IMPACT: An Unplugged Board Game to Introduce Programming Concepts in Primary Education

Linking sustainable development with computational thinking promotes high-impact problem solving, integrating fundamental concepts of computer programming. This study analyzed the relationship between computational thinking and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using text mining and data visualization techniques. A text mining method was employed to analyze computational thinking and its sub-competencies (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithm) appearances in the OSDG Community dataset, consisting of 32,120 text fragments labeled with the associated SDG. Results revealed that computational thinking and its subcompetencies: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithm, were frequently linked to SDGs 4 (quality education), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). The findings demonstrate the potential of computational thinking to provide innovative solutions to global problems and support the achievement of the SDGs. The study can be of value to stakeholders in the social, governmental, academic and business sectors interested in sustainable development and educational innovation in the application of computational thinking.

To equip students for the advanced digital reality that awaits them, infusing computational thinking into their learning habits is vital. This is done through ensuring that technologies are integrated within the learners’ regular practices. This problem begs the question of how to best prepare teachers to achieve optimal or effective teaching performance. This study tries to answer this question by demonstrating how teacher training can be improved and made more effective through the application of distinct learning styles and Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality types. In this manner, every teacher can receive proper training that addresses their distinct needs and classroom challenges utilizing their preferred personal learning elements. Understanding and accommodating teachers’ unique learning styles (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetics, or reading/writing) and MBTI personality types (e.g., ENFP, ISTJ, etc.) can enable teacher preparation programs to tailor their instructional methods for unplugged activities. Using this technique, students will be more interested and motivated in learning, thus they will better understand and retain computational thinking concepts. Teachers’ learning styles are then classified using an LSTM model while teachers’ MBTI personality types are classified based on their input questions using LinearSVC. This model is developed using Python and the Keras library; after training it on a huge dataset of labeled text data that has been pre-processed by removing punctuation marks and converting text to lowercase. Separate pickle files were saved for the tokenizer and label encoder in order to facilitate easy loading. The performance of these classification models is evaluated using standard metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score to ensure robust and effective categorization. The GPT-3.5 language model will be attached to the present model with a view to offering teachers who are under training explanations that best suit their identified learning styles as well as MBTI personality type. For this, GPT-3.5 architecture will be fine-tuned to generate responses that conform exactly to the teacher’s preferences as it gives them profound and reasoned explanations, meeting each teacher’s specific needs regarding individualized instruction and guidance. The GPT-3.5 implementation plan will illustrate how personalized teacher advice can be generated by utilizing such a model. In addition, given a trained machine learning model, it takes the input from a teacher and classifies his/her MBTI personality type along with their learning style at once. Then the GPT-3.5 model generates an in-depth explanation very specific to the teacher’s preferences with its prompt. In conclusion, teacher preparation in regard to embedding computational thinking in lessons with the use of unplugged activities should address the learning styles and MBTI personality types. This will provide a great chance to improve the learning experience of these students. Machine learning and natural language processing technologies embedded into teacher preparation programs promote the personalization of support aimed at engaging individual learners and aspiring educators in entrepreneurship. In this chapter, we illustrate how these thoughts can be implemented and, in particular, describe effective ways of improving the quality of teacher training through the use of computational thinking and unplugged activities.

This study explores the integration of plugged and unplugged programming in Physics teacher training, with an emphasis on Astronomy education in the context of Brazilian basic education. Through an applied qualitative research approach, a didactic sequence was developed to promote computational thinking (CT) and logical reasoning (RL) among teachers. The central question that guided the research was: "What plugged and unplugged activities can be used to study Astronomy, aiming to develop CT and RL in teacher training?" The methodology included a systematic literature review, bibliographic research, assessment questionnaires, systematic observation, field diary records, and audiovisual materials. The study involved a group of 10 teachers, called experts, who evaluated the sequence in a face-to-face school environment in Porto Alegre, RS, in 2024. The product, entitled Cosmic Codes: A Programmed Journey through the Solar System, comprised a series of plugged-in activities (such as block-based coding) and unplugged activities (such as board games, cards, and flashcards), designed for 9th grade and 1st grade high school students. The results indicated that 80% of teachers considered the activities effective in promoting CT and RL, highlighting the accessibility of unplugged programming in contexts with limited resources and the potential of plugged-in programming to deepen computational skills. The sequence aligned with the general competencies of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), especially those related to the critical use of technologies (Competency 5) and problem-solving (Competency 6). This work contributes to filling the gap in teaching materials in Brazil, suggesting an inclusive and equitable approach to computer education, with implications for teacher training and classroom practice.

