Literature review

Robotics As A Means To Teach Computational Thinking To Increase Reading Comprehension In 6th Grade Students.

Introduction

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2016 survey , current employers encounter serious problems when hiring young new employees. Big and small companies struggle to find adequate candidates that can deal with the fay to day needs. Young students lack the skills required to fulfill the jobs they are preforming. (Bruet, 2006.) That is why current companies demand from schools to teach students the 21st Century Skills (McCarthy, 2017).

McCarthy (2017)  mentions 9 major skills that students have to have in order to be hirable by any company. Other authors focus on 4, like Stauffer. She talks about the 4 C’s that students should have: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication. (Stauffer, 2020)

The purpose of this literature review is to support the action research intended, which is:

Robotics as a Means to Teach Computational Thinking to Increase Reading Comprehension In 6th Grade Students.

Currently, the results on reading and comprehension across the USA do not look  very promising. According to the 2019 Nation’s Report Card (NAEP), American 4th graders reading level is inferior than in 2017. This means that instead of American students show growth and master the expected reading skills, students are having setbacks. These types of studies are the indicators that students need to improve their reading skills. Is important to mention, that these results are pre-Covid-19. As for 2020 and 2021 results, it will be an adequate educated guess that the results won’t get any better.

That is why is so important to find other ways to reach out to students and support them to be successful. Following Bruet’s ideas (2006) students need to learn the 21st Century skills to be successful. In order for this to happen, their reading skills need to improve. This research project is intended to demonstrate how robotics and computational thinking benefits 6th graders. The main thesis is to observe how their ability to read and understand a passage increases. By teaching students computational thinking, they will be able to approach problems from a different perspective and give a computational thinking solution. All of these will work together to enable the student to learn seamlessly the skills employers are seeking.(McCarhty, 2017)

The objective of this paper is to research and analyze what other authors have been doing about learning robotics and STEM related areas with elementary students. Many authors have made research and have come with relevant data about how using robotics and coding had helped developed students’ approach towards learning and the way they manage new learning. (Leonard, Buss, Unertl & Mitchel, 2016).

This review of literature is divided in 4 subtopics:

I. Learning in the Digital Era

II. Computational Thinking

III. Robotics and coding, and young students

IV. Computational thinking and English Language Arts in the classroom.

Review of the Literature

I. Learning in the Digital Era

Smith mentions that learning is the process for acquiring new concepts that depends on the individual’s environment. On his article Learning Theory, he discusses a wide range of factors that can affect the way an individual can learn. These factors can come all the way from intrinsic situations to extrinsic ones. For Smith, learning is the process, but this process can be affected depending on many situations and not only depends on the learner itself. If the learner has been part of a family that fosters education, a school where students are respected and learning is valued, that student success is almost guaranteed. Au contraire, the same student lives in an economic and emotionally challenged environment, the acquisition of new learning is unlikely to happen.  to a . He mentions that the learner might have a natural ability to learn a specific subject, but if the environment does not foster the learner’s learning, the learning process will be in jeopardy not allowing the learned to acquire new knowledge or even develop it. (2019) Smith men

Dr. Harapnuik in his website talks about how learning occurs. He shares his experiences on how he has seen his students has learn. He doesn’t call his self a teacher or professor, he thinks about himself as a learner facilitator. His describes learning as a process of acquiring knowledge. (2019). Harapnuik approach as how learning occurs coincides with Smith’s one as well. One thing that Harapnuik add into the learning process is that in order for learning to occur, the learner has to be done in involved in the process. (2019)

In his article Learning Philosophy, he quotes this old adage:

“Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.” (popular vernacular)

He even adds the following line: “challenge me and I learn”(Harapnuik, 2019).

Harapnuik states that the role of the learner needs to be more active (2019). Adding to this, Wheeler states the same. Wheeler, a professor at the Plymouth University in England shares that teaching in the classroom has to change. Pre-digital era, teachers were the center of the information and learners had to listen and write. On the digital age, these roles have to change, and the learner needs to become an active part of its own learning. (Wheeler, 2013.)

These authors are sharing their concept about learning and how it has transformed and needs to change. Smith(2019) talks about the learner’s environment, Wheeler(2013) and Harapnuik (2019) states student-teacher roles have to change. These authors’ thinking coincides with Constructivism and Connectivism learning theories, where students are part of the learning and making connections more than just listeners. (Bates, 2014). They need to be part of their own education, (Wheeler, 2013) they need to be challenged (Harapnuik, 2019).


