基于编程环境的小学生程序设计成功比较(IJMECS-V8-N8-1)

I.J.ModernEducationandComputerScience,2016,8,1-10PublishedOnlineAugust2016inMECS()DOI:10.5815/ijmecs.2016.08.01Copyright©2016MECSI.J.ModernEducationandComputerScience,2016,8,1-10ComparingElementaryStudents’ProgrammingSuccessbasedonProgrammingEnvironmentMonikaMladenovićElementaryschoolBlatine-Skrape,Split,21000,CroatiaEmail:[e-mail]ćandSašaMladenovićFacultyofScience,UniversityofSplit,Split,21000,CroatiaEmail:{marko.rosic,smladen}@pmfst.hrAbstract—IntheRepublicofCroatiaInformaticsisanelectivecourseinelementaryschoolforstudentsfrom5thto8thgrade.WhenitcomestoprogramminglanguageteacherscanchoosebetweenBASICandLogo.TherearealotofnewprogrammingenvironmentsforlearningandteachingprogramminglikeScratchandalsonewwaysofteachingprogramminglikegamebasedlearning.Thisstudycomparesattitudinalandlearningoutcomesof7th-gradestudentsprogramminginLogoandScratch.Theclasseswerenormalclasses,non-extracurricularactivities.Thequestionnaireisusedtomeasuretheattitudetowardsprogrammingandprogramminglanguages.ThetestisconstructedtomeasurelearnedprogrammingconceptsinbothcomparedprogramminglanguagesLogoandScratch.ResultsshowedthatlearningScratchfirstcanprovideabetterunderstandingofbasicprogrammingconceptfornovicesinelementaryschoolthanLogo.IndexTerms—Programming,Scratch,Logo,elementaryschool,gamebasedlearning.I.INTRODUCTIONProgrammingischallengingbothforeducatorsandstudents[1]andisconsideredhardforlearningandunderstanding,especiallyfornovices[2][3][4]regardlessofage[5].Mostoftheelementarystudentshaveanegativeattitudetowardsprogramming[6].Someresearchshowedthatfactorssuchasattitudeandmotivationtowardsprogrammingaffectthesuccessinlearningtoprogram[7].Althoughprogrammingisayoungdisciplinebecauseofsignificanttechnologyprogressinlastfewdecades,thewayoflearninghasnotchanged.Fundamentalproblemsusedinteachingprogrammingarestillmathproblemswhilecomputersandprogrammingarenotperceivedanymorejustasgreatcalculatorsusedforsolvingcomplexmathequations.Programmingisawayofthinking,notaconditioningskillfulness.Learningaboutlanguagesyntaxandbasicconstructsiscomparabletolearningaboutpencilsandpaperwhenlearninghowtodraw.Somestudieshaveindicatedthatfactorsasattitudeandmotivationhaveasignificantinfluenceonsuccessfactorwhenlearningtoprogram[7].―Oldschool‖wayoflearningtoprogram,withoutrelatingtostudents’interestsisnotencouragingstudentsforlearningprogrammingandcomputerscience.[8][9].Oneofthefirstprogramminglanguagesdesignedforchildren,usedasatooltolearngeometrybymasteringproblem-solvingskillsisPapert’sLogo[10].ResultsofprogramsexecutionwritteninLogoarevisuallyattractive.Theproblemfornovicesistypedsyntax,especiallywhenitcomestonon-Englishspeakers.ScratchisavisualprogramminglanguagebasedonLogophilosophy,buttheuseofdraganddropblocks[11]presentedintheformofpuzzleseliminatesthetypedsyntaxproblems,allowingtofocusonsemanticsinsteadonsyntax.Thisstudycomparesstudents’testresultsinLogoandScratchandalsostudents’attitudetowardsprogrammingandprogramminglanguagesaftertreatmentinschoolsettings.WehypothesizedthatinthecomparisonresultsinLogoandScratch:StudentswillachievebetterresultsinScratchthanLogo.ThereforeScratchenvironmentprovidesabetterprogrammingenvironmentformasteringbasicprogrammingconceptsforthisage.StudentsattitudetowardsprogrammingafterusingScratchisbetter.StudentsmorelikeScratchthanLogoenvironment.Inthenextsection,thegeneralbackgroundandrelatedstudiesaredescribed,followedbythedescriptionoftheresearchmethodologyusedinthethirdsectionofthepaper.Finally,inthefourthsectionresultsandobservationsbasedonthedatacollectedarepresentedandcommented,providinganswerstothehypothesespresentedintheintroductionsection.II.BACKGROUNDANDRELATEDRESEARCHESIntheRepublicofCroatiaInformaticsisanelectivecourseinelementaryschoolforstudentsfrom5thto8thgrade.Ineverygrade,programmingisoneofthelearningtopics.BasedonCroatiannationalcurricula[10]teacherscanchoosebetweenBASICandLogoforaprogramminglanguage.2ComparingElementaryStudents’ProgrammingSuccessbasedonProgrammingEnvironmentCopyright©2016MECSI.J.ModernEducationandComputerScience,2016,8,1-10Asprogrammingisnotpopularamongchildren,selectionofappropriateprogramminglanguagecanbecrucialinmotivationandattitudetowardsprogramming.Atthesametime,childrenshouldmasterbasicprogrammingconceptsthatshouldn’tbeneglectedjustformotivationalfactors.Researchersconductedstudiesinclubsorsummerschoolsandschoolsettings.Summerschoolsandclubhousesarelearningenvironmentswiththeinformalsetting.Oneofthebenefitsofinformallearningspacesisthatyouthcanexploretheirinterestsinalengthy,uninterruptedspanoftime[11].ResearchersconductedoneofsuchstudiesatHarvard’ssummerschoolwherethegoaloftheresearchwastoapprovestudents’attitudetowardprogramming.TheywereusingJavaafterusingScratchprogramminglanguage.ResultsshowedthatchildrenconsiderScratchfun,andtheyhadapositiveattitudetowardsprogrammingafterusingScratch,asmallnumberofstudentsthatdidn’tlikeScratchweremostlystudentswithpriorprogrammingexperienceinproceduralprogramminglanguages[12].Membe