Contribution: This study presents an innovative experiential learning model utilizing an educational pico satellite kit as a tool for cultivating digital making skills. The distinct approach showcases a positive impact on students' learning experiences and serves as a motivating force, offering valuable implications for engineering and technical…

A national curriculum for the study of computing became compulsory in English secondary schools in September 2014, replacing the study of information and communications technology with computer science (CS). This posed difficulties for teachers and students who did not have knowledge or experience of programming. This study was designed to…

The relationship between cognitive engagement and learning gains in computer programming has not been well-studied. This study examined the relationship between students' cognitive engagement and learning gains in the context of Python programming. Cognitive engagement, defined by the Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive (ICAP) framework,…

This research explores how metacognitive strategies influence the metacognitive awareness of undergraduate students enrolled in an online flipped programming course. It specifically focuses on regulatory actions crucial for success in programming instruction and distance education settings. The primary objective is to contribute to the existing…

Programmed control systems are ubiquitous in the present-day world. In current educational practice, however, these systems are hardly being addressed, and little is known about children's spontaneous understandings about such systems. Therefore, we explored pupils' understandings prior to instruction in three concrete settings: a car park, an…

Teaching computational thinking skills to novice college students via programming poses considerable challenges. It involves learning programming language syntax and commands, along with fostering higher-order skills crucial for both computational thinking proficiency and future careers. To address this, we proposed a pedagogical approach…

This study had two objectives: (1) to evaluate the validity of an instrument for measuring differentiated cognitive loads in its Spanish version; and (2) to evaluate the three types of cognitive loads and their relationship with self-efficacy, self-concept, and interest in programming of students in an introductory course. Understanding and…

The emergence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked investigations into their applications in teaching and learning. In computer programming education, efforts are underway to explore how this tool can enhance instructional practices. Despite the growing literature, there is a lack of synthesis on its use in this field. This rapid review…

STEM education aims to develop 21st-century skills, support economic growth and promote gender equality in STEM fields. It is known that gender stereotypes play a significant role in the formation of STEM identity. The most important factor preventing some high school-level female students from pursuing STEM careers is their lack of participation…

Recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) have drawn significant attention from educators and researchers. However, its effects on learners' programming performance, self-efficacy and learning processes remain inconclusive, while the mechanisms underlying its efficiency-enhancing potential are underexplored. This study…

In recent years, the intersection of music and coding has emerged as a cross-disciplinary approach to engage learners in both musical and computational expression. This article examines the motivations and framing of recent music and coding research through an analysis of 65 articles published between 2004 and 2024. We survey the key findings of…

Background and Context: Research in programming education seems to show that hands-on writing at the keyboard is beneficial for learning, but we lack an explanation of why that is and an underlying theory to anchor that explanation. Objective: The first objective is to lay out a theoretical foundation for understanding the learning situation when…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of self-regulated programming learning on undergraduate students' academic performance and motivation compared to traditional methods. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted with an explanatory sequential mixed method. Participants consist of 31 undergraduate students…

Previous studies on writing and understanding programs presented evidence that programmers beyond a novice stage utilize plans or plan-like structures. Other studies on code composition showed that learners have difficulties with writing, reading, and debugging code where interacting plans are merged into a short piece of code. In this article, we…

Block programming has been suggested as a way of engaging young learners with the foundations of programming and computational thinking in a syntax-free manner. Indeed, syntax errors--which form one of two broad categories of errors in programming, the other one being logic errors--are omitted while block programming. However, this does not mean…