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Does inventing representations in open-ended computational environments contradict the goal of acquiring canonical scientific knowledge? We analyze the computational models of electric conductors that N = 35 eight-grade students built with a NetLogo-based microworld. Students used the microworld to sketch structures that represent models of electric conductors and then observed the resulting electric current. We use data from classroom discourse, computer log files and questionnaires, to identify different ways through which students used the platform, and how their engagement in construction, explains the variance in their learning gains. We found differences in the number and types of models that students constructed in the microworld: while most students built the models that were intended by the instructors, some added unconventional doodling models, that deviated from the intended structures. We found that students who built more models made larger gains in conceptual knowledge about electric current. However, we also found that students who constructed more unconventional models, produced lower learning gains on items that assessed the particle-level mechanism of electrons in conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this paper the potentiality of meaning generation in a constructionist environment through an interplay between problem solving and problem posing is examined. The meaning-making process is examined by following how a Grade-10 student is engaged in an iterative cycle of reformulating and solving the initial problem within a Logo-based microworld. The findings show that the contribution of this iterative cycle is in favor of the generation of mathematical meaning. The shift from reformulating to solving and vice versa supported the student to initially use his mathematical knowledge for achieving certain goals, then to discriminate and use parts of his Logo program through generalizing and debugging efforts to achieve new purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The declaration of a second ethnicity in the 2021 census in Slovakia marks a significant shift in demographic data collection practices. This census was the first of its kind in Slovakia to allow respondents to indicate multiple ethnic identities. This change not only underscores the increasing diversity within Slovakia's population but also sheds light on the varied positions held by certain ethnic groups within our cultural landscape. The data revealed that the largest ethnic group, Hungarians, predominantly identify as monoethnic. In contrast, the Roma and Ruthenians exhibit a notable proportion of individuals declaring more than one ethnic identity. This phenomenon appears to be influenced by specific geographic and educational attainment patterns. Our research aims to delve into the methodological and psychological aspects of declaring a second ethnic identity. By examining these factors across different contexts, we seek to provide a foundation for future studies in this field. In doing so, we hope to incorporate a broader range of social and spatial parameters to enrich our understanding of ethnic identity dynamics in Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) has highlighted the necessity of K-12 AI education, particularly at the elementary level. However, the lack of a comprehensive and age-appropriate AI curriculum integrated into school subjects, along with the abstract and complex nature of AI concepts, exacerbates student inequalities. Researchers addressed this by developing an AI curriculum using tangible computing tools and assessed its effectiveness in improving students' AI knowledge, perception, and behavioral intention. The study involved 60 elementary students from the US Midwest. The effectiveness of the curriculum and the students' learning experiences were investigated. The results demonstrated the success of the curriculum among all students, with improved AI knowledge, perception, and behavioral intention after using tangible computing tools. Four themes about learning experiences were identified: (1) Augmentation of cognitive learning gains, (2) Augmentation of affective attributes, (3) Advantages of utilizing tangible computing tools for AI education, and (4) Obstacles encountered in the process of learning AI. The practical and theoretical contributions and implications of this study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an expansion of the perspective on 'differences' by proposing a novel theoretical concept: 'differences work'. Differences work is the subjective and intersubjective effort that is put in place to approach differences from a dynamic stance, to encompass the different processes – identity, relational, and cultural – intertwined in experiencing ourselves and the relationship with differences. The concept is illustrated in its cognitive and emotional components. The paper contributes to developing new sensitivities to the in-situ work on differences, advising to investigate empirically how differences work deploys. The paper suggests methodologies for digging into dialogues and conversations, for entering the self-constructions and others' counter-constructions of differences, and for observing their dynamic and fluid evolution as it happens. The new concept enriches the possibility of going beyond category-oriented policies and orientations in organizations, which are generally aimed at proposing activities not always sufficient to represent all the differences circulating in organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to comprehensively assess the effectiveness of generative learning strategies (GLS) using mobile learning technologies (MLT) in higher education, based on a quasi-experiment and quantitative and qualitative analysis. Methods included concept mapping, round table discussions, monitoring, computer testing, and statistical analysis. GLS with MLT demonstrated enhanced performance in Practical Ukrainian and English