- Tim Foutz
- http://engineering.uga.edu/people/profile/tim-foutz-ph.d
- Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
- Collective Argumentatoin Learning and Coding
- University of Georgia
- Yuling Zhuang
- Post-doctoral Research Associate
- Collective Argumentatoin Learning and Coding
- University of Georgia
Collective Argumentatoin Learning and Coding
NSF Awards: 1741910
The Collective Argumentation Learning and Coding (CALC) Project is designing an instructional approach that integrates the teaching of coding and other computer science content with the standard practices used to teach other elementary curriculum content. Collective argumentation is effective in teaching both mathematics and science in ways that are authentic to the disciplines. This project aims to use the principles of collective argumentation to teach coding through appropriate reasoning. Teaching coding in this way has several benefits. First, creating and critiquing arguments to code promotes a more structured approach to coding rather than the trial-and-error approach commonly used by novice programmers. Second, it allows teachers to use methods that are already in use in mathematics and science instruction to teach coding, thus increasing the probability that it is taught in conjunction with mathematics and science as regular parts of classroom instruction rather than relegated to an after-school or enrichment activity for only some students. Third, it has the potential to increase administrative support for coding as it is integrated with mathematics and science, subjects already recognized as essential for student success as evidenced by state testing requirements.
This video will focus on the analysis phase of the project.
Collective Argumentatoin Learning and Coding
NSF Awards: 1741910
The Collective Argumentation Learning and Coding (CALC) Project is designing an instructional approach that integrates the teaching of coding and other computer science content with the standard practices used to teach other elementary curriculum content. Collective argumentation is effective in teaching both mathematics and science in ways that are authentic to the disciplines. This project aims to use the principles of collective argumentation to teach coding through appropriate reasoning. Teaching coding in this way has several benefits. First, creating and critiquing arguments to code promotes a more structured approach to coding rather than the trial-and-error approach commonly used by novice programmers. Second, it allows teachers to use methods that are already in use in mathematics and science instruction to teach coding, thus increasing the probability that it is taught in conjunction with mathematics and science as regular parts of classroom instruction rather than relegated to an after-school or enrichment activity for only some students. Third, it has the potential to increase administrative support for coding as it is integrated with mathematics and science, subjects already recognized as essential for student success as evidenced by state testing requirements.
This video will focus on the analysis phase of the project.
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Andres Colubri
Assistant Professor
Thank you for this initiative. I agree that "teaching the teachers" about coding so they can integrate more effectively it into their instructional strategies is extremely important. Based on your experience so far, what are the major challenges that teacher face themselves to incorporate computational thinking into their practice? Just a lack of familiarity with coding in some cases, or a more fundamental disconnect between STEM topics and the possibility to engage with them through code-based problem solving?
Tim Foutz
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
Familiarity with coding is the most common challenge faced by the teachers. The second challenge is access to internet since most coding software are online sources and most Educational Robots now require internet connection for downloading the software. About half the schools we engage are rural and have unstable or NO internet access
Michael Chang
Postdoctoral Research
I think this is a very interesting work that subverts common narratives that computer science is best learned through trial and error, and unstructured hacking. This narrative has been a type of gatekeeping to the computer science field. Because of this, would you expect this curriculum to build self-efficacy in participants moreso than most other coding curriculums? Also, I assume that there are both students and teachers learning coding from scratch; is the same curriculum used to teach coding to both teachers and students?
Tim Foutz
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
For our project, all participating teachers are using educational robots to teach coding. The teachers enrolled and completed a graduate level course (offered in a professional development format) where the learning objective was to increase the teachers' content knowledge of coding and of argumentation. When the teachers implemented coding in their classroom, each teacher decided the learning objective, the content and how to teach the content. There was not set curriculum. Lesson ranged from the typical mathematics application to a social studies lesson on the Oregon Trail to a reading lesson on the ok "Because of Winn-Dixie"
Andres Colubri
Assistant Professor
I think you are right about the self-taught, trial and error narrative. I guess it can be the case for some kids, but that might be the exception rather than the norm. In fact, if would be interesting to know some figures, which will depend on demographics etc.
Tim Foutz
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
Thanks for your comment. We are observing that the teachers had been using the exploration approach (e.g., trial-and-error) when engaging students in coding and not using it as an opportunity to engage students in learning topics common to elementary school. The result has been some students engaged in coding and some students not engaged (often due to lack of interest). Our aim is to move coding into learning practices used on the core elementary school curricula where all students are engaged.
Jeremy Roschelle
Executive Director, Learning Sciences
I agree with other discussants. This looks important and it seems teachers like it. If your research continues to show that approach works, how would you scale and sustain the effort after the grant ends?
p.s. nice bass lick as the video starts
Tim Foutz
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
We have been lucky to have a school district administration interested in robotics and coding at all grade levels. So scaling in the school district should take place with the help of local industries. These industries have been involved in numerous programs focused on educational robotics in the classroom. Scaling beyond this school district will be challenging particularly in rural school districts that have limited internet service.
Jeremy Roschelle
Executive Director, Learning Sciences
I hope you continue to think about scaling -- we need to reach more students and especially in rural schools. One thing you could check out is our League of Innovative Schools where I work at Digital Promise. We have a number of rural schools that have ample tech and accomplish amazing things. Maybe they would have ideas for scaling
Eric Hamilton
Tim, this is a very interesting approach. I understand it from the level that can be explained in a 3 minute video, though I am trying to visualize how guided tinkering works in specific sequences. We are very interested in finding ways to teach mathematics by way of coding at the secondary school level - and how that changes the math that needs to be taught. I appreciate the innovation of your project and wish you well with it. Thank you.