Judy C. R. Tseng

Although metacognitive scaffolding is recognized as an effective strategy to enhance collaborative programming learning, its effectiveness may vary with task complexity. This quasi-experimental study examined the differential effects of metacognitive scaffolding across programming tasks of low, medium, and high complexity, involving 195 seventh-grade students from a Taiwanese junior high school (experimental group: 97; control group: 98). A 3 (task complexity: low, medium, high) × 2 (metacognitive scaffolding: with vs. without) mixed-factorial design was employed. The results revealed a significant interaction between task complexity and metacognitive scaffolding on students’ computational thinking tendency and learning motivation, with the scaffolding effects becoming more pronounced as task complexity increased. No significant interaction effects were found for metacognitive awareness or programming learning achievement. These findings suggest that teachers should adjust metacognitive scaffolding intensity according to task complexity and leverage challenging tasks to promote students’ higher-order thinking in collaborative programming.

Collaborative programming helps improve students' computational thinking and increases their confidence in solving programming problems. However, the effect of collaborative learning is not ideal because it is difficult for students to mobilize metacognition to regulate learning spontaneously. To guide students to effectively regulate the learning process when they collaborate to solve programming problems, this study develops a collaborative learning approach and a Collaborative programming System (MR‐CPS) based on metacognitive regulation to support students' collaborative programming learning. A quasi‐experimental study was conducted in a junior high school programming course in Taiwan to assess the effects on students. The impacts of MR‐CPS from both individual and collaborative perspectives were investigated. Students' learning achievement and computational thinking tendencies were examined from an individual perspective. From a collaborative perspective, group self‐efficacy and group metacognition were investigated. Participants were divided into MR‐CPS ( n = 115) and No‐MR‐CPS ( n = 107). The MR‐CPS group used the collaborative programming approach with metacognitive regulation mechanisms as the experimental group. In contrast, the No‐MR‐CPS group used the collaborative programming approach without metacognitive regulation mechanisms as the control group. The results show that the MR‐CPS group statistically significantly outperformed the No‐MR‐CPS group in learning achievements. It was also found that the MR‐CPS group had statistically significantly better computational thinking tendency, collective efficacy and metacognitive planning and evaluation skills than the No‐MR‐CPS group. This finding suggests that the MR‐CPS has the potential to improve students' learning achievements, computational thinking tendency, group metacognition and collective efficacy. The study results have implications for the design of collaborative programming systems consistent with metacognitive regulation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a blended mobile game-based learning service called CoboChild Mobile Exploration Service (hereinafter CoboChild) to support children’s learning in an environment blending virtual game worlds and a museum’s physical space. The contextual model of learning (CML) was applied to consider the related influential factors affecting museum learning and to promote children’s continuous learning and revisit motivations. Design/methodology/approach: CoboChild provides a thematic game-based learning environment to facilitate children’s interactions with exhibits and other visitors. A practical system has been implemented in the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS), Taiwan. A questionnaire was used to examine whether CoboChild can effectively fulfill the CML and to evaluate the impacts on museum learning. Findings: CoboChild effectively fulfilled the CML to facilitate children’s interactive experiences and re-visit motivations in the blended mobile game-based learning environment. Most children described the system as providing fruitful playfulness while improving their interpretations of exhibitions and learning experiences. Practical implications: CoboChild considers the related contextual influences on the effective support of children’s learning in a museum, and builds a child-centered museum learning environment with highly integrated blended learning resources for children. CoboChild has been successfully operating in the NMNS since 2011. Originality/value: This study developed a blended mobile game-based learning service to effectively support children’s learning in museum contexts. The related issues are shown to improve the design of blended museum learning services. This innovative approach can be applied to the design of other child-centered services for engaging children’s interactive experiences in museums.