Language Courses. MLT-based GLS optimized teacher workload by reducing assignment checking time. Respondents rated MLT-based GLS for Ukrainian/English at 7.8/10. Effective methods included self-review, text correction, and concept mapping. The study validates MLT-based GLS in higher education, improving student performance and easing teacher tasks. Further research is planned for literature studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, emotions have been receiving considerable attention in discourse analysis, identified as a defining feature of contemporary political discourses. However, most of the previous studies in the field have focused on the categorization of emotions and on how these are present in texts. This approach fails if we want to understand the mechanisms that underpin the relevance of emotions in political discourse, because emotion categories do not tell us much about how and why an emotion is constructed as such. The purpose of this article is to propose a new framework for a more comprehensive analysis drawing upon previous studies on emotions from sociocognitive and constructivist perspectives. Taking into account that emotions are constructed by the addressee -and not by the speaker or the discourse itself-, I present a methodological approach that includes all the elements in play when an emotion arises. Example analysis of hate speech messages are provided to show the contributions that can be made to discourse analysis using this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the advancement of digital technology in the 21st century, self-directed learning (SDL) skills have become crucial for learning in the digital era, which is characterized by rapid change. Most previous studies have focused on enhancing SDL skills through various instructional methods. Today, technology plays a crucial role in learning. In the current context, exploring the outcomes of incorporating digital technology in teaching methods to enhance SDL skills is an intriguing subject. This study investigated the impact of SDL skills and learning achievement promotion by employing learning activities based on the constructionism approach in a digital learning ecosystem (DLE). The study used a quasi-experimental research approach with a non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group design. The participants were eleventh-grade students. The results showed that both the SDL skills and learning achievement of the experimental group increased more compared to those of the control group. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that learning-by-marking within an environment where numerous digital technologies serve as learning tools has a positive impact on SDL skills and learning achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a constructionist framework of emotion, this study examines whether parental language during emotion belief discussions predicts parents’ self-reported beliefs about emotion and child emotion regulation (ER). 102 parents of children ages 8 through 12 participated in focus groups about emotion beliefs, and nine months later, completed questionnaires on their emotion beliefs and child ER. Focus group content was analyzed for positive and negative emotion talk, cognitive process talk, and an established linguistic marker of psychological distancing. Parents’ positive emotion talk and parental linguistic distancing when discussing their child’s (but not their own) emotion experiences positively predicted beliefs about children’s emotional capabilities. Finally, negative emotion talk negatively predicted parental beliefs about children’s capacity to control their own emotions and the value of anger expression as well as child ER. Current findings contribute to our understanding of how parental communication patterns about emotions may influence emotion beliefs and child emotion development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Promoting an active lifestyle integrated into everyday routines cannot be just a dream for the Iranian population. Developing model to promote an active lifestyle for people of different age groups can help them create healthy habits for life that will continue into adulthood and lead a long, happy and healthy life. Methods: Accordingly, the aim of this study was to develop a model to promote an active lifestyle for the Iranian Population. Constructivist grounded theory as a popular method was used in this study. Deep and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 experts in sports sciences, medical sciences and development sciences in Iran who participated in this study. The study participants were selected using both snowball sampling and purposive sampling. In this study, the data were coded and analyzed based on z constructivist grounded theory. Results: The results demonstrated that a behavior change should be created in people who did not believe in sport and physical activity and also the principles of the behavior change were presented. Moreover, formal education organizations can redevelop their vision and mission to promote an active lifestyle for the Iranian population and provide short, medium and long-term planning for different ecosystems in Iran. Additionally, individual qualifications that can lead to the institutionalization of physical activity contributing to the health control were provided. Conclusion: If this model is guided correctly, it will lead to promoting an active lifestyle for the Iranian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research attention has been focused on learning through game playing. However, very little has been focused on student learning through game making, especially in science. Moreover, none of the studies on learning through making games has presented an account of how students engage in the process of game design in real time. The present study seeks to address that gap. We report an exploratory embedded case study in which three groups of students in one classroom created a computer game