20 results on '"Lodi, Michael"'
Search Results
2. A Necessity-Driven Ride on the Abstraction Rollercoaster of CS1 Programming
- Author
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Sbaraglia, Marco, Lodi, Michael, and Martini, Simone
- Abstract
Introductory programming courses (CS1) are difficult for novices. Inspired by "Problem solving followed by instruction" and "Productive Failure" approaches, we define an original "necessity-driven" learning design. Students are put in an apparently well-known situation, but this time they miss an essential ingredient (the target concept) to solve the problem. Then, struggling to solve it, they experience the necessity of that concept. A direct instruction phase follows. Finally, students return to the problem with the necessary knowledge to solve it. In a typical CS1 learning path, we recognise a challenging "rollercoaster of abstraction". We provide examples of learning sequences designed with our approach to support students when the abstraction changes (both upward and downward) inside the programming language, for example, when a new construct (and the related syntactical, conceptual, and strategic knowledge) is introduced. Also, we discuss the benefits of our design in light of Informatics education literature.
- Published
- 2021
3. Computational Thinking, between Papert and Wing
- Author
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Lodi, Michael and Martini, Simone
- Abstract
The pervasiveness of Computer Science (CS) in today's digital society and the extensive use of computational methods in other sciences call for its introduction in the school curriculum. Hence, Computer Science Education is becoming more and more relevant. In CS K-12 education, computational thinking (CT) is one of the abused buzzwords: different stakeholders (media, educators, politicians) give it different meanings, some more oriented to CS, others more linked to its interdisciplinary value. The expression was introduced by two leading researchers, Jeannette Wing (in 2006) and Seymour Papert (much early, in 1980), each of them stressing different aspects of a common theme. This paper will use a historical approach to review, discuss, and put in context these first two educational and epistemological approaches to CT. We will relate them to today's context and evaluate what aspects are still relevant for CS K-12 education. Of the two, particular interest is devoted to "Papert's CT," which is the lesser-known and the lesser-studied. We will conclude that "Wing's CT" and "Papert's CT," when correctly understood, are both relevant to today's computer science education. From Wing, we should retain computer science's centrality, CT being the (scientific and cultural) substratum of the technical competencies. Under this interpretation, CT is a lens and a set of categories for understanding the algorithmic fabric of today's world. From Papert, we should retain the constructionist idea that only a social and affective involvement of students into the technical content will make programming an interdisciplinary tool for learning (also) other disciplines. We will also discuss the often quoted (and often unverified) claim that CT automatically "transfers" to other broad 21st century skills. Our analysis will be relevant for educators and scholars to recognize and avoid misconceptions and build on the two core roots of CT.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Computational Thinking, Between Papert and Wing
- Author
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Lodi, Michael and Martini, Simone
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Correction to: Computational Thinking, Between Papert and Wing
- Author
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Lodi, Michael and Martini, Simone
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. An Unplugged Didactical Situation on Cryptography between Informatics and Mathematics.
- Author
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BARTZIA, Evmorfia-Iro, LODI, Michael, SBARAGLIA, Marco, MODESTE, Simon, DURAND-GUERRIER, Viviane, and MARTINI, Simone
- Subjects
MATHEMATICS ,MATHEMATICS education ,CRYPTOGRAPHY ,SCHOOL environment ,EDUCATION research ,PUBLIC key cryptography ,ACTIVE learning - Abstract
In this paper, we present an activity to introduce the idea of public-key cryptography and to make pre-service STEM teachers explore fundamental informatics and mathematical concepts and methods. We follow the Theory of Didactical Situations within the Didactical Engineering methodology (both widely used in mathematics education research) to design and analyse a didactical situation about asymmetric cryptography using graphs. Following the phases of Didactical Engineering, after the preliminary analysis of the content, the constraints and conditions of the teaching context, we conceived and analysed the situation a priori, with a particular focus on the milieu (the set of elements students can interact with) and on the choices for the didactical variables. We discuss their impact on the problem-solving strategies the participants need to elaborate to decrypt an encrypted message. We implemented our situation and collected qualitative data. We then analysed a posteriori the different strategies that participants used. The comparison of the a posteriori analysis with the a priori analysis showed the learning potential of the activity. To elaborate on different problem-solving strategies, the participants need to explore and understand several concepts and methods from mathematics, informatics, and the frontier of the two disciplines, also moving between different semiotic registers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Castle and Stairs to Learn Iteration: Co-designing a UMC Learning Module with Teachers
- Author
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Capecchi, Sara, Lodi, Michael, Lonati, Violetta, and Sbaraglia, Marco
- Published
- 2023
8. Informatical Thinking
- Author
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Lodi, Michael, Lodi, Michael, Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), and Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)
- Subjects
[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,computational thinking ,informatical thinking ,05 social sciences ,050301 education ,informatics ,definition ,0509 other social sciences ,050905 science studies ,misconceptions ,0503 education ,disciplinary way of thinking - Abstract
International audience; In this paper, we reviewed many definitions of computational thinking, finding they share a lot of common elements, of very different nature. We classified them in mental processes, methods, practices, and transversal skills. Many of these elements seem to be shared with other disciplines and resonate with the current narrative on the importance of 21st-century skills. Our classification helps on shedding light on the misconceptions related to each of the four categories, showing that, not to dilute the concept, elements of computational thinking should be intended inside the discipline of Informatics, being its "disciplinary way of thinking".
- Published
- 2020
9. STEM analysis of a module on Artificial Intelligence for high school students designed within the I SEE Erasmus+ Project
- Author
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Branchetti, Laura, Levrini, Olivia, Barelli, Eleonora, Lodi, Michael, Ravaioli, Giovanni, Rigotti, Laura, Satanassi, Sara, Tasquier, Giulia, Uffe Thomas Jankvist and Marja van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and Michiel Veldhuis, Branchetti Laura, Levrini Olivia, Barelli Eleonora, Lodi Michael, Ravaioli Giovanni, Rigotti Laura, Satanassi Sara, Tasquier Giulia, University of Parma = Università degli studi di Parma [Parme, Italie], University of Bologna, Utrecht University, Uffe Thomas Jankvist, Marja van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, and Michiel Veldhuis
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Artificial intelligence ,[SHS.EDU]Humanities and Social Sciences/Education ,big ideas ,STEM education ,[MATH]Mathematics [math] ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS - Abstract
International audience
- Published
- 2019
10. Introducing Computational Thinking in K-12 Education: Historical, Epistemological, Pedagogical, Cognitive, and Affective Aspects
- Author
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Lodi, Michael, Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, and Simone Martini
- Subjects
coding ,implicit theories ,informatics education ,constructionism ,growth mindset ,self-theories ,K-12 education ,Wing ,CS mindset ,computational thinking ,computing education ,[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,constructivism ,Papert ,computer science education ,higher-order thinking skills ,misconceptions ,transfer ,pensée informatique - Abstract
urn:nbn:it:unibo-25909; Introduction of scientific and cultural aspects of Computer Science (CS) (called "Computational Thinking" - CT) in K-12 education is fundamental. We focus on three crucial areas. 1. Historical, philosophical, and pedagogical aspects. What are the big ideas of CS we must teach? What are the historical and pedagogical contexts in which CT emerged, and why are relevant? What is the relationship between learning theories (e.g., constructivism) and teaching approaches (e.g., plugged and unplugged)? 2. Cognitive aspects. What is the sentiment of generalist teachers not trained to teach CS? What misconceptions do they hold about concepts like CT and "coding"? 3. Affective and motivational aspects. What is the impact of personal beliefs about intelligence (mindset) and about CS ability? What the role of teaching approaches? This research has been conducted both through historical and philosophical argumentation, and through quantitative and qualitative studies (both on nationwide samples and small significant ones), in particular through the lens of (often exaggerated) claims about transfer from CS to other skills. Four important claims are substantiated. 1. CS should be introduced in K-12 as a tool to understand and act in our digital world, and to use the power of computation for meaningful learning. CT is the conceptual sediment of that learning. We designed a curriculum proposal in this direction. 2. The expressions CT (useful to distantiate from digital literacy) and "coding" can cause misconceptions among teachers, who focus mainly on transfer to general thinking skills. Both disciplinary and pedagogical teacher training is hence needed. 3. Some plugged and unplugged teaching tools have intrinsic constructivist characteristics that can facilitate CS learning, as shown with proposed activities. 4. Growth mindset is not automatically fostered by CS, while not studying CS can foster fixed beliefs. Growth mindset can be fostered by creative computing, leveraging on its constructivist aspects.; [Traduction automatique] : L'introduction des aspects scientifiques et culturels de l'informatique (CS) (appelée "Computational Thinking" - CT) dans l'enseignement de la maternelle à la 12e année est fondamentale. Nous nous concentrons sur trois domaines essentiels. 1. Les aspects historiques, philosophiques et pédagogiques. Quelles sont les grandes idées de la CS que nous devons enseigner ? Quels sont les contextes historiques et pédagogiques dans lesquels la TC a émergé, et pourquoi sont-ils pertinents ? Quelle est la relation entre les théories de l'apprentissage (par exemple, le constructivisme) et les approches pédagogiques (par exemple, branché et débranché) ? 2. Aspects cognitifs. Quel est le sentiment des enseignants généralistes qui ne sont pas formés pour enseigner la CS ? Quelles idées fausses entretiennent-ils sur des concepts tels que la CT et le "codage" ? 3. Aspects affectifs et motivationnels. Quel est l'impact des croyances personnelles sur l'intelligence (mentalité) et sur la capacité à enseigner la CS ? Quel est le rôle des approches pédagogiques ? Cette recherche a été menée à la fois par une argumentation historique et philosophique, et par des études quantitatives et qualitatives (à la fois sur des échantillons nationaux et sur de petits échantillons significatifs), en particulier à travers la lentille des affirmations (souvent exagérées) sur le transfert de la CS vers d'autres compétences. Quatre affirmations importantes sont justifiées. 