Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, 2001
... up preparation of tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3), the Ministry of Education... more ... up preparation of tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3), the Ministry of Education (MOE) of ... Virtual elections, distance learning courses, and electronic journals can all being offered in this virtual ... a new project to set national norm on IT proficiency for all K-12 teachers. ...
The purpose of this study is to design a computational thinking curriculum standard for K-12 educ... more The purpose of this study is to design a computational thinking curriculum standard for K-12 education. The Delphi technique was employed to collect different views and derive consensus from a panel of thirteen experts, including computer scientists, computer science educators, K-12 computer teachers, and industry experts. The first draft of Delphi survey questionnaire, consisting of nine themes (problem solving, problem decomposition, algorithms, data representation, data analysis, modeling and simulation, abstraction, automation, and others) and 60 competence indicators, was developed based on our investigation of the nature of computational thinking. After three rounds of survey and a final round-table discussion, the expert panel derived 49 essential competence indicators (13 for grades K to 6, nine for grades 7 to 9 and 27 of grades 10 to 12) and eight optional competence indicators (one for grades 7 to 9 and seven for grades 10 to 12). According to the results, the core ability and training of computational thinking are different in grades. In grades K to 6, students develop logical thinking and problem solving skills in personal and family life. In grades 7 to 9, students must understand the basic concepts of programming and write basic programs. Finally, in grades 10 to 12, they will use high-level skills to apply the concepts of abstraction, modeling, and structured problem decomposition to solve problems in different fields. The results serve as useful references for developing Taiwan's new K-12 computing curriculum.
This paper documents the implementation of an augmented reality (AR) application which assists st... more This paper documents the implementation of an augmented reality (AR) application which assists students in learning three-dimensional views concepts. The AR application was developed with two main features: the first helped students to visualize the (augmented) three-dimensional views (front, right, and top) of a physical object; the second enabled students to observe how an (augmented) 3D object could be gradually formulated from its three-dimensional views. The features were designed so that students' cognitive load could be reduced when manipulating the mental images of a 3D object. The AR application will be evaluated in terms of how it improves students' achievement as well as reduces students' cognitive load in learning three-dimensional views.
In this study we developed three hands-on activities to teach high school students computational ... more In this study we developed three hands-on activities to teach high school students computational thinking (CT) and, specifically, the decomposition skills. The activities were designed to enable students to solve problems by using application tools. The computer science concepts utilized in the activities included binary search, quick sort and iteration. We evaluated the effect of the activities utilizing a post-activity questionnaire, a post-test, students' worksheets, and semi-structured interviews with the participating students. The results indicated that the hands-on activities developed in this study improved students' CT ability.
EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Jun 21, 2004
... Level 2 - Learning This can be defined as the extent to which participants change attitudes .... more ... Level 2 - Learning This can be defined as the extent to which participants change attitudes ... 4 - Results This level is concerned with what happens to the participants' organization as a ... In the following, we will discuss the four-level training evaluation results based on the collected ...
This study investigated the effects of teaching history of computing with videos of historical fi... more This study investigated the effects of teaching history of computing with videos of historical figures. Augmented reality (AR) techniques were applied to assist student accessing the videos of historical figures while reading a printed textbook. Whenever a student was interested in a historical figure, one could use a tablet PC to scan the figure's picture, and the corresponding video about the person would then be played on the screen. We adapted thirteen videos of historical figures in computer network field and adopted a quasi-experimental method to evaluate the effectiveness of the AR-based learning approach. Two classes of high school students, with a total of 84 students, participated in the experiment. One class of the students used Tablet PCs to access the videos of historical figures, and the other class using traditional didactic instruction served as the control group. The data collected for analysis are students' achievement test scores and answers to a questionnaire, which consists of questions on attitudes toward learning, perspectives of nature of science, and perceptions on the AR activities. Our findings showed that the AR-based historical figure videos helped students comprehend learning contents and promoted their attitudes toward learning. Students appreciated the convenience of using AR tools to access the history videos. Future research should investigate other approaches to integrate AR with the videos of historical figure, and in general, to integrate AR with other media format of computing history.
