Gara Miranda

RoblockLLy is an Educational Robotics simulator designed for primary and secondary school students whose goal is to increase their interest in STEM. In the particular case of Computer Science, it allows developing Computational Thinking skills. It has been designed with ease of use in mind. This free tool is available through a web browser and does not need a complex installation or specific hardware requirements, allowing Educational Robotics to be introduced to a wide range of users by working on practical projects that will help them understand key concepts of robotics and programming. The effectiveness of RoblockLLy has been validated based on motivation, usability and user experience criteria. The tool was validated with 212 secondary school students (12-16 years old). Specifically, motivation was measured with the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), usability with the System Usability Scale (SUS) and user experience with the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). Generally speaking the results demonstrate that students perceived RoblockLLy as a novel and interesting tool. The ratings for usability were predominantly positive, although a few students indicated a preference for expert assistance. The overall rating of the user experience was positive as well, yet notable differences in attitudes toward motivation and usability were observed between genders.

Emotions are essential drivers of the learning process, influencing motivation, performance, and problem-solving abilities. In the field of Computer Science, students often struggle with negative emotions during programming activities, impacting their performance and project quality. To address this challenge, there is a growing need to introduce Computational Thinking skills at the pre-university level. This study focuses on understanding the emotions experienced by primary and secondary school students during Computational Thinking activities, involving both plugged and unplugged tools. A significant performance difference was observed between primary and secondary education levels, with the latter outperforming the former. The research identifies specific associations between concepts and emotions, highlighting age-related differences with younger students exhibiting more positive emotions. While gender-based disparities in Computer Science perception exist in secondary education, there are no corresponding distinctions in emotional responses. The study reveals a gender-based effect, with girls showing reduced emotional responses and lower Computational Thinking performance than boys. In summary, this research underscores the profound role of emotions in learning, providing essential insights for tailoring educational strategies considering gender-specific and programming concept-related factors. It also connects lower emotional reactions to inferior results, emphasizing the importance of heightened emotional engagement.

This article examines the effectiveness and interest generated among primary and secondary education students through activities aimed at developing Computational Thinking skills, in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The shift to online or hybrid learning models posed a significant challenge for educators, particularly those lacking digital skills. The study sought to answer several research questions, including the impact of online versus in‐person teaching on preuniversity students and gender differences in Computer Science perception, and Computational Thinking skills performance. The study employed a four‐phase methodology, consisting of pre‐ and posttraining measurements of Computer Science perception and Computational Thinking skills development through specific activities delivered in‐person or online. The results indicate that in‐person training is more effective for developing Computational Thinking skills, particularly at the secondary education level. Furthermore, there is a need to focus on maintaining girls' interest in Computer Science during primary school, as interest levels tend to decline significantly in secondary school. These findings have significant implications for Engineering Education in the context of digital transformation and the increasing importance of Computational Thinking skills in various fields of engineering. This study highlights the importance of developing Computational Thinking skills among preuniversity students and the need for effective training methods to achieve this goal and underscore the significance of investing in Engineering Education to prepare the next generation of engineers for the rapidly changing digital landscape.

Emotions affect how we acquire knowledge, being one of the causes of the demotivation generated at the time of studying a new field. Computer Science does not always pique the interest of young people, so we carry out an analysis of emotions that are present in primary and secondary school students, around 8-9 years old and 12-13 years old, who engage in Computational Thinking activities, considering the educational level, gender, and type of intervention, to understand why this lack of interest. The sessions were based on 1 hour of face-to-face class in which activities related to Computational Thinking were carried out. The instrument used to measure emotions was the Developmental Channels Questionnaire which includes 13 different emotions that students must answer using the Likert scale from 0 to 10. The emotions felt have been mostly positive and ambiguous, while negative emotions have a low intensity, particularly in primary education. Regarding the educational level, there are differences between girls and boys only in the secondary education, while in the primary they are no significant. Also, girls show an evolution when carrying out this type of activity, while boys do not change.

En 2016, se puso en marcha el Aula Cultural de Pensamiento Computacional de la Universidad de La Laguna para dar respuesta social a la confusión que surge al integrar las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones en la educación. Es importante distinguir entre los términos “Alfabetización Digital”, “Pensamiento Computacional” y “Ciencias de la Computación”. Las habilidades digitales se centran en el uso de la tecnología, mientras que el Pensamiento Computacional implica comprender los fundamentos de las Ciencias de la Computación. Esta materia disuade especialmente a las mujeres de perseguir carreras tecnológicas. En 2021 se puso en marcha el “Proyecto C**4: Curriculum de Ciencias de la Computación en Canarias” para promover las Ciencias de la Computación en los estudios preuniversitarios a través del Pensamiento Computacional. El proyecto, en desarrollo hasta 2024, cuenta con dos acciones: un diagnóstico del sistema educativo en Canarias sobre recursos, formación docente y percepción de los estudiantes; y una hoja de ruta que analice cómo la recién aprobada reforma educativa se adapta a esta realidad. También busca impulsar el conocimiento y la participación de la minoría, abordando las barreras existentes y mejorando la educación en Ciencias de la Computación. Miranda, Gara; Segredo, Eduardo; León, Coromoto; Arnay del Arco, Rafael; Bonache Recio, Helena; Castilla Rodríguez, Iván; Herrero-Álvarez, Rafael; Ramos-Domínguez; Rodríguez-León; Toledo Delgado, Pedro

Information about the paper titled "COMPUTATIONAL THINKING OLYMPIAD AS AN EXAMPLE OF SERVICE-LEARNING" at IATED Digital Library

Although Computer Science has grown to become one of the most highly demanded professional careers, every year, only a small percentage of students choose a degree directly related to Computer Science. Perhaps the problem lies in the lack of information that society has about Computer Science itself, and particularly about the work computer scientists do. No one doubts the role of Mathematics or Languages as core subjects in every primary and secondary education syllabus; however, Computer Science plays a negligible role in most current syllabuses. Only in a few countries have governments paid special attention to content related to Computer Science and to learning to analyze and solve problems the way computer scientists do (Computational Thinking). In this paper, we present Piens@ Computacion@ULLmente, a project that provides a methodology to promote Computer Science through Computational Thinking activities among primary and secondary education students. The results obtained from an exhaustive statistical analysis of the data we collected demonstrate that the perception of Computer Science that pre-university students have can be improved through specific training. Moreover, we can also confirm that the performance of pre-university students involving Computational Thinking skills is independent of gender, particularly at the primary education level.