data were collected using personal information form and computational thinking scale. A comparison was made between students' real and artificial computational thinking skill scores using statistical methods. In the study, a strong and favorable association between the artificial scores produced using the ANFIS technique and the actual scores was discovered. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference between the real and artificial scores for computational thinking skills. These results indicate that the ANFIS approach is a suitable alternative analysis method for predicting students' computational thinking skills. The study provides a good example in the field of education where artificial intelligence can be used to predict students' educational characteristics.

Research has shown that educational robotics can be an effective tool to increase students’ acquisition of knowledge in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and promote, at the same time, a progression in the development of computational thinking (CT) skills in K–12 (kindergarten to 12th grade) education. Within this research field, the present study first sought to assess the effect of a robotics laboratory on the acquisition of CT-related skills in primary school children. The study also aimed to compare the magnitude of the effect of the laboratory across third- and fourth-grade students. For the purpose of the study, a quasi-experimental post-test-only design was adopted, and a group of 51 students, from third- and fourth-grade classrooms, participating in the robotics laboratories, were compared to a control group of 32 students from classrooms of the same grades. A set of Bebras tasks was selected as an overall measure of CT skills and was administered to children in both the intervention and control groups. Overall, the results showed that programming robotics artefacts may exert a positive impact on students’ learning of computational thinking skills. Moreover, the effect of the intervention was found to be greater among third-grade children.

This study attempts to enhance high school learners' computational thinking and mathematical resilience skills. This study employs quantitative approaches with a quasi-experimental research design, and the type of research is Non-Equivalent Group Design. The tools used in this study were computational thinking skills tests and mathematical resilience questionnaires. From the results of the survey conducted, it is known that: 1) the Project Learning model accompanied by GeoGebra significantly improves computational thinking skills, and Project-Based Learning model has moderate improvement; 2) computational thinking skills of high school students who were taught through Project-Based Learning model aided by GeoGebra improved significantly compared to those taught with the Project-Based Learning model; 3) Project-Based Learning model aided by GeoGebra has a positive effect on the mathematical resilience of high school students, but only to a moderate extent.

"This research was aimed to 1) develop an inquiry-based learning management plan integrated with an online website platform to promote computational thinking skills among Grade 3 students 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of the online website platform 3) to compare students' academic achievement before and after the learning activities 4) to compare students' computational thinking skills before and after the learning activities and 5) to study students' satisfaction with the learning management approach. The participants were 26 Grade 3 students from Suraolakkorn School, Nonthaburi Province. The online platform was designed with learning activities based on the 5Es instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), incorporating computational thinking problem scenarios aligned with each learning stage. Research instruments included an achievement test, computational thinking skills assessment, and satisfaction questionnaire, all developed following the ADDIE model. The results revealed that: 1) the developed learning management plan was rated at a very good quality level by three experts 2) the effectiveness of the online learning was 80.10/81.03 3) students’ post-learning academic achievement significantly improved compared to pre-learning at the .05 significance level 4) post-learning computational thinking skills increased by over 70% and 5) students’ satisfaction with the learning experience was rated at a high level.These results demonstrate integrating computational thinking problem scenarios within the 5E inquiry-based learning framework and an online platform effectively enhances computational thinking skills and academic achievement among primary school students. "

<span>This study investigates the necessity of computational thinking (CT) skills integration among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) secondary school teachers, focusing on the development of the </span><em><span>McodE</span></em><span> pedagogical module for the topic of heat in solar still projects. Utilizing a design and development research (DDR) approach, the research aimed to design and develop a CT module tailored to enhance teachers’ pedagogical strategies in solar still project. The case study was employed with 32 STEM secondary school teachers, through purposive sampling participated in the study based on their experience in integrating technology into pedagogy. A pre-test and post-test design was employed during a two-day workshop to assess the participants’ CT skills before and after the intervention. An additional open-ended interview was conducted among three teachers to support the quantitative data. The results revealed significant improvements in various aspects of CT application. The findings demonstrated substantial increases in teachers’ abilities to integrate CT into their teaching practices. The mean for pre-test score was 43.25, which significantly increased to 67.37 in the post-test, indicating a marked enhancement in CT skills. The t-test statistics for the pre-test (t=31.04, df=31, p<.001) and post-test (t=49.94, df=31, p<.001) confirmed a highly significant differences between the pre-test and post-test scores. The <br /> open-ended interview also showed the strong interest and necessity of the CT module among the respondents. The study concludes that there is a critical need for CT module among STEM teachers to better prepare students for the demands of modern STEM education.</span>

The graphics calculator (GC) is a hand-held technology. With it, students visualize and understand concepts in mathematics and science better. It also allows them to make real-world connections, binding together advanced graphing functionality and conceptual science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). As they gain a deeper understanding of abstract concepts, they acquire creative and critical thinking and problem- solving skills they need to reach greater academic successes. In learning, GC plays several roles in increasing students’ computational thinking and procedural skills. Despite being a learning tool that satisfies science and mathematics curriculum needs, the calculator often has been used as an add-on to traditional teaching methodology rather than central and in more integrated ways. This study looks into the potential of developing computational thinking skills using GC technology. The data of the study was obtained from secondary sources through a systematic review method. The study showed that GC seems to be effective tools to practice STEAM education as well as to develop students’ computational thinking through analysing and decompose real problem as well as engaging in the abstraction process and developing an algorithm using coding. The findings provides justifications on the impact of GC in developing computational thinking skills thereby maximizing the pedagogical benefits to students.

Computational thinking has become a crucial skill for students because it gives them the tools to solve complicated issues using organized methods. Implementing Problem-based learning and Design-based learning in science learning has significantly enhanced students' skills. This research aims to ascertain which of the two models is better for facilitating computational thinking skills among middle school students in science learning. The study used a sample of 69 middle school students selected through random sampling. This research employs a quasi-experimental, multi-group, post-test-only design. The instrument utilized in this research is a computational thinking skills test comprising five questions. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses. Tukey test results indicate that the mean difference score between the PBL and DBL groups is 1.2609, with a significance value greater than 0.05. The study confirms that Problem-based learning is more effective than Design-based learning in facilitating students' computational thinking skills. However, the difference between the two is not particularly noteworthy. PBL and DBL represent viable pedagogical approaches that can enhance middle school students' computational thinking skills in science learning. Keywords: problem-based learning, design-based learning, computational thinking skill. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v25i3.pp1214-1223

The study examined the effect of teaching text-based programming with a physical programming tool on secondary school students’ computational thinking skills and self-efficacy perceptions. The study was conducted according to a sequential explanatory design as a mixed method research. The study group consisted of 85 secondary school students. Within the scope of the study, a physical programming tool called Micro:bit was used to teach Python programming for a period of 6 weeks. Data were collected using the Self-Efficacy Perception Scale for Computational Thinking Skill, Bebras: International Challenge on Informatics and Computational Thinking Tasks, tests focused on programming tool, concepts, and processes, and through semi-structured interview questioning. According to the findings obtained from pretests and posttests, a significant and positive difference was found in the students’ computational thinking skills and self-efficacy perceptions towards computational thinking skill. As a result of having received instruction in programming, the students satisfactorily learnt the required programming concepts and processes. Through learning Python programming with a physical programming tool, the students not only gained the skills required to write appropriate syntax, and to test and debug code, but they also learnt programming concepts such as variables, conditional expressions, loops, and functions.