This study investigated how different types of conceptual models and cognitive learning styles in... more This study investigated how different types of conceptual models and cognitive learning styles influence novice programmers when learning recursion. A pretest-posttest, 2 x 2 (conceptual models x learning styles) factorial experimental design was implemented in order to study the problem. Two hundred thirty-seven students enrolled in an introductory computer science course at a major southwest research university served as the subjects for this study. Subjects were randomly assigned to either an abstract model group or a concrete model group and the groups were of approximately equal size. Different conceptual models (abstract or concrete) were used to present recursion to the two model groups. Within each model group, subjects were identified as either an abstract learner or a concrete learner based on their scores on the scrambled Kolb's Learning-Style Inventory 1985. A posttest and two retention tests were administered after the treatment to compare students' performance in different groups. A pretest administered prior to the treatment was used to equate the variance caused by students' prior knowledge in the statistical analysis. The statistical procedure of two-way ANCOVA was employed to analyze all of the performance data. The findings of this study are: Concrete conceptual models were better than abstract conceptual models in teaching recursion to novice programmers. However, the teaching effects weakened several weeks after classroom instruction. Novice programmers with abstract learning styles performed better than those with concrete learning styles when learning recursion. Finally, abstract learners did not necessarily benefit more from abstract conceptual models, and concrete learners did not necessarily benefit more from concrete conceptual models. A replication study with a longer treatment period that covers more aspects of recursive programming is recommended for future research. Additional research needs to be conducted to better understand students' mental models of recursion. Furthermore, future research should investigate how the other dimension of Kolb's learning styles (i.e., active-reflective) relates to the instructional methods provided. It is also recommended that the relationship between the characteristic of learning tasks (or domains) and the matching of learning styles with conceptual models be investigated.
Spatial ability is considered essential in learning many disciplines. Studies have shown that pro... more Spatial ability is considered essential in learning many disciplines. Studies have shown that providing students with geometry learning activities would help them develop spatial ability. Augmented Reality (AR) provides a combination of real and virtual worlds and allows students to view the spatial relationship of real world objects that is impossible to be implemented in traditional textbooks. This study have two purposes: (1) to develop an augmented reality system to assist students solve the Rubik's cube and learn the geometry concepts of volume and surface area, and (2) to examine the effects of using the system in terms of students' improvement on spatial ability, geometry achievement, and attitudes toward learning. The system is still under development and the evaluation is yet to be done.
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, 2001
... up preparation of tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3), the Ministry of Education... more ... up preparation of tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3), the Ministry of Education (MOE) of ... Virtual elections, distance learning courses, and electronic journals can all being offered in this virtual ... a new project to set national norm on IT proficiency for all K-12 teachers. ...
The purpose of this study is to design a computational thinking curriculum standard for K-12 educ... more The purpose of this study is to design a computational thinking curriculum standard for K-12 education. The Delphi technique was employed to collect different views and derive consensus from a panel of thirteen experts, including computer scientists, computer science educators, K-12 computer teachers, and industry experts. The first draft of Delphi survey questionnaire, consisting of nine themes (problem solving, problem decomposition, algorithms, data representation, data analysis, modeling and simulation, abstraction, automation, and others) and 60 competence indicators, was developed based on our investigation of the nature of computational thinking. After three rounds of survey and a final round-table discussion, the expert panel derived 49 essential competence indicators (13 for grades K to 6, nine for grades 7 to 9 and 27 of grades 10 to 12) and eight optional competence indicators (one for grades 7 to 9 and seven for grades 10 to 12). According to the results, the core ability and training of computational thinking are different in grades. In grades K to 6, students develop logical thinking and problem solving skills in personal and family life. In grades 7 to 9, students must understand the basic concepts of programming and write basic programs. Finally, in grades 10 to 12, they will use high-level skills to apply the concepts of abstraction, modeling, and structured problem decomposition to solve problems in different fields. The results serve as useful references for developing Taiwan's new K-12 computing curriculum.
This paper documents the implementation of an augmented reality (AR) application which assists st... more This paper documents the implementation of an augmented reality (AR) application which assists students in learning three-dimensional views concepts. The AR application was developed with two main features: the first helped students to visualize the (augmented) three-dimensional views (front, right, and top) of a physical object; the second enabled students to observe how an (augmented) 3D object could be gradually formulated from its three-dimensional views. The features were designed so that students' cognitive load could be reduced when manipulating the mental images of a 3D object. The AR application will be evaluated in terms of how it improves students' achievement as well as reduces students' cognitive load in learning three-dimensional views.
