Journal ArticleDOI
Effects of Computer Programming on Young Children's Cognition
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TLDR
In this article, the effects of computer programming on children's cognitive style (reflectivity, divergent thinking), metacognitive ability, cognitive development (operational competence, general cognitive measures), and ability to describe directions were investigated.Abstract:
Computers will soon be an integral part of the classroom and home environment of children, yet there are unanswered questions concerning their effects on young children's cognition; Particularly salient are largely unsubstantiated claims concerning the cognitive benefits of computer programming. This study assessed the effects of learning computer programming on children's cognitive style (reflectivity, divergent thinking), metacognitive ability, cognitive development (operational competence, general cognitive measures), and ability to describe directions. Eighteen 6-year-old children were pretested to assess receptive vocabulary, impulsivity/reflectivity, and divergent-thinking abilities. The children were then randomly assigned to one of two treatments, computer programming or computer-assisted instruction (CAI), that lasted 12 weeks. Posttesting revealed that the programming group scored significantly higher on measures of reflectivity and on two measures of divergent thinking, whereas the CAI group showed no significant pre- to posttest differences. The programming group outperformed the CAI group on measures of metacognitive ability and ability to describe directions. No differences were found on measures of cognitive development. The increasing acceptance of the critical necessity for children to become computer literate is leading to an increased prominence of computers in the home and school environment. Yet there are unanswered questions regarding the effects of computer use on children's thinking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of computer programming on 6-year:old children's cognitive style, metacognitive abilities, cognitive development, and ability to describe directions. Seymour Papert, one of the creators of the computer language Logo and a leading exponent of the use of computer programming to expand children's intellectual power, based his ideas on the theories of Piaget, with whom he studied. Papert (1980) has argued that the most beneficial learning is what he calls "Piagetian learning," or "learning without being taught." He has proposed that computer programming environments can create conditions under which intellectual models take root, conditions in which young children can masterread more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Computational Thinking in K–12 A Review of the State of the Field
Shuchi Grover,Roy Pea +1 more
TL;DR: The current state of discourse on computational thinking in K-12 education by examining mostly recently published academic literature that uses Wing's article as a springboard, identifies gaps in research, and articulates priorities for future inquiries as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Rocky Roads to Transfer: Rethinking Mechanism of a Neglected Phenomenon
Gavriel Salomon,David N. Perkins +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that transfer occurs in two ways: forward-reaching and backward-reaching transfer, where one mindfully abstracts basic elements in anticipation for later application and deliberately searches for relevant knowledge already acquired.
Journal ArticleDOI
Partners in Cognition: Extending Human Intelligence with Intelligent Technologies:
TL;DR: In this article, the authors distinguish between effects with and of a technology: effects with occur when people work in partnership with machines, whereas effects of occur when such partnerships have subsequent cognitive spin-off effects for learners working away from machines.
Journal ArticleDOI
Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms
David Weintrop,Elham Beheshti,Michael S. Horn,Kai Orton,Kemi Jona,L. Trouille,L. Trouille,Uri Wilensky +7 more
TL;DR: This paper proposes a definition of computational thinking for mathematics and science in the form of a taxonomy consisting of four main categories: data practices, modeling and simulation practices, computational problem solving practices, and systems thinking practices.
Journal ArticleDOI
Computational thinking and tinkering: Exploration of an early childhood robotics curriculum
TL;DR: Overall, the study demonstrates that kindergartners were both interested in and able to learn many aspects of robotics, programming, and computational thinking with the TangibleK curriculum design, and suggest effective curricular designs and areas warranting redesign.
References
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Book
Mindstorms: Children, Computers, And Powerful Ideas
TL;DR: The gears of my childhood as discussed by the authors were a source of inspiration for many of the ideas we use in our own work, such as the notion of assimilation of knowledge into a new model.
Book
Children's Minds
TL;DR: Donaldson as discussed by the authors argues that reading is even more important than we have thought it to be, since learning to read ca actually speed children through the crucial transition from preschool to school.
Journal ArticleDOI
Information processing in the child: Significance of analytic and reflective attitudes.
Book
The early growth of logic in the child;: Classification and seriation,
Bärbel Inhelder,Jean Piaget +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a broad spectrum of developmental issues, from the psychology of the infant, the family, abilities and disabilities, children's art, imagination, play, speech, mental development, perception, intelligence, mental health and education are discussed.