1. La culture scientifique devrait être introduite de la maternelle à la terminale comme un outil pour comprendre et agir dans notre monde numérique, et pour utiliser la puissance du calcul pour un apprentissage significatif. Le TC est le sédiment conceptuel de cet apprentissage. Nous avons conçu une proposition de programme d'études dans ce sens. 2. Les expressions CT (utile pour se distancier de la culture numérique) et "codage" peuvent être à l'origine d'idées fausses chez les enseignants, qui se concentrent principalement sur le transfert vers des compétences de réflexion générale. Une formation disciplinaire et pédagogique des enseignants est donc nécessaire. 3. Certains outils pédagogiques branchés et débranchés ont des caractéristiques constructivistes intrinsèques qui peuvent faciliter l'apprentissage de la CS, comme le montrent les activités proposées. 4. L'esprit de croissance n'est pas automatiquement favorisé par les CS, alors que le fait de ne pas étudier les CS peut favoriser des croyances fixes. L'esprit de croissance peut être favorisé par l'informatique créative, en tirant parti de ses aspects constructivistes.Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator (version gratuite)
- Published
- 2020
11. Coding and Programming
- Author
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Corradini, Isabella, Lodi, Michael, Nardelli, Enrico, Corradini, Isabella, Lodi, Michael, and Nardelli, Enrico
- Subjects
ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Informatics education ,Primary school teacher ,Coding and programming - Abstract
The term "coding" is more and more used to talk about the diffusion of computer science in school. While computer scientists, computing professionals, and educators consider this term very close or even equivalent to "programming", media tend to use it to describe something new and different from the "old boring CS". We provide here the main results of a large-scale investigation among primary school teachers (N=972) exploring their viewpoint on coding and its relation to programming. We asked to describe what coding is for them: only 40% of the relevant answers used terms explicitly mentioning programming. An additional 19%, while not directly mentioning programming, made reference to an information processing agent executing instructions. An additional small subset of teachers, while considering coding different from programming, described such difference using "tolerable" characterizations. We also analyzed the (sometime conflicting) misconceptions of teachers trying to explain why coding and programming are different.
- Published
- 2018
12. A Necessity-Driven Ride on the Abstraction Rollercoaster of CS1 Programming.
- Author
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SBARAGLIA, Marco, LODI, Michael, and MARTINI, Simone
- Subjects
PROBLEM solving ,EDUCATIONAL literature ,PROGRAMMING languages ,DIRECT instruction - Abstract
Introductory programming courses (CS1) are difficult for novices. Inspired by Problem solving followed by instruction and Productive Failure approaches, we define an original "necessity-driven" learning design. Students are put in an apparently well-known situation, but this time they miss an essential ingredient (the target concept) to solve the problem. Then, struggling to solve it, they experience the necessity of that concept. A direct instruction phase follows. Finally, students return to the problem with the necessary knowledge to solve it. In a typical CS1 learning path, we recognise a challenging "rollercoaster of abstraction". We provide examples of learning sequences designed with our approach to support students when the abstraction changes (both upward and downward) inside the programming language, for example, when a new construct (and the related syntactical, conceptual, and strategic knowledge) is introduced. Also, we discuss the benefits of our design in light of Informatics education literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Authors’ Response: Keeping the 'Computation' in 'Computational Thinking' Through Unplugged Activities
- Author
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Bell, Tim, Lodi, Michael, University of Canterbury [Christchurch], Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (UNIBO), Tim Bell, and Michael Lodi
- Subjects
[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,none - Abstract
International audience; The commentaries provide useful questions and responses that help us understand better how unplugged activities serve as scaffolding to engage students in computer science. They help us to consider how activities relate to computational thinking, particularly by connecting the scaffolding in the activities to the limits of computation. This in turn helps us to navigate the somewhat disputed boundary between activities that clearly use computation as it occurs on physical devices, and metaphors that could potentially be misleading.
