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Comparing the Effects of Plugged-In and Unplugged Activities on Computational Thinking Development in Young Children
- Source :
-
Education and Information Technologies . 2024 29(8):9541-9574. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Children's preschool years are crucial for the development of computational thinking (CT) skills. However, debate continues regarding whether CT should be developed through plugged-in or unplugged activities. This study investigated the similarities and differences between plugged-in and unplugged activities with similar learning content and assessment methods for cultivating computational thinking (CT) in young children. Twenty-four young children (aged 5-6 years) from a kindergarten in Foshan, China, were randomly assigned to either the plugged-in or unplugged group to participate in a five-week study. In the plugged-in group, Dodobot was used in the classroom, while in the unplugged group, unplugged materials such as paper, pencil and tangram puzzles were used. Research results indicate that 1) both plugged-in and unplugged activities significantly improved the young children's CT skills after a short-term educational intervention, but there were no significant differences between the two groups; 2) the extent to which the plugged-in and unplugged activities promoted subdimensions of CT was different, with the plugged-in group demonstrating significant improvements in hardware, algorithm, and modularity and the unplugged group demonstrating significant improvements in terms of representation; 3) the children from both the plugged-in and unplugged groups showed high motivation; And 4) the children in both the plugged-in and unplugged groups showed cooperative behaviors. The frequency of cooperative behavior was more related to materials, and cooperation quality was more related to teacher guidance.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1360-2357 and 1573-7608
- Volume :
- 29
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Education and Information Technologies
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1428428
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12181-x