This project investigates the potential of the Collective Argumentation Learning and Coding (CALC) concept for integrating the teaching of computer coding and other computer science content into the standard practices already used to teach different elementary (grades 3-5) curriculum content. Elementary school teachers significantly influence student motivation to engage in coding and are being asked to provide increased instruction on coding. Unfortunately, few practicing teachers have academic backgrounds in computer coding. This project aims to identify the knowledge needed to transform the CALC concept into a learning practice in which young, novice programmers use the argumentation framework to develop coding sequences.
Why? Suppose computer coding is an integral part of teaching mathematics and science subject areas. In that case