Children of this era are considered as ‘digital natives’ as they are born and live in a world integrated with digital technologies. As a user of digital technology, they are expected to be aware of the fundamentals of computational thinking and logic to use it as a creative tool. Though there are many efforts to introduce computational thinking at the K-5 level globally, many children are still not exposed in India to the tools and techniques of the computational thinking, and many of those who are exposed are apprehensive of learning how to code. The major reasons observed in India are: (1) lack of exposure to the computer in many areas, (2) lack of ludic value in the process of teaching computational thinking, (3) cost of the toys and games available in the market are still beyond the capacity of many people and (4) design of the toys and games without considering zone of proximal development. To address these issues, a set of unplugged activities has been designed and developed using blended prototyping approach and the 5/10 method of game design as a framework. This paper illustrates the effort into a comparative analysis of the existing products, user study, state of the art review, design and testing to validate the design of low-cost unplugged activities for teaching computational thinking at the K-5 level.

Systematic mapping of computational thinking in preschool children

Creativity and problem-solving are 21st-century skills that we need to develop in our students. Research on computational thinking (CT) integration in school subjects and STEAM activities has shown a positive effect on students’ problem-solving skills and creativity. Our study extends our previous work from the integration of CT in a mathematics lesson into a STEAM lesson to develop students’ creativity. Our Math + CT activities have been developed through educational design research (EDR), and now we have added the context of arts (Batik), science (beeswax and coloring), and engineering (3D modeling and printing). Online learning was conducted with pre-service teachers and high school students. We facilitated digital fabrication by asking students and pre-service teachers to create their Batik stamp pattern from 2D to 3D to be printed. Data were collected from participants’ GeoGebra and 3D files they had created. We analyzed the data descriptively and presented participants’ creations. The result showed that students could extend their limited coding and programming knowledge to create the Batik patterns. Moreover, within a limited time, the artwork they designed significantly differs from the initial figure introduced to them. We also presented the realistic 3D-printed Batik stamp and how it worked and our limitations.

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.

This study investigates the integration of traditional Indonesian social games engklek (hopscotch) and congklak (mancala)—as culturally embedded, unplugged activities aimed at fostering computational thinking (CT) in early childhood education (PAUD). Utilizing a classroom-based action research methodology, the intervention spanned four weeks, involving 15 children in the experimental group and 16 in the control group. Each week featured structured, developmentally appropriate gameplay sessions designed to target key CT dimensions: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking. Quantitative analysis, using the Mann–Whitney U test, revealed statistically significant differences in CT competencies between the two groups, demonstrating the intervention’s effectiveness. Additionally, the Wilcoxon test was employed to compare the effects of the games on boys and girls in the experimental group. Complementing the quantitative findings, qualitative analysis of systematically analysed observational field notes and classroom documentation revealed recurring patterns related to children’s cognitive engagement and CT development. The results emphasize the pedagogical potential of traditional games as culturally responsive and contextually meaningful tools for cultivating foundational cognitive skills in young learners. This research further highlights the essential role of culturally grounded, play-based learning strategies in enhancing both cognitive and motoric fluency, underscoring the importance of contextually relevant early childhood educational practices.

This Innovative Practice Full Paper presents an approach to improve teaching materials and assessment tools for K-12 programming education together by creating a virtuous cycle. Improving teaching materials for computing education is in line with the conference theme “Creating a convergence in engineering education and workforce development”. In this research, coding sheets are used as a part of the teaching materials, and the assessment tools are used to assess the algorithmic thinking ability of the students. The assumption here is that there is a mutual impact between the improvement of teaching materials and that of assessment tools. This kind of strategy is important, especially in the setting of elementary school education in Japan in which conducting a pilot study is difficult. In Japan, the new curriculum guidelines were fully implemented in April 2020 in elementary schools and in April 2021 in junior high schools respectively. They will be implemented in April 2022 in high schools. Since the announcement of the new curriculum guidelines, the boards of education in the local governments have been preparing for the programming education in the schools. However, there are still remaining problems, including the shortage of trained teachers and the lack of good assessment tools. In order to remedy the shortage of trained teachers, we designed some coding sheets for the teaching materials consisting of block parts, servo motors, DC-motors, LEDs, and sensors. In our assessment tools which are supposed to assess students' Computational Thinking ability, we included only the questions for assessing algorithmic thinking ability, as there is a limited amount of time for the assessment in schools. We have used our teaching materials and our assessment tools in some elementary schools. Based on the results of the teaching activities, we discuss the strategy to improve the teaching materials and the assessment tools together.

