Bringing Blocks-Based Programming Into High School Computer Science Classrooms

• In Event: Learning, Instruction, and Motivation in Computer Science Education

Abstract

Over the last decade, blocks-based programming has steadily been moving from the informal settings it was initially designed for, into more conventional educational contexts. Inspired in large part by the successes such tools have had at engaging novices in programming, these drag-and-drop graphical programming environments are now a central component of numerous curricula designed for high school computer science classrooms. In this paper, we explore some of the consequences, both positive and negative, associated with using blocks-based programming tools in introductory high school computer science courses, including issues relating to student perceptions of blocks-based tools, the shifting role of the teacher with differing tools, and open questions surrounding learning and transfer with blocks-based programming.

Authors

• David Weintrop, Northwestern University

• Uri J. Wilensky, Northwestern University