Citation:
Blanchard, J., Gardner-McCune, C., Anthony, L. 2015. Bridging Educational Programming and Production Languages. Paper for the “Every Child a Coder” workshop, ACM Conference on Interaction and Design and Children (IDC’2015), Boston, MA, 21 June 2015.
Abstract:
“Computer science skills are ever more important in modern society as computers become integrated into practically all occupations and professions. Researchers have been developing learning tools, particularly educational programming environments, to facilitate the learning of computer science concepts at younger ages. These tools have made significant gains in engaging a younger audience and making programming more accessible by incorporating visual elements, dragand-drop program construction, and media-rich environments. Some platforms are friendly for young children, but lack programmatic complexity, while others lack the accessibility necessary for learners in grades K-8. Thus, current tools lack a unified bridge from early educational to practical, applied programming environments. An age-appropriate bridge could facilitate transfer of knowledge and skills by applying techniques shown to encourage such transfer in learning science research.”