These authors support authors like Leonard, Buss, Unertl & Mitcherll (2016), or Dufranc, Garcia Terceño, Cronquist, Redfors(2020) among others that studied how STEM activities, coding and robotics had helped students to improve their learning and thinking process.

This literature review is to support the main point of this action research project that is to analyze the effects of computational thinking using robotics to increase students’ reading comprehension. Therefore, it is important to analyze what different authors explain what computational thinking is.

II. Computational Thinking

In 1995, Steve Jobs stated that everybody should learn computational thinking. That computational thinking helps people to think better. (Sen, 2012.) Jacob and Warschauer(2018) are two passionate authors that support computational thinking and literacy. They state that just as the printing press revolutionized books over 500 years ago, computational thinking is revolutionizing today’s world. (2018). Their beliefs include that students need to start learning computational literacy to develop different areas of the brain that help them to think in a higher thinking level.

To have a better understanding of computational thinking, it is needed to be define. Sharin and Warschauer (2012) using Bart & Stephenos and Grober & Pea definitions, say that computational thinking is the ability to approach a problem and solve it in a series of steps. Kristen Thorson (2018) explains that when using computational thinking a problem can be divided into: “decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms.” For decomposition it can be understood that is the breaking the problem into smaller parts to be able to analyze the problem better. For pattern recognition will be the ability to identify if the students had seen something similar before. For abstraction, can be the ability to be able to pay attention to what is important and dismiss the irrelevant information. Finally, as for algorithms can be understood as for the process where students can elaborate a series of step to solve the problem. (Thorson, 2018).

Thorson is not the only author that agrees with this computational thinking definition. For example, Sheldon (2017) shares similar concept of computational thinking and also includes the 4 main aspects of it: Decomposition, Patter Recognition, Abstraction and Algorithms. Both Thorson and Sheldon agree that this type of thinking can be used across all disciplines, subjects and any curriculum.

That is why not only Steve Jobs invites people to learn computational learning. One of the most current and important webpages that teach computer science for free, Code.org, publishes in its webpage the quotes and thoughts from over 15 world leaders that express why learning computer science is so important. Computational thinking helps the students to approach problems in a different way. (Code.org, 2020)

A computer is “a device used for computing; specif., an electronic machine which, by means of stored instructions and information, performs rapid, often complex calculations or compiles, correlates, and selects data”. (Collins dictionary, 2020).

Collins’s definition and Thorson’s (2017) analyses about computational thinking supports the idea of the relationship between computers, ­­– how they work – and how students can use the same process into their learning, or in other words: think as a computer. When learners embed into their thinking this computational thinking, their ability to succeed in solving different challenges increases.

III. Robotics and Young Students

Many authors and researchers have found the relevancy of teaching robotics and coding in the classroom. Schuetze and a group of investigators created a robotics club with elementary students. The purpose of creating this club was to study how robotics influences the student learning and the teacher teaching. What they found was surprising. They were able to see how students’ thinking started to shift into a more complex way. They share the example of a 5th grade student that learned to be more patient and seek for other solutions to the problem at hand. As well, they found out how the teacher’s attitude started to shift into a more positive path. Teachers shared that they felt their job was more significant and their relationships with the students were more meaningful.(Schuetze, A./Claeys, L./Bustos Flores, B./Sezech,S. 2014)

Something similar happened with Dufranc and his team. This team’s project consisted in using robotics into the early years with students to increase their Science Technology Engeneering and Math (STEM) abilities. What they found was not only that students were applying the computational thinking process to solve the challenges of the lesson. Students were also showing a higher level of skills like: “reasoning, reflection, questioning, modelling, justifying, decisions and communicating.” (Dufranc, et al, 2020).

Another case is Kewalramani (2018) and his team. In this study, authors concluded that when using the micro:Bits devices, kids were able to develop STEM capabilities more easily. Their results show that when students are exposed to computer science, coding and robotics, they are learning skills that allows them to solve problems in a more structured way. In their study, Kewalramani (et al) go deeper as for how teaching with a STEM focus helps to develop the students’ creativity and problem-solving skills.

Leonard, Buss, Unertl and Mitchel, are other authors that worked with robotics in the classroom to teach students STEM. They also found that involving students into their own learning changes the way they solve that is given to them. These authors found data that supported their theories. They wanted to see how robotics and teaching how to code games affected the students. In their study they found that students not only increased their ability to solve situations, but their 21st Century Skills improved, as well as their computational thinking. (2016) Their research and studies support the positive effect of robotics in the learning process of the young learners.