Background. Programming is widely known to be a cognitively demanding field. Learning programming can be a strenuous task without the proper guidance and methodology. Students often face difficulties in understanding even the most basic and fundamental concepts of programming, leading to their confusion and disappointment. Serious games for programming have the potential to alleviate students’ difficulties with programming. Aim. This article introduces a new serious game named jAVANT-GARDE which aims to educate the player on the basic concepts of programming and object-oriented programming through Java. By design, the game is suitable for everyone, even for players with no previous knowledge of programming. This article aims to present important information regarding the design, implementation and pilot evaluation of jAVANT-GARDE. Method. The game was evaluated by 42 high school students (age 16-17) in terms of perceived player experience and short-term learning. The participants played the game for one hour in the school lab and then answered a questionnaire based on the MEEGA+ framework. Results. Students evaluated positively the game in terms of its usability, confidence in playing the game, challenge, satisfaction, fun, focused attention and relevance. Moreover, the majority of students stated that would prefer learning programming with this game to learning through other teaching methods. Conclusions. The results of the pilot study and students’ replies in the questionnaire are rather positive. This gives us the initiative to proceed with studying the effect of the game in long-term learning of programming concepts.

This study consists of a 17-year (2006-2021) systematic literature review on the effective instructional strategies for developing Computational Thinking (CT) in primary school students (K-5). The aim of this paper is to identify instructional strategies that have been implemented and evaluated by means of a pre- and post-test, with the aim of developing CT as a thinking process (i.e. going beyond the mere acquisition of CS concepts). The analysis considers the overall pedagogical approach, with the intention of overcoming both the archetypal approaches to coding and the assessment tools used to measure CT acquisition. The results show that there is a strong difference between K-3 and 4-5 classes, the former being more the context for educational robotics or unplugged activities; they also show that a task-based approach is prevalent, whose effectiveness is limited to the first access to CS activities, namely improving self-efficacy and reducing learning anxiety. Nevertheless, this study also identifies some interesting models of problem solving (such as IGGIA or CPS) that go beyond the puzzle-based approach, as well as two significant teaching strategies (IDC and DBL) that try to promote more meaningful learning (typically including elements of constructionism), while enabling curricular learning objectives.

Integration of computational thinking (CT) into numerous disciplines across the K-12 curriculum is gaining increased attention. In this study, based on the technology integration framework, we investigated how students’ understandings, difficulties, and attitudes towards learning subject matter varied at different levels of CT integration. We implemented six different case studies by integrating CT into six different subjects: science, traffic, language, biology, geography, and physics. Two primary and four secondary school teachers, 38 primary school students, and 113 secondary school students were involved in the study. We categorized these lessons according to the technology integration model: unplugged activities are grouped as augmentation level; robotic and two modeling activities are labeled as modification level; modeling and digital storytelling activities are labeled as redefinition level. Our findings indicate that students reported a very positive attitude toward redefinition level activities. Teachers stated that compared to standard instructional activities, students can go deeper and understand the subject content better in CT integrated lessons.

Unplugged activities are well known in the computer science education. Creativity and computational thinking have been extensively researched and classified in last decade. In this paper we are focusing on creative unplugged activities and their potential in the classroom. We propose a model consisting of four types of creative unplugged activities that are used in CS education and present the results of an international online survey in which 360 educators participated in 2018. The survey found out how far the model is supported by educators, the extent to which creative activities are used in the classroom, what intentions are being pursued and what educational potential is seen in the four types of activities. Based on results of the survey we present ideas and methods on how to include and integrate creative unplugged activities into CS education and some possibilities on how to change such tasks to be more creative.

To explore effective approaches for cultivating Computational Thinking, this study, based on the 5E Instructional Model (comprising five stages: Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation), designed and implemented a STEM Curriculum aimed at the development of Computational Thinking. This course uses Open Source Hardware such as Arduino as its primary tools, and by adopting a practical approach that combines "Visual Programming and Hardware Interaction", it embeds abstract Computational Thinking content into authentic project scenarios, thereby promoting the formation and development of Computational Thinking competencies among university students.Actual teaching effects show that the above-mentioned model significantly improved students' Computational Thinking level. The practice of this study can provide a feasible solution for Computational Thinking education for university students and offer valuable insights for Mind+-based programming education at the university stage.

Computational thinking is highly applicable to social studies education, particularly decision-focused social studies. To better fit the disciplinary needs of social studies and align with social studies standards, we adapt and group computational thinking skills into a heuristic of data, patterns, rules, and questions (DPR-Q). We then propose a four-step model for social studies teachers to follow when planning lessons that integrate computational thinking within their curricular instruction. Both the DPR-Q heuristic and the instructional planning model are explained with worked examples from social studies classrooms. Successful integration of computational thinking into decision-focused social studies can both enrich the social studies curriculum and provide a curricular home for teaching computational thinking, bearing out Wing's claim that computational thinking is ‘everywhere' and ‘for everyone.'