Alexander Repenning

From a theoretical perspective, this article examines the role of embodiment in K-12 computer science education through three distinct perspectives: virtual embodiment for cognitive understanding, physical embodiment for emotional engagement, and social embodiment for collaborative learning. The research introduces proxy-based programming as a novel programming paradigm that helps novice programmers overcome pragmatic programming challenges by providing a visual proxy that serves as an embodiment of the object being programmed. This proxy features dual temporal representation that simultaneously shows both the present and future situations resulting from programming actions. Unlike programming approaches that primarily address syntactic challenges, proxy-based programming also mitigates semantic and pragmatic aspects of computational thinking. RULER.game, a Collaborative Computational Thinking Tool, implements four core principles of proxy-based programming, enabling safe programming experimentation while proactively preventing errors. Initial studies comparing proxy-based programming with block-based programming show significant reductions in error rates. The article explores how embodiment plays a role in making programming more accessible from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Additionally, the article explores the motivational benefits of physical embodiment, where students create games by first drawing objects on paper before importing them digitally, as well as social embodiment through awareness interfaces that make collaborators’ actions and intentions visible in real-time. This comprehensive approach to embodiment presents a novel framework for making programming more accessible and engaging for K-12 students.

Game design is often considered a motivational approach to get young children interested in programming and computational thinking. However, while the idea of game programming may be compelling from an educational point of view, creating games with interesting interactions that are actually fun to play remains challenging. Modern tools aimed at novice programmers should empower their users to create games, such as Pac-Man, that approach or even exceed the gameplay of 1980's arcade games. By adding a high-level AI pathfinding block to the RULER.game tool, 13 students in grades 1-4 attempted to build Pac-Man-like games. The findings suggest that all students were able to create Pac-Man-like games with compelling gameplay interactions, including ghosts finding the shortest path through complex mazes to Pac-Man, multiple ghosts collaborating with each other, and sophisticated game world topologies featuring toroidal portals.

While most teachers welcome the idea of learning activities fostering creativity, it is not clear how to effectively scaffold creativity. Without suitable pedagogical approaches, it is difficult to provide appropriate levels of scaffolding. Over-scaffolding, on the one hand, while providing support appreciated especially by less experienced students, leaves little room for creative expression. Under-scaffolding, on the other hand, while fostering more authentic learning opportunities with a high potential for creativity, can lead to student frustration. The Process Artifact Creativity Landscape (PACL) is a framework that helps pre-service teachers scaffold creative projects. PACL consists of a two dimensional space providing four scaffolding approaches offering different tradeoffs between scaffolding and creativity. This paper introduces the PACL framework and outlines experiences with K–6 preservice teachers reasoning about scaffold creative programming projects.

Die Umsetzung des Lehrplans 21, der mit dem Modul «Medien und Informatik» informatische Bildung (IB) in die Schweizer Primarschulen bringen wird, wirft wichtige Fragen auf: Insbesondere fragt sich, wie die Umsetzung gegen die bei vielen Primarlehrpersonen ablehnende Haltung gegenüber Informatische Bildung gelingen kann. Um angehende Primarlehrpersonen mit dem erforderlichen Fachwissen und den didaktischen Kompetenzen auszustatten, führte die PH FHNW im Herbst 2017 das zweiteilige Pflichtmodul «Informatische Bildung» für Studierende des Bachelors Primarstufe ein. Zudem fokussierte das Modul darauf, in den Studierenden eine nachhaltige, positive Haltungsveränderung hinsichtlich Informatische Bildung auszulösen. Die Erstdurchführung wurde durch mehrfache Datenerhebungen wissenschaftlich begleitet. Eine zentrale Fragestellung war, inwiefern der Besuch des Moduls die Haltungen der Studierenden bezüglich ihres Selbstkonzepts hinsichtlich Informatische Bildung und der Relevanz von Informatischer Bildung auf der Primarstufe beeinflusste. Dieser Artikel präsentiert kurz das didaktische Konzept des Moduls und beschreibt eine Auswertung der Daten, die bei der ersten Durchführung der beiden Modulteile erhoben wurden.

