TY - JOUR A1 - Bottino, Rosa A1 - Chioccariello, Augusto T1 - Computational Thinking BT - Videogames, Educational Robotics, and other Powerful Ideas to Think with JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - Digital technology has radically changed the way people work in industry, finance, services, media and commerce. Informatics has contributed to the scientific and technological development of our society in general and to the digital revolution in particular. Computational thinking is the term indicating the key ideas of this discipline that might be included in the key competencies underlying the curriculum of compulsory education. The educational potential of informatics has a history dating back to the sixties. In this article, we briefly revisit this history looking for lessons learned. In particular, we focus on experiences of teaching and learning programming. However, computational thinking is more than coding. It is a way of thinking and practicing interactive dynamic modeling with computers. We advocate that learners can practice computational thinking in playful contexts where they can develop personal projects, for example building videogames and/or robots, share and discuss their construction with others. In our view, this approach allows an integration of computational thinking in the K-12 curriculum across disciplines. KW - Computational thinking KW - programming in context KW - informatics education Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82820 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 301 EP - 309 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Christensen, Rhonda A1 - Knezek, Gerald T1 - The Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Questionnaire (TPSA) BT - Evolution of a Self-Efficacy Measure for Technology Integration JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - The Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment (TPSA) questionnaire has been used for 15 years in the USA and other nations as a self-efficacy measure for proficiencies fundamental to effective technology integration in the classroom learning environment. Internal consistency reliabilities for each of the five-item scales have typically ranged from .73 to .88 for preservice or inservice technology-using teachers. Due to changing technologies used in education, researchers sought to renovate partially obsolete items and extend self-efficacy assessment to new areas, such as social media and mobile learning. Analysis of 2014 data gathered on a new, 34 item version of the TPSA indicates that the four established areas of email, World Wide Web (WWW), integrated applications, and teaching with technology continue to form consistent scales with reliabilities ranging from .81 to .93, while the 14 new items gathered to represent emerging technologies and media separate into two scales, each with internal consistency reliabilities greater than .9. The renovated TPSA is deemed to be worthy of continued use in the teaching with technology context. KW - Technology proficiency KW - self-efficacy KW - teacher competencies Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82838 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 311 EP - 318 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maina, Anthony Gioko A1 - Angondi, Enos Kiforo A1 - Waga, Rosemary T1 - How does the Implementation of a Literacy Learning Tool Kit influence Literacy Skill Acquisition? JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - This study aimed at following how teachers transfer skills into results while using ABRA literacy software. This was done in the second part of the pilot study whose aim was to provide equity to control group teachers and students by exposing them to the ABRACADABRA treatment after the end of phase 1. This opportunity was used to follow the phase 1 teachers to see how the skills learned were being transformed into results. A standard three-day initial training and planning session on how to use ABRA to teach literacy was held at the beginning of each phase for ABRA teachers (phase 1 experimental and phase 2 delayed ABRA). Teachers were provided with teaching materials including a tentative ABRA curriculum developed to align with the Kenyan English Language requirements for year 1 and 3 students. Results showed that although there was no significant difference between the groups in vocabulary-related subscales which include word reading and meaning as well as sentence comprehension, students in ABRACADABRA classes improved their scores at a significantly higher rate than students in control classes in comprehension related scores. An average student in the ABRACADABRA group improved by 12 and 16 percentile points respectively compared to their counterparts in the control group. KW - ABRACADABRA KW - Early Literacy KW - Achievement KW - Teachers KW - Learners Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82856 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 319 EP - 326 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ohrndorf, Laura T1 - Assignments in Computer Science Education BT - Results of an Analysis of Textbooks, Curricula and other Resources JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - In this paper we describe the recent state of our research project concerning computer science teachers’ knowledge on students’ cognition. We did a comprehensive analysis of textbooks, curricula and other resources, which give teachers guidance to formulate assignments. In comparison to other subjects there are only a few concepts and strategies taught to prospective computer science teachers in university. We summarize them and given an overview on our empirical approach to measure this knowledge. KW - Pedagogical content knowledge KW - computer science teachers KW - students’ knowledge KW - students’ conceptions Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82868 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 327 EP - 333 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Or-Bach, Rachel T1 - Programming for Non-Programmers BT - Fostering Comprehension Capabilities by Employing a PRS JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - The study reported in this paper involved the employment of specific in-class exercises using a Personal Response System (PRS). These exercises were designed with two goals: to enhance students’ capabilities of tracing a given code and of explaining a given code in natural