In this study we developed three hands-on activities to teach high school students computational ... more In this study we developed three hands-on activities to teach high school students computational thinking (CT) and, specifically, the decomposition skills. The activities were designed to enable students to solve problems by using application tools. The computer science concepts utilized in the activities included binary search, quick sort and iteration. We evaluated the effect of the activities utilizing a post-activity questionnaire, a post-test, students' worksheets, and semi-structured interviews with the participating students. The results indicated that the hands-on activities developed in this study improved students' CT ability.
EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Jun 21, 2004
... Level 2 - Learning This can be defined as the extent to which participants change attitudes .... more ... Level 2 - Learning This can be defined as the extent to which participants change attitudes ... 4 - Results This level is concerned with what happens to the participants' organization as a ... In the following, we will discuss the four-level training evaluation results based on the collected ...
This study investigated the effects of teaching history of computing with videos of historical fi... more This study investigated the effects of teaching history of computing with videos of historical figures. Augmented reality (AR) techniques were applied to assist student accessing the videos of historical figures while reading a printed textbook. Whenever a student was interested in a historical figure, one could use a tablet PC to scan the figure's picture, and the corresponding video about the person would then be played on the screen. We adapted thirteen videos of historical figures in computer network field and adopted a quasi-experimental method to evaluate the effectiveness of the AR-based learning approach. Two classes of high school students, with a total of 84 students, participated in the experiment. One class of the students used Tablet PCs to access the videos of historical figures, and the other class using traditional didactic instruction served as the control group. The data collected for analysis are students' achievement test scores and answers to a questionnaire, which consists of questions on attitudes toward learning, perspectives of nature of science, and perceptions on the AR activities. Our findings showed that the AR-based historical figure videos helped students comprehend learning contents and promoted their attitudes toward learning. Students appreciated the convenience of using AR tools to access the history videos. Future research should investigate other approaches to integrate AR with the videos of historical figure, and in general, to integrate AR with other media format of computing history.
This study investigated how different types of conceptual models and cognitive learning styles in... more This study investigated how different types of conceptual models and cognitive learning styles influence novice programmers when learning recursion. A pretest-posttest, 2 x 2 (conceptual models x learning styles) factorial experimental design was implemented in order to study the problem. Two hundred thirty-seven students enrolled in an introductory computer science course at a major southwest research university served as the subjects for this study. Subjects were randomly assigned to either an abstract model group or a concrete model group and the groups were of approximately equal size. Different conceptual models (abstract or concrete) were used to present recursion to the two model groups. Within each model group, subjects were identified as either an abstract learner or a concrete learner based on their scores on the scrambled Kolb's Learning-Style Inventory 1985. A posttest and two retention tests were administered after the treatment to compare students' performance in different groups. A pretest administered prior to the treatment was used to equate the variance caused by students' prior knowledge in the statistical analysis. The statistical procedure of two-way ANCOVA was employed to analyze all of the performance data. The findings of this study are: Concrete conceptual models were better than abstract conceptual models in teaching recursion to novice programmers. However, the teaching effects weakened several weeks after classroom instruction. Novice programmers with abstract learning styles performed better than those with concrete learning styles when learning recursion. Finally, abstract learners did not necessarily benefit more from abstract conceptual models, and concrete learners did not necessarily benefit more from concrete conceptual models. A replication study with a longer treatment period that covers more aspects of recursive programming is recommended for future research. Additional research needs to be conducted to better understand students' mental models of recursion. Furthermore, future research should investigate how the other dimension of Kolb's learning styles (i.e., active-reflective) relates to the instructional methods provided. It is also recommended that the relationship between the characteristic of learning tasks (or domains) and the matching of learning styles with conceptual models be investigated.
Spatial ability is considered essential in learning many disciplines. Studies have shown that pro... more Spatial ability is considered essential in learning many disciplines. Studies have shown that providing students with geometry learning activities would help them develop spatial ability. Augmented Reality (AR) provides a combination of real and virtual worlds and allows students to view the spatial relationship of real world objects that is impossible to be implemented in traditional textbooks. This study have two purposes: (1) to develop an augmented reality system to assist students solve the Rubik's cube and learn the geometry concepts of volume and surface area, and (2) to examine the effects of using the system in terms of students' improvement on spatial ability, geometry achievement, and attitudes toward learning. The system is still under development and the evaluation is yet to be done.
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