Das Modul «Medien und Informatik» des Lehrplans 21 verlangt von Primarlehrpersonen, dass sie mit ihren Schülerinnen und Schülern verschiedene Kompetenzen und Inhalte im Bereich der Informatik erarbeiten. Für die Erfüllung dieses Auftrags benötigen die angehenden Lehrpersonen eine entsprechende Ausbildung, die sie mit dem relevanten Fachwissen und den erforderlichen Kompetenzen in der Informatik ausstattet. Um dies zu gewährleisten, hat die Professur für Informatische Bildung (IB) der PH FHNW im Herbst 2017 mit dem zweisemestrigen Modul «Informatische Bildung» eines der schweizweit ersten obligatorischen Veranstaltungen für alle Bachelorstudierenden des Instituts Primarstufe eingeführt. Das Modul ist die praktische Umsetzung der theoretischen Konzepte und fachdidaktischen Ansätze von Scalable Game Design Switzerland (SGD Switzerland). Bei SGD Switzerland handelt es sich um die auf Schweizer Erfordernisse angepasste Weiterentwicklung von SGD USA – ein jahrzehntelang erprobtes umfassendes Curriculum für die Vermittlung von informatischer Bildung. Grundlage und Essenz von SGD Switzerland und somit auch von dem Konzept des neuen Moduls ist das Verständnis von Denken mit dem Computer – das sogenannte Computational Thinking. Das Konzept des Moduls «Informatischen Bildung», bei welchem die Schulung des analytischen, lösungsorientierten Denkens mit dem Computer im Fokus steht, ist ein Novum schweizweit. Dieser Beitrag erläutert das Konzept des Moduls IB und präsentiert einen ersten Einblick in die Eindrücke der Studenten, die den Kurs besucht haben.

Broadening participation in computer science necessitates balancing motivational and educational concerns. Without fully understanding potential trade-offs, Hour of Code-like tutorials may actually backfire by initially attracting students to participate, but gradually reinforcing the notion that programming is hard and boring. Previously, we analyzed and compared two Hour of Code tutorials: a tutorial that walks students through the creation and programming of a 3D-Frogger game, including the drawing of their own 3D characters, to a programming puzzle where students solve discrete coding challenges. Using an analysis based on retention, the comparison indicated higher levels of perseverance in the game creation activity. However, does the ability to draw characters really motivate students to program? Conflicting theories of positive and negative effects of drawing onto perseverance include that drawing might increase levels of participant ownership or that drawing may just be wasting time better spent programming, especially in the time constrained Hour of Code context. To gain insight, this study uses draw times of over 8,000 projects from a game creation Hour of Code activity in 2016. Initial results indicate that higher average draw time per character corresponds to increased program lengths and students with the highest average draw times per character continued to program beyond the end of the activity

We examine the challenges and advantages of 3D programming in the AgentCubes Online programming environment. 3D imagery and its associated programming provide a means for personalizing projects and may increase a learner's motivation to learn about technology. After reviewing the challenges for learners, we suggest some ideas for helping both teachers and student learners make the transition to 3D. We will present a plan for further research on this topic.

Currently Switzerland is going through a major reform in its education system. One of its most ambitious and important goals is the inclusion of Computer Science Education already on the primary school level, an important measure in achieving the establishment of an information society. Such a reform raises questions about the appropriate types of approaches to be developed and employed for an effective implementation of Computer Science Education concepts in Swiss primary schools. To this end, the project "Scalable Game Design Solothurn" was developed and evaluated. This project both trained teachers and exposed students to Computational Thinking concepts through the two Computational Thinking Tools AgentSheets and AgentCubes online. Results show that teaching Computational Thinking through Scalable Game Design is not only feasible on the primary school level but also enjoyable, with AgentSheets and AgentCubes online proving to be sustainable and effective tools for the implementation of Computer Science Education on this school level. Further analysis of the data enables us to make recommendations regarding optimal ways of implementation for the Swiss reality and point towards new research directions.