language with some abstraction. The paper presents evidence from the actual use of the PRS along with students’ subjective impressions regarding both the use of the PRS and the special exercises. The conclusions from the findings are followed with a short discussion on benefits of PRS-based mental processing exercises for learning programming and beyond. KW - Novice programmers KW - comprehension KW - tracing KW - personal response systems Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82875 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 335 EP - 342 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Preston, Christina A1 - Younie, Sarah T1 - Mentoring in a Digital World BT - What are the Issues? JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - This paper focuses on the results of the evaluation of the first pilot of an e-mentoring unit designed by the Hands-On ICT consortium, funded by the EU LLL programme. The overall aim of this two-year activity is to investigate the value for professional learning of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and Community Online Open Courses (COOCs) in the context of a ‘community of practice’. Three units in the first pilot covered aspects of using digital technologies to develop creative thinking skills. The findings in this paper relate to the fourth unit about e-mentoring, a skill that was important to delivering the course content in the other three units. Findings about the e-mentoring unit included: the students’ request for detailed profiles so that participants can get to know each other; and, the need to reconcile the different interpretations of e-mentoring held by the participants when the course begins. The evaluators concluded that the major issues were that: not all professional learners would self-organise and network; and few would wish to mentor their colleagues voluntarily. Therefore, the e-mentoring issues will need careful consideration in pilots two and three to identify how e-mentoring will be organised. KW - MOOCs KW - e-mentoring KW - professional development KW - ICT skills KW - user-centred Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82895 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 343 EP - 350 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Przybylla, Mareen A1 - Romeike, Ralf T1 - Key Competences with Physical Computing JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - Physical computing covers the design and realization of interactive objects and installations and allows students to develop concrete, tangible products of the real world that arise from the learners’ imagination. This way, constructionist learning is raised to a level that enables students to gain haptic experience and thereby concretizes the virtual. In this paper the defining characteristics of physical computing are described. Key competences to be gained with physical computing will be identified. KW - Defining characteristics of physical computing KW - key competences in physical computing KW - physical computing tools Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82904 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 351 EP - 361 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reynolds, Nicholas A1 - Swainston, Andrew A1 - Bendrups, Faye T1 - Music Technology and Computational Thinking BT - Young People displaying Competence JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - A project involving the composition of a number of pieces of music by public participants revealed levels of engagement with and mastery of complex music technologies by a number of secondary student volunteers. This paper reports briefly on some initial findings of that project and seeks to illuminate an understanding of computational thinking across the curriculum. KW - Computational Thinking KW - Music Technology KW - ICT Competence KW - Young People Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82913 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 363 EP - 370 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sysło, Maciej M. A1 - Kwiatkowska, Anna Beata T1 - Think logarithmically! JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - We discuss here a number of algorithmic topics which we use in our teaching and in learning of mathematics and informatics to illustrate and document the power of logarithm in designing very efficient algorithms and computations – logarithmic thinking is one of the most important key competencies for solving real world practical problems. We demonstrate also how to introduce logarithm independently of mathematical formalism using a conceptual model for reducing a problem size by at least half. It is quite surprising that the idea, which leads to logarithm, is present in Euclid’s algorithm described almost 2000 years before John Napier invented logarithm. KW - Logarithm KW - binary search KW - binary representation KW - exponentiation KW - Euclid’s algorithm KW - Fibonacci numbers KW - divide and conquer KW - complexity Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82923 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 371 EP - 380 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zieris, Holger A1 - Gerstberger, Herbert A1 - Müller, Wolfgang T1 - Using Arduino-Based Experiments to Integrate Computer Science Education and Natural Science JF - KEYCIT 2014 - Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT N2 - Current curricular trends require teachers in Baden- Wuerttemberg (Germany) to integrate Computer Science (CS) into traditional subjects, such as Physical Science. However, concrete guidelines are missing. To fill this gap, we outline an approach where a microcontroller is used to perform and evaluate measurements in the Physical Science classroom. Using the open-source Arduino platform, we expect students to acquire and develop both CS and Physical Science competencies by using a self-programmed microcontroller. In addition to this combined development of competencies in Physical Science and CS, the subject matter will be embedded in suitable contexts and learning environments, such as weather and climate. KW - Computer Science Education KW - Natural Science Education KW - Inquiry-based Learning KW - Physical Science KW - Measurement KW - Arduino KW - Sensors Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82938 SN - 1868-0844 SN - 2191-1940 IS - 7 SP - 381 EP - 389 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER -