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Panel: Future Directions of Block-based Programming

Authors:

Neil C.C. Brown,

Jens Mönig,

Anthony Bau,

David WeintropAuthors Info & Claims

SIGCSE '16: Proceedings of the 47th ACM Technical Symposium on Computing Science Education

Pages 315 - 316

https://doi.org/10.1145/2839509.2844661

Published: 17 February 2016 Publication History

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Abstract

Blocks-based programming is becoming the way that learners are being introduced to programming and computer science. Led by the popularity of tools like Scratch, Alice, and Code.org's Hour of Code activities, many new programming environments and initiatives are employing the blocks-based modality. This trend can be seen in the growing number of classroom computer science curricula incorporating blocksbased environments into their materials. Despite this rise in use, many open questions remain surrounding blocks-based programming. In this panel, we discuss the current state of blocks-based programming environments, review what we know about learning with blocks-based tools, and look to the future, discussing what form next-generation blocks-based, or blocks-inspired, programming environments might take. Research looking at blocks-based programming is revealing that modality matters: that the representations used to present programming concepts affect learners' conceptual understanding [6], programming practices [3], and perceptions of programming and computer science [5]. This panel brings together leading designers and researchers looking to advance graphical, blocks-based programming through new, innovate designs. The panel will open with a review of current research literature on learning with blocks-based programming and then continue with presentations of three recently designed blocks-based programming environments (Greenfoot 3, GP, Pencil Code), each of which look to push the boundaries of the approach in diffierent directions. These short presentations will frame the discussion of pertinent questions facing designers and educators who use blocksbased programming environments.

References

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C. M. Lewis. How programming environment shapes perception, learning and goals: Logo vs. scratch. In SIGCSE '10, pages 346--350, 2010.

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O. Meerbaum-Salant, M. Armoni, and M. Ben-Ari. Habits of programming in scratch. In ITiCSE '11, pages 168--172, 2011.

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J. Mönig, Y. Ohshima, and J. Maloney. Blocks at your fingertips: Blurring the line between blocks and text in GP. In Blocks and Beyond workshop, 2015.

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D. Weintrop and U. Wilensky. To block or not to block, that is the question: Students' perceptions of blocks-based programming. In IDC '15, pages 199--208, 2015.

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Cited By

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Yu QYu KLi B(2024)Effects of Block-Based Visual Programming on K-12 Students’ Learning OutcomesJournal of Educational Computing Research10.1177/07356331241293163Online publication date: 29-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331241293163
Luo FLiu RNasrin FAwoyemi ICrawford CMa W(2024)Engaging students of color in physiological computing with insights from eye-trackingJournal of Research on Technology in Education10.1080/15391523.2024.2381226(1-22)Online publication date: 22-Jul-2024
https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2024.2381226
Skaraki EKolokotronis F(2022)Preschool and early primary school age children learning of computational thinking through the use of asynchronous learning environments in the age of Covid-19Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.0022:1(180-186)Online publication date: 2022
https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.002
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Index Terms

Panel: Future Directions of Block-based Programming
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education

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Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

SIGCSE '16: Proceedings of the 47th ACM Technical Symposium on Computing Science Education

February 2016

768 pages

ISBN:9781450336857

DOI:10.1145/2839509

General Chairs:
Carl Alphonce
University at Buffalo
,
Jodi Tims
Baldwin Wallace University
,
Program Chairs:
Michael Caspersen
Aarhus University
,
Stephen Edwards
Virginia Tech University

Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the Owner/Author.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 17 February 2016

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blocks-based editing

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SIGCSE '16

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SIGCSE

SIGCSE '16: The 47th ACM Technical Symposium on Computing Science Education

March 2 - 5, 2016

Tennessee, Memphis, USA

Acceptance Rates

SIGCSE '16 Paper Acceptance Rate 105 of 297 submissions, 35%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 1,595 of 4,542 submissions, 35%

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SIGCSE TS 2025

Sponsor:
sigcse

The 56th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

February 26 - March 1, 2025

Pittsburgh , PA , USA

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Cited By

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Yu QYu KLi B(2024)Effects of Block-Based Visual Programming on K-12 Students’ Learning OutcomesJournal of Educational Computing Research10.1177/07356331241293163Online publication date: 29-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331241293163
Luo FLiu RNasrin FAwoyemi ICrawford CMa W(2024)Engaging students of color in physiological computing with insights from eye-trackingJournal of Research on Technology in Education10.1080/15391523.2024.2381226(1-22)Online publication date: 22-Jul-2024
https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2024.2381226
Skaraki EKolokotronis F(2022)Preschool and early primary school age children learning of computational thinking through the use of asynchronous learning environments in the age of Covid-19Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.0022:1(180-186)Online publication date: 2022
https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.002
Mountapmbeme AOkafor OLudi S(2022)Accessible Blockly: An Accessible Block-Based Programming Library for People with Visual ImpairmentsProceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility10.1145/3517428.3544806(1-15)Online publication date: 23-Oct-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3517428.3544806
Allen ODowns XVaroy ELuxton-Reilly AGiacaman N(2022)Block-Based Object-Oriented ProgrammingIEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies10.1109/TLT.2022.319031815:4(439-453)Online publication date: 1-Aug-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/TLT.2022.3190318
Geng Z(2022)Environmental design as a component of block‐based programmingComputer Applications in Engineering Education10.1002/cae.2259131:2(408-420)Online publication date: 23-Dec-2022
https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22591
Strong GNorth B(2021)Pytch — an environment for bridging block and text programming styles (Work in progress)Proceedings of the 16th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education10.1145/3481312.3481318(1-4)Online publication date: 18-Oct-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3481312.3481318
Boulden DRachmatullah AHinckle MBounajim DMott BBoyer KLester JWiebe ESchulte CBecker BDivitini MBarendsen E(2021)Supporting Students' Computer Science Learning with a Game-based Learning Environment that Integrates a Use-Modify-Create Scaffolding FrameworkProceedings of the 26th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3430665.3456349(129-135)Online publication date: 26-Jun-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3430665.3456349
Perera PTennakoon GAhangama SPanditharathna RChathuranga B(2021)A Systematic Mapping of Introductory Programming Languages for Novice LearnersIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2021.30895609(88121-88136)Online publication date: 2021
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3089560
Rachmatullah AAkram BBoulden DMott BBoyer KLester JWiebe E(2020)Development and Validation of the Middle Grades Computer Science Concept Inventory (MG-CSCI) AssessmentEURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education10.29333/ejmste/11660016:5Online publication date: 2020
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