Improving Spatial Abilities -- Educational Robotics versus Turtle Geometry
The significance of spatial skills for success in STEM fields has been established through several interdisciplinary studies. We report how a comprehensive training in programming using turtle graphics or educational robotics can positively impact high school novices’ spatial skills. In addition, we examined whether prior knowledge, cognitive abilities, math grade, gender, or age explain variation in intervention effects.
In a quasi-experimental classroom intervention study with N = 602 students, we differentiated between two experimental groups and a control group studying other CS topics without programming content. Mixed-effects models revealed that turtle programming and robotics training positively improved students’ skills in spatial visualization and spatial orientation. Female students in the educational robotics groups showed significantly greater improvements in their spatial visualization skills than males.
Tue 5 AugDisplayed time zone: Eastern Time (US & Canada) change
15:40 - 16:55 | H: Computing In ContextResearch Papers at Grove Ballroom I+II Chair(s): Sebastian Dziallas University of the Pacific | ||
15:40 25mTalk | Improving Spatial Abilities -- Educational Robotics versus Turtle Geometry Research Papers | ||
16:05 25mTalk | Exploring the Interplay Between Learning Programming and Probability Simultaneously: A Case Study of a 9th–Grade Student Research Papers Sindre M. S. Nordvoll University of Oslo, Ragnhild Kobro Runde University of Oslo, Quintin Cutts University of Glasgow, UK, Dag Sjøberg University of Oslo DOI | ||
16:30 25mTalk | Comparisons between and Trends among Integrated Computing Activities Designed by Teachers and Researchers Research Papers Marya Rahimi Georgia State University, Yin-Chan Liao Georgia State University, Nooshin Haddadian Georgia State University, Miranda Parker University of North Carolina Charlotte, Brendan Calandra Georgia State University | ||