IV. Computational thinking and English Language Arts in the classroom.

Stevens and Verschoor (2017) share their experiences with their students when they use coding in their teaching. These authors explain ow coding has helped students to develop the 21st Century Skills. They also mention how they were able to engage students into learning and how coding helped them as teachers to teach their students reading concepts and reading analyses. In their classroom, they used an online tool called Scratch. The website was developed by a group of MIT students in 2007 (Scracthfoundation.org). It is a free web-based app that facilitates learning coding in a very simple and didactic form.

Stevens and Verschoor used this website to their elements of a story, like plot, setting, conflict and theme. They saw how their students were engaged and learning. They also observed how students started to develop better literacy skills like better spelling and communication skills.

In their article Computational Thinking and Literacy. (2018) Jacob and Warschauer establish the importance of teaching computational thinking in the classroom. They also state that in order to develop computational thinking, learners need to learn computer science or coding and how to read. Their thinking is that when learning coding, students need to understand what they are reading. It is not the importance of only knowing what a word will do in a program, but also understand the word itself. At the same time, their posture is that students need to not only analyze what they are thinking, but also how they are going to use the information they just acquired with to develop a program and solve the challenge at hand.

As mentioned before Eli Sheldon (2017) states that one of the benefits of learning computer science, is that this knowledge can be applied to any other subject. When teaching computer science, computational thinking is embedded itself. In order for the learner to learn and understand computer science and its applications in the digital world, the learner has to apply computational thinking and its whole process to understand computer science.

Vladimir and Martinez are other authors that did an action research project where they state that 6ht grade students reading skills increase by using Internet Technologies (IT). They say that students’ performance reading is so low that something has to be done. Their premise is to adapt their teaching and use IT as a main tool to keep their students engaged. After managing the engagement, they say that improvements of reading skills will follow suit.

Meachum and Atwood-Blaine also talk about how using robotics in the classroom in the early ages helps the students to increase their solving problem skills. In addition, their skills of comprehension increase as well, bringing to students a wide array of benefits when using robotics in the classroom. (2018).

Summary

This literature review supports the current action research project. It helps the project by providing a framework and understand what other authors have done in the field. The following section includes the conclusions of this lit review, the contributions of this study to education, strengths and weaknesses of this study and topics for further study.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that all studies, researchers  and authors have one main goal in mind: teach some type of computer related science to the young learners. They share the belief that doing so is vital for their own success and their own country (Bruet, 2006). When teaching computer science and computational thinking, the students’ abilities to learn and solve challenges increases significantly. As one of the many benefits, there is the one that fosters STEM related skills and 21st Century skills. (McCarthy, 2017).

As well, the literature review shows how different authors have used computational thinking and coding to increase students’ reading skills (Sevens and Verschoor) and how it doesn’t matter in which elementary school subject the student is learning computer science, this new acquired learning can be used and applied in any other.(Sheldon, 2017) It can also be concluded that when teachers used tools like robots, IT and coding games, the students’ engagement increases.

As a final conclusion, it can be said that the reviewed literature supports the main action research project. All literature in this paper explains and demonstrate the benefits that using computer science in the classroom helps students to increase their reading comprehension skills among many other skills.

Contributions of This Study to Education

This study contributes to education by offering real life information about how computational thinking and computer science benefits in a very significant way a very ample set of skills in the students. This research gives to any teacher (from Pre-k to College) the opportunity to offer something different to keep their learners engaged. Besides teacher keeping their students’ engagement, their students will be learning skills that will prepare them for today’s and tomorrow’s world. As well, teachers will be able to observe that by implementing computer science into their curriculum their students’ performance all across the level improve significantly.

Strengths and Weaknesses of This Study

Some of the strengths of this study is that it is contemporary of the current situation. As well, it shows another way of teaching by offering another way of teaching. A teaching where embedding computer science and computational thinking into their classroom helps students to succeed. This study is current to today’s world and can be adapted to any further disciplines. Computational thinking is not a trend, it is a way of thinking that benefits the person academically and personally.

One weakness that this study can encounter is the lack of human, time and economic resources. Teaching and learning computer science and robotics requires teacher training, time inside the daily school life and economic resources to acquire the software and robots.

Topics for Further Study

This literature review shows many authors and studies that used computer science to teach STEM related skills, but there is very few information as how computational thinking can be applied to other areas, especially the humanistic areas. Most of the literature in this review is related to STEM skills, but there is scarce research that has be done about the benefits of computational thinking implemented in other subjects besides the STEM universe. It will help the academia world to study and observe the benefits of computational thinking applied to any aspect of a person’s life. It could cover the benefits of the computational thinking in a personal relationship, at work, parenting and so on.

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