designed to teach peers about climate science, while drawing on scientific knowledge, principles of game design, and computational thinking practices. Data sources were student design sheets, computer video, and audio screen capture while students created their game, and interviews after completing the curriculum unit. A theme‐driven framework was used to code the data. A curricular emphasis on systems across climate systems, game design, and computational thinking practices provided a context designed to synergistically supported student learning. This embedded case study provides a rich example of what a collaborative game design task in a constructionist context looks like in a middle school science classroom, and how it supports student learning. Game design in a constructionist learning environment that emphasized learning through building a game allowed students to choose their pathways through the learning experience and resulted in learning for all despite various levels of programming experience. Our findings suggest that game design may be a promising context for supporting student learning in STEM disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though working with data is as important as coding for understanding and dealing with complex problems across multiple fields, it has received very little attention in the context of Computational Thinking. This paper discusses an approach for bridging the gap between Computational Thinking with Data Science by employing and studying classification as a higher-order thinking process that connects the two. To achieve that, we designed and developed an online constructionist gaming tool called SorBET which integrates coding and database design enabling students to interpret, organize, and analyze data through game play and game design. The paper presents and discusses the results of a pilot study that aimed to investigate the data practices secondary students develop through playing and modifying SorBET games, and to determine the impact of game modding on student critical engagement with CT. According to the results, students developed and used certain data practices such as data interpretation and data model design to become better players or to design an interesting classification game. Moreover, game modding process motivated students to question the original games' content, leading them to develop a critical stance towards the game data model and representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Latinoamericana de Metodología de la Investigación Social is the property of Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Sociologicos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The introduction of the special issue on the construction of the future of platforms provides the paradigmatic, conceptual and methodological framework for this special issue. Starting from a brief outline of the characteristics of the field of futures studies, the article supports the call to better embed in social and political theory, and frames the special issue, with its constructionist emphasis, as a contribution to this debate. In addition, the article provides an overview of the Delphi+ workshop method that was used, and describes the centralized data gathering process, into which all research articles of this special issue tap, to then produce their distinct analyses. This motivates the need to read this introduction alongside the five research articles that have been included in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Educational Reflective Practices is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

On several occasions, Finn Collin has engaged in discussions surrounding social constructivism, a relatively recent theoretical orientation emerging through the development of naturalized science studies from the 1970s. Inspired by Finn's work, this paper explores the distinction between 'social constructivism' and 'social constructionism' and their origins in various strands of the sociology of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractComputational thinking is seen as a basic and essential skill in the 21st century, but its development issue in accounting education is still relatively limited. Therefore, anchored in Wing’s (2006) computational thinking theory, this study makes a case for developing problem-solving skills, which involve abstraction, decomposition, generalization, evaluation, and algorithmic. Given the importance of computational thinking in spreadsheets teaching, this classroom-based study aims to investigate the use of constructionism-based accounting spreadsheets designing activities to promote college students’ computational thinking in the accounting spreadsheets design context. This study used a participatory qualitative approach to investigate the phenomenon of constructing accounting spreadsheets design between students and lecturers in the classroom. Thirty-eight Accounting education majors were participants in the study. In this study, data were collected from students’ work artifacts, classroom observations, and discussion notes from college students. Referring to qualitative content analysis, findings show that constructionism-based accounting spreadsheets designing activities help the college students develop their computational thinking of spreadsheets errors or deficiencies realities found in spreadsheets design they observed. This study shows that using both constructionism activities and spreadsheets as a learning resource loaded with critical, creative, systematic, and logical thinking has the potential to promote student computational thinking in accounting spreadsheets classrooms. This study gave two main recommendations to practicioner’ accounting education, (a) when teaching the topic of accounting spreadsheets design, a lecturer must provide college students with spreadsheets errors taxonomy, and (b) in terms of activity design, spreadsheets learning should be directed to developing the college students’ computational thinking.