- Published
- 2019
14. Constructing Computational Thinking Without Using Computers.
- Author
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Bell, Tim and Lodi, Michael
- Subjects
- *
COMPUTER science education , *STUDENT engagement , *CONSTRUCTIVISM (Education) , *COMPUTER science teachers , *INTEGRATED learning systems - Abstract
> Context * The meaning and implications of "computational thinking" (CT) are only now starting to be clarified, and the applications of the Computer Science (CS) Unplugged approach are becoming clearer as research is appearing. Now is a good time to consider how these relate, and what the opportunities and issues are for teachers using this approach. > Problem * The goal here is to connect computational thinking explicitly to the CS Unplugged pedagogical approach, and to identify the context where Unplugged can be used effectively. > Method * We take a theoretical approach, selecting a representative sample of CS Unplugged activities and mapping them to CT concepts. > Results * The CS Unplugged activities map well onto commonly accepted CT concepts, although caution must be taken not to regard CS Unplugged as being a complete approach to CT education. > Implications * There is evidence that CS Unplugged activities have a useful role to help students and teachers engage with CT, and to support hands-on activities with digital devices. > Constructivist content * A constructivist approach to teaching computer science concepts can be particularly valuable at present because the public (and many teachers who are likely to have to become engaged with the subject) do not see CS as something they are likely to understand. Providing a clear way for anyone to construct this knowledge for themselves gives an opportunity to empower them when it might otherwise have been regarded as a domain that is open to only a select few. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
15. Keeping the "Computation" in "Computational Thinking" Through Unplugged Activities.
- Author
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Bell, Tim and Lodi, Michael
- Subjects
- *
COMPUTER science education , *STUDENT engagement , *SCAFFOLDED instruction , *COMPUTER programming , *COMPUTER science students - Abstract
The commentaries provide useful questions and responses that help us understand better how unplugged activities serve as scaffolding to engage students in computer science. They help us to consider how activities relate to computational thinking, particularly by connecting the scaffolding in the activities to the limits of computation. This in turn helps us to navigate the somewhat disputed boundary between activities that clearly use computation as it occurs on physical devices, and metaphors that could potentially be misleading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
16. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of a Synchronous Online CS1
- Author
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Michael Lodi, Marco Sbaraglia, Simone Martini, Stefano Pio Zingaro, Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Sbaraglia, Marco, Lodi, Michael, Zingaro, Stefano Pio, and Martini, Simone
- Subjects
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Distance education ,online learning ,synchronous learning ,Computer Science education ,[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,Perception ,Mathematics education ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Distance learning ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,non-majors ,050107 human factors ,Synchronous distance learning ,media_common ,Structure (mathematical logic) ,4. Education ,05 social sciences ,050301 education ,COVID-19 ,CS1 for Math ,Synchronous learning ,Opinion analysis ,distance education ,emergency remote teaching ,Form of the Good ,CS1 ,0503 education - Abstract
International audience; This poster illustrates how we redesigned the CS1 course for Math undergraduates to be held online but reflecting the face-to-face (F2F) experience as much as possible. We describe the course structure and the strategies we implemented to maintain the benefits of a synchronous experience. We present the positive and negative aspects that emerged from the students' opinion analysis. We highlight what worked, what did not, and what can be improved to strengthen the perception of a F2F experience and mitigate the "presence paradox" we found: although students are enthusiastic about the online format, most would still prefer a F2F course.
- Published
- 2021
17. Can creative computing foster growth mindset?
- Author
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Michael Lodi, Lodi, Michael, Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), and Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)
- Subjects
[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,Computer Science (all) - Abstract
International audience; Teacher training in computational thinking (CT) is becoming more and more important, as many countries are introducing CT at all K-12 school levels. Introductory programming courses are known to be difficult, and some studies suggest they foster an entity theory of intelligence (fixed mindset), reinforcing the idea that only some people have so-called "geek gene". This is particularly dangerous if thought by future primary school teachers. We analyzed the effects of an introductory course about computational thinking and creative computing with Scratch, and observed a statistically significant increase of pre-service teachers' growth mindset while observing a statistically significant decrease in their computer anxiety. The structure of the course is detailed, with particular emphasis on some characteristics that may have determined growth mindset increase. Limitations of this exploratory study are discussed, and future work is depicted.
- Published
- 2018
18. Growth Mindset in Computational Thinking Teaching and Teacher Training
- Author
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Michael Lodi, Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), and Lodi, Michael
- Subjects
Geek ,4. Education ,Computational thinking ,05 social sciences ,Psychological intervention ,Growth Mindset ,050301 education ,Mindset ,Computer Science Applications1707 Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,02 engineering and technology ,Teacher Training ,Training (civil) ,School teachers ,[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,020204 information systems ,Computational Theory and Mathematic ,Pedagogy ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Mathematics education ,Psychology ,0503 education ,Software - Abstract
International audience; Teacher training in computational thinking is becoming more and more important, as many countries are introducing it at all K-12 school levels. Introductory programming courses are known to be difficult and some studies suggest they foster a fixed-mindset views of intelligence, reinforcing the idea that only some people have the so called "geek gene". This is particularly dangerous if thought by future school teachers. Interventions to stimulate "CS growth mindset" in students and their teachers are fundamental and worth CS education research.
- Published
- 2017
19. Conceptions and Misconceptions about Computational Thinking among Italian Primary School Teachers
- Author
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Michael Lodi, Enrico Nardelli, Isabella Corradini, Themis Research Centre [Roma], Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata [Roma], Corradini, Isabella, Lodi, Michael, and Nardelli, Enrico
- Subjects
Convergent thinking ,Coding (therapy) ,Context (language use) ,02 engineering and technology ,Computational thinking definition ,[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,Computational Theory and Mathematic ,020204 information systems ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Mathematics education ,Primary school teacher ,Meaning (existential) ,Primary school teachers ,Settore INF/01 - Informatica ,business.industry ,4. Education ,Computational thinking ,05 social sciences ,Informatics education ,050301 education ,Information technology ,Conceptions and misconception ,Conceptions and misconceptions ,Term (time) ,Cognitively Guided Instruction ,business ,Psychology ,0503 education - Abstract
International audience; Many advanced countries are recognizing more and more the importance of teaching computing, in some cases even as early as in primary school. "Computational thinking" is the term often used to denote the conceptual core of computer science or "the way a computer scientist thinks", as Wing put it. Such term - given also the lack of a widely accepted definition - has become a "buzzword" meaning different things to different people. We investigated the Italian primary school teachers' conceptions about computational thinking by analyzing the results of a survey (N=972) conducted in the context of "Programma il Futuro" project. Teachers have been asked to provide a definition of computational thinking and to answer three additional related closed-ended questions. The analysis shows that, while almost half of teachers (43.4%) have included in their definitions some fundamental elements of computational thinking, very few (10.8%) have been able to provide an acceptably complete definition. On a more positive note, the majority is aware that computational thinking is not characterized by coding or by the use of information technology.
- Published
- 2017
20. Computational Thinking in Italian Schools: Quantitative Data and Teachers' Sentiment Analysis after Two Years of 'Programma il Futuro' Project
- Author
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Isabella Corradini, Enrico Nardelli, Michael Lodi, Themis Research Centre [Roma], Foundations of Component-based Ubiquitous Systems (FOCUS), Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée (CRISAM), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Dipartimento di Informatica - Scienza e Ingegneria [Bologna] (DISI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO)-Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata [Roma], Corradini, Isabella, Lodi, Michael, and Nardelli, Enrico
- Subjects
Medical education ,Settore INF/01 - Informatica ,Computer science ,4. Education ,Computational thinking ,010102 general mathematics ,Sentiment analysis ,Informatics education ,Qualitative property ,01 natural sciences ,[INFO.INFO-CY]Computer Science [cs]/Computers and Society [cs.CY] ,Informatics ,Management of Technology and Innovation ,0103 physical sciences ,Pedagogy ,Experience report ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,010307 mathematical physics ,0101 mathematics ,Web site - Abstract
International audience; In this paper the first two years of activities of "Programma il Futuro" project are described. Its goal is to disseminate among teachers in Italian primary and secondary schools a better awareness of informatics as the scientific basis of digital technologies. The project has adapted Code.org learning material and has introduced it to Italian schools with the support of a dedicated web site. Response has been enthusiastic in terms of participation: in two years more than one million students have been engaged and have completed a total of 10 million hours of informatics in schools. Almost all students found the material useful and were interested, teachers have reported. They have also declared to have experienced high satisfaction and a low level of difficulty. A detailed analysis of quantitative and qualitative data about the project is presented and areas for improvement are identified. One of the most interesting observations appears to corroborate the hypothesis that an exposure to informatics since the early age is important to attract students independently from their gender.
- Published
- 2017
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