Tangible Agent-Based Computation for Learning Physics

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: Learning Sciences SIG Poster Session

Abstract

This paper investigates how self-expressive forms of agent-based programming can be integrated with children’s scientific modeling, through the use of tangible interfaces (e.g., distance sensors) connected to a visual programming and modeling platform. Specifically, the research objective of the study is to introduce students to progressively deeper forms of abstraction and complex forms of modeling, in the context of learning kinematics, using both tangible and visual agent-based programming. To this end, this paper introduces ViMAP-Tangible, a new programming language and modeling platform that integrates sensor-based computation with ViMAP (Sengupta, 2011; Sengupta, Wright & Farris, 2012), a visual programming language that is designed specifically to support modeling domain-specific phenomena in physics and biology for elementary and middle school students.

Authors

• Gokul Krishnan, Vanderbilt University

• Pratim Sengupta, Vanderbilt University