Developing Young Children's Computational Thinking With Educational Robotics: An Interaction Effect Between Gender and Scaffolding Strategy

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 29
  In Roundtable Session: Virtual Reality and Robotics in Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The study examined the effects of learning with the Bee-Bot on young boys’ and girls’ computational thinking skills within the context of two scaffolding techniques. The study reports statistically significant learning gains between the initial and final assessment of children’s computational thinking skills. Also according to the findings, while both genders benefited from both scaffolding techniques, a statistically significant interaction effect between gender and scaffolding technique was detected showing that boys benefited more from the individualistic, kinesthetic spatially- oriented, and manipulative-based activity with cards, while girls benefited more from the collaborative writing activity.

Author

• Charoula M. Angeli, University of Cyprus