Fostering Computational Thinking and Creativity for Young Children Through Robotics With Unplugged Activities

• In Event: STEM-Related Topics in Early Childhood

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how unplugged activities with robots can foster young children’s computational thinking and creativity in naturalistic settings. The participants were 5-year-old children (N=21) enrolled in a child care center located in South Korea. The qualitative data collected for five weeks revealed that utilizing robotics in an early childhood classroom created a developmentally appropriate and playful environment for children to exercise critical thinking, creatively solve problems, and collectively learn the basic concepts of computational thinking through peer scaffolding. Our findings suggest that utilizing robotics to enhance children’s computational thinking and creativity is a promising area for continued exploration.

Authors

• Soyeon Park, San Francisco State University

• Hui Young Chun, Kosin University