While pair learning (PL) is considered a potential method in STEM education including robotics education (RE), the question of how to pair students for superior learning effects remains. Current grouping strategies for PL in RE are constrained by fixed grouping (FG) and short of attention to dynamic grouping (DG). Therefore, this study aims to…

This study investigated the effectiveness of the 'Match it' card sorting activity for evaluating the student teachers' knowledge and understanding of computational thinking (CT) concepts. One hundred forty-six primary student teachers were asked to sort 26 scenarios and words alongside nine images under five main computational concepts:…

In company with other leading jurisdictions around the world, Hong Kong is taking important steps to mainstream computational thinking education (CTE) into the primary grades curriculum. At the vanguard of this movement in Hong Kong, CoolThink@JC is a 3-year course sequence for upper primary students designed to develop computational thinking…

Integrating computer science (CS) into school curricula has become a worldwide preoccupation. Therefore, we present a CS and Robotics integration model and its validation through a large-scale pilot study in the administrative region of the Canton Vaud in Switzerland. Approximately 350 primary school teachers followed a mandatory CS continuing…

Assessment is a central feature of teaching and learning. It is both complex and challenging in ordinary times, and these aspects are magnified in an online learning environment. Given its central role, it is crucial that its design and purpose is rigorous and robust. This paper presents justification for using interactive oral assessment as an…

In this paper we present a pilot study to improve the learning process on distance learning Engineering master's degrees. We propose an activity where the students individually produce a video in which they explain the solution to one of their assignments. They then receive the teacher's feedback and are acquainted with the assessment rubric.…

This paper presents a pilot study on the evaluation of instruments for data gathering for an epistemic game development competition for high school students. The initial results show that a significant percentage of the students who participated in the competition appear to exhibit a skillset of professional attitude, software-related knowledge,…

Background and Context: Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasises the importance of language, mediation, and the transfer of skills and knowledge from the social into the cognitive plane. This perspective has influenced the development of PRIMM (Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify, Make), a structured approach to teaching programming. Objective:…

In this paper we present a software platform called Chatbot designed to introduce high school students to Computer Science (CS) concepts in an innovative way: by programming chatbots. A chatbot is a bot that can be programmed to have a conversation with a human or robotic partner in some natural language such as English or Spanish. While…

There has been a growth in online distance learning programmes in Higher Education. This has led to an increased interest in different approaches to the assessment of online distance learners, including how to enhance student authentication and reduce the potential for cheating in online tests. One potential solution for this is the use of remote…

An e-learning discussion forum, an essential component of today's e-learning systems, offers a platform for social learning activities. However, as learners participate in the discussion forum, privacy emerges as a major concern. Privacy concerns in social learning activities originate from one learner's inability to convey a desired presentation…

This paper presents the usability evaluation of a digital systems laboratory class offered to distance-learning students. It details the way in which students can participate remotely in such a laboratory, the methodology employed in the usability assessment of the laboratory infrastructure (hardware and software), and also outlines the main…

Inside the globalisation era in which society is immersed, one of the current challenges for any educational system is to provide quality education. While some countries are linguistically homogeneous, many countries and regions display a wealth of linguistic diversity and it is essential to adapt the educational system to those realities. In…

Recursion is a programming paradigm as well as a problem solving strategy thought to be very challenging to grasp for university students. This article outlines a pilot study, which expands the age range of students exposed to the concept of recursion in computer science through instruction in a series of interesting and engaging activities. In…

A verbal and e-mail survey was conducted of 30 senior high teachers in Alberta who teach computer programming courses in the Career and Technology Studies curriculum, in order to ascertain what courses at the intermediate and advanced levels were being offered, what programming languages were being used, why teachers selected the particular…