Cultivating children's creativity and imagination is fundamental to preparing them for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Engaging in creative learning enables children to think independently and critically, work cooperatively, and take risks while actively engaged in meaningful projects. While current trends in education, such as maker movements and computer science education, are dramatically expanding children's opportunities for engagement in creative learning, comparatively few empirical studies explore how creative learning can be integrated into elementary school curricula. In this paper, we investigated five key design strategies for integrating creative learning in school curricula through computer programming activities. The five design strategies, drawn from design meetings with in-service teachers and two pilot studies, comprise (1) prepare an object-to-think-with for specific curricular ideas, (2) find a context that provokes a leap of ideas within a disciplinary framework, (3) facilitate tinkering through disciplinary inquiry, (4) pair students and establishing developer and researcher roles, and (5) provide feedback to connect computer programming projects to disciplinary ideas. Implementing these strategies with mixed-method analysis indicated positive support for the efficacy of these design strategies. We also provide insights into difficulties with integrating creative learning into school curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early engineering experiences can provide young people with experiences that can contribute to developing longer-term interest in the field and addressing dropout issues faced in engineering internationally. One way to engage young people with engineering is through the creation of personally meaningful sound-making projects with everyday materials and electronic kits. Sound making can make it possible for people to connect to their personal experiences and to represent these personal experiences through artistic means while also performing engineering practices, like asking questions, defining and delimiting problems, and developing and optimizing solutions with physical materials that produce sounds. Such design processes are referred to as engaging in the design of personally meaningful projects. However, it remains underspecified what personally meaningful means and, therefore, what aspects to integrate into engineering educational activity and technology designs to foster personally meaningful design opportunities. Building on constructionist perspectives on learning, this qualitative research investigated engineering practices as middle-school-aged youth used electronic construction kits and personal tangible material objects to create sounds. Iterative and thematic analysis of engineering practices of semi-structured interviews and video-recorded youth workshops showed that sound making with personal objects and electronic construction kits is a context for engineering design practices. This study also showed that integrating personal tangible projects that materialize personal histories can foster engineering practices. The findings contribute to our understanding of the theoretical idea of personally meaningful design in constructionism by presenting the importance of integrating personal histories through the design of personal projects with tangible material objects of a person's life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People often experience a variety of affective responses while listening to music. The study of this phenomenon has flourished during the last two decades; however, the theoretical frameworks that have attempted to explain this phenomenon have neglected the symbolic dimension of music and the effect of situational factors. The aim of the current article is to overcome these shortcomings by proposing a model based on contemporary constructionist theories of emotion. This novel approach proposes that listening to music activates automatic perceptual mechanisms that produce fluctuations of affect, and that the activation of associative and appraisal mechanisms transform the fluctuations of affect into a variety of emotional and nonemotional responses. The main proposal is that adopting this constructionist model constitutes a fruitful approach as it reinterprets past contradictory findings, resolves enduring debates, and provides a heuristic framework for future investigation of affective experiences with music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learning environment is a unique conglomerate, the shape of which depends, among others, on the adopted didactic paradigm. The quality of learning enablers is influenced by the institution-specific understanding of learning, the definition of knowledge and the roles of students and teachers. The article describes the history of the founding and functioning of the school, whose main program assumption is constructionism. The aim is to identify the elements that shape the learning environment of the Darunsikkhalai School for Innovative Learning. Three components of the learning environment were distinguished and characterized, which include both the material/physical area, the area of interaction, taking into account the specificity of interactions of students, teachers, parents, representatives of the academic and local environment, as well as the area of students' own activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several professional development programs have been designed to train in-service teachers on a computational thinking (CT) curriculum, but few researchers have examined how these affect primary school teachers' self-efficacy and knowledge of CT in emerging economies. This study's objective was to create a framework for the professional development of primary school in-service teachers for the teaching of CT (referred to as professional development for primary computational thinking - PD4PCT) to be integrated into teachers' professional development programs. An initial framework was refined after implementing it at a Namibian school with a group of 14 teachers from five different disciplines (social studies, English, natural science, mathematics, and Afrikaans). Literature reviews, pre- and postintervention questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and self-reporting diaries were used to collect data. The framework was evaluated by experts via an online questionnaire. The findings show that teachers who participated in the professional development program improved their perceived CT knowledge, beliefs, and confidence to teach CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to explore the effect of modality (constructionist mBlock, Scratch, and Python interventions) on six-grade students’ computational thinking, programming attitude, and achievement. The pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was used to explore the research questions. The study group consisted of 105 six grade students from three different classes. A constructionist learning environment was formed for Scratch, mBlock, and Python groups. All groups were given 8 week-instruction. Instruction included two forty-minute sessions each week. The data were collected through the programming achievement test, computational thinking test, and computer programming attitude scale. The results of the study showed that mBlock group outperformed the Scratch and Python groups with respect to computer programming attitude. Students who attended mBlock and Scratch groups had higher levels of programming achievement than those of the students who attended the Python group. No significant differences with respect to computational thinking were observed between the groups. This study has implications for educators who are teaching computational thinking and programming. Further research was recommended to explore the effect of modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique linguistic profile of autistic people urges linguists to address the divergences in human language, its acquisition and use among major linguistic perspectives. Fitting with the dual roles of language (thought and communication), this paper adopts an internal pragmatic competence (IPC) and a (similar) pragmatic competence for external communication (PCEC) to elucidate how autistic linguistic profile discloses the divergences between nativism and constructionism on language use and acquisition (ultimately language proper). IPC justifies why autistic people resort not to mind‐reading but to self‐sufficient mental interactions among organism‐internal submodules or nearly intact grammatical subsystems when abstractly processing linguistic and communicative needs, contra constructionists' assumption of sole intersubjective language use. PCEC, required for facilitating the authentic intersubjective language use, explains how the dysfunction of modular interactions and their interactions with outside contexts leads to autistics' sociopragmatic impairment and the double empathy gap. In this way, the divergences, along with the possible reconciliation between the two perspectives, can be expounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we offer some observations on the international standing of communicative constructivism (CoCo), as discussed in scholarship published largely in German over the past decade (e.g., KELLER, KNOBLAUCH & REICHERTZ, 2013; KNOBLAUCH, 2019a [2016]; REICHERTZ, 2009). We seek to explain why, in our view, CoCo has not thus far had a noticeable influence on academic discourse in international, particularly Anglo-American, sociology. Amongst others, we highlight issues regarding the name that was picked for the perspective and regarding the literal translation of German CoCo terminology into the English language. We also point to some theoretical and methodological choices that have made it difficult to link CoCo to interactionist sociology in general, and to ethnomethodology and ethnography in particular, i.e., perspectives that we are closely aligned with. We conclude with a summary of our observations and a few suggested steps communicative constructivists might consider taking to broaden and diversify the appeal of their program beyond German speaking sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Conceptualizations of Change” is a 12-minute film that provides a theoretical reflection on the signifier “change”, and its five dimensions: Normativity, Scale and Intensity, Focus, Control and Time. Filmed in Prague, with the integration of archive material that is mostly related to the 1989 Velvet Revolution, the essay unpacks the significatory complexity of change, mapping the diversity of meanings that have been allocated to this notion. The film’s five chapters organize a dialogue between fast-paced and still poetic imaginaries and voice-overs, starting with the normativity of change, and its utopian and dystopian meanings. The Scale and Intensity chapter reflects on the sometimes minute and sometimes all-encompassing nature of change, combined with its hegemonic and counter-hegemonic roles. The Focus chapter deals with the autonomy and dependency of change, while the Control chapter focusses on how change can be controlled and controlling. Finally, the Time chapter brings in differences between process and outcome, and patterns and events. Analytically and methodologically, the film uses a post-structuralist paradigm to assist theory formation, grounded in, and combined with, an analysis of the content produced for the Mediating Change Colloquium, that took place in Prague on 20 and 21 November 2020. To render this source of inspiration and analysis visible, the film starts with a one-minute preamble, including a selection of voices from this Colloquium, in order to then shift to a more general theoretical discussion on change, with its five dimensions.

In this article, we offer some observations on the international standing of communicative constructivism (CoCo), as discussed in scholarship published largely in German over the past decade (e.g., KELLER, KNOBLAUCH & REICHERTZ, 2013; KNOBLAUCH, 2019a [2016]; REICHERTZ, 2009). We seek to explain why, in our view, CoCo has not thus far had a noticeable influence on academic discourse in international, particularly Anglo-American, sociology. Amongst others, we highlight issues regarding the name that was picked for the perspective and regarding the literal translation of German CoCo terminology into the English language. We also point to some theoretical and methodological choices that have made it difficult to link CoCo to interactionist sociology in general, and to ethnomethodology and ethnography in particular, i.e., perspectives that we are closely aligned with. We conclude with a summary of our observations and a few suggested steps communicative constructivists might consider taking to broaden and diversify the appeal of their program beyond German speaking sociology.

This exploratory study compares how young people (ages 15–16) learn circuitry concepts and layout design principles important to electrical engineering using one of two educational circuitry toolkits: paper circuits and traditional solderless breadboards. Paper-based prototyping kits are representative of a trend that incorporates new materials and approaches to integrating arts into traditional STEM disciplines. Extending prior research on how non-traditional toolkits enhance learning of electrical engineering outcomes, including basic circuitry concepts (i.e., current flow, polarity, and connections), this study examines the material affordances and design choices of the kits that contribute to youth's understanding of more advanced circuitry layout design principles, including space allocation, placement of electronic components, and routing. Results indicate that paper circuits better afford the learning of layout design principles for printed circuit boards (PCBs) with large effect sizes. This study illuminates how the materials of educational toolkits uniquely solicit body- and material-syntonic patterns of activity, and thus differentially engage learners' powerful ideas around circuitry and design principles. This investigation encourages careful consideration of the material affordances of some toolkits over others for learning purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes in detail a class of educational problems from an elementary school course of mathematics and computer science. This course has been implemented over the past decades by a team led by Academician of the RAS A.L. Semenov. In the problems, it is necessary to find, build, or list all objects that satisfy a certain system of conditions. The student conducts these activities in a visual world of basic objects of discrete mathematics and computer science: strings (finite sequences of symbols), bags (multisets), tables, trees, and statements containing quantifiers. The connections of these problems with problems in computational combinatorics (counting the number of options), with search problems in the theory of computational complexity, with "big ideas," and general cognitive strategies for their formation in education are considered. The content of education in our approach is more adequate to the context of the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shift from traditional education to maker-centered learning calls for an analysis and evaluation of the current studies on professional development in maker-centered learning. The current systematic literature review was conducted to examine existing literature on teacher professional development for maker-centered learning. It aligns the literature to the theory of constructionism, which is often cited as a foundational theory supporting maker-centered learning. The creation and integration of makerspaces in educational environments is a growing trend that supports creating and building material objects for learning. As makerspaces emerge in K-12 contexts, the need for research-based teacher education practices becomes apparent. The findings of this literature review describe the current landscape of research on this topic, illustrating the types of research conducted, the goals of professional development for teachers in this area, and effective elements of professional development experiences that contribute to teacher success in using maker-centered learning strategies. The implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Filosofía UIS is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents the results of qualitative research aimed at recognizing the role of exploratory speech in the process of constructing and engaging in conceptual activity. The study involved 22 third-grade primary school students who were involved in designing, constructing and testing products for four months. The data was obtained through observations, photographic documentation and transcription of recorded dialogues. Two areas were analyzed, including interactions (communication in a group, negotiations, dialogues leading to problem solving, argumentation), as well as communication challenges (both vocabulary and communication style). The results of the analysis indicate the role of exploratory talk as a tool for building meanings supporting problem solving during construction. Conclusions may be important for educational practice and contribute to the promotion of students' conceptual activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title of this paper reflects the identity politics and liminality of the reverse roles between the author’s positioning as a Ph.D. candidate and her participants who were all full-fledged researchers in the field of education. In this paper, the author reflects on her experience as a home-schooled learner and discusses the methodological and theoretical frameworks used in her doctoral degree and how it aligns with her personal backgrounds and notion of inclusion. Ethical dilemmas, relationships between herself and her participants, and the importance of reflexivity in the research journey, are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This randomised controlled trial experimental study compared the effectiveness of using two different types of visualisation – self‐constructed visualisation (SCV) and passively received visualisation (PRV) – to help children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) solve mathematical word problems. While SCV refers to drawings that children create to help solve given word problems, PRV refers to pre‐made images that accompany word problems. Twenty children with ADHD in Kuwait, aged nine to 11 years, were randomly assigned to either the SCV or PRV group, where they were taught to use either SCV or PRV to solve word problems across 20 daily one‐to‐one sessions. The results showed that regardless of the visualisation type, children's word problem‐solving ability significantly improved. Children with ADHD should thus be encouraged to use visualisation to help make the word problem‐solving process more accessible to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philosophy of social science (PoS) typologies can help practitioners in the social sciences to reflect upon the often‐tacit assumptions embedded in research. Existing PoS typologies however suffer from various shortcomings, one of them being a tendency to present extreme versions of the assumptions underpinning research. Having considered this and other shortcomings, the present paper advances a flexible PoS typology. Operating with strong and moderated versions of three PoS perspectives – positivism, constructionism and (critical) realism – the typology captures key assumptions underpinning a broad range of contemporary social research. Moreover, it opens up the possibility of contemplating the assumptions embedded in research in a more fruitful way. To render tangible how the typology constitutes an improvement over existing typologies, it is used in reflections on sustainability research on climate negotiations, green growth and housing development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies suggest that students develop computational thinking (CT) through learning programming. However, when the target of CT is decoupled from programming, emerging evidence challenges the assertion of CT transferability from programming. In this study, CT was operationalized in everyday problem-solving contexts in a learning experiment (n = 59) that investigated whether learning programming enhances students’ CT skills. Specifically, this study examined the influence of a novel, systematic and micro instructional strategy that is grounded in abstraction and comprised of four independent but related processes – discover, extract, create, and assemble (DECA) towards simplification of problem-solving. Subsidiary questions explored the effects of students’ age, gender, computer proficiency, and prior programming experience on the development of CT. No significant difference was found between the CT skill and programming knowledge of the groups at the posttest. However, within-group paired t-tests showed that the experimental group that integrated DECA had significant improvement in CT but not in the control group across the pretest-posttest axis. Implications of the inconclusive finding about the transfer of programming skills to CT are emphasized and the arguments for disentangling CT from programming are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many industries and becoming increasingly ubiquitous in everyday life. To empower children growing up with AI to navigate society's evolving sociotechnical context, we developed three middle school AI literacy curricula: Creative AI, Dancing with AI, and How to Train Your Robot. In this paper we discuss how we leveraged three design principles—active learning, embedded ethics, and low barriers to access – to effectively engage students in learning to create and critique AI artifacts. During the summer of 2020, we recruited and trained in-service, middle school teachers from across the United States to co-instruct online workshops with students from their schools. In the workshops, a combination of hands-on unplugged and programming activities facilitated students' understanding of AI. As students explored technical concepts in tandem with ethical ones, they developed a critical lens to better grasp how AI systems work and how they impact society. We sought to meet the specified needs of students from a range of backgrounds by minimizing the prerequisite knowledge and technology resources students needed to participate. Finally, we conclude with lessons learned and design recommendations for future AI curricula, especially for K-12 in-person and virtual learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logo is more than a programming language. It is a learning environment where children explore mathematical ideas and create projects of their own design. Logo, the first computer language explicitly designed for children, was invented by Seymour Papert, Wallace Feurzeig, Daniel Bobrow, and Cynthia Solomon in 1966 at Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Inc. (BBN). Logo's design drew upon two theoretical frameworks: Jean Piaget's constructivism and Marvin Minsky's artificial intelligence research at MIT. One of Logo's foundational ideas was that children should have a powerful programming environment. Early Lisp served as a model with its symbolic computation, recursive functions, operations on linked lists, and dynamic scoping of variables. Logo became a symbol for change in elementary mathematics education and in the nature of school itself. The search for harnessing the computer's potential to provide new ways of teaching and learning became a central focus and guiding principle in the Logo language development as it encompassed a widening scope that included natural language, music, graphics, animation, story telling, turtle geometry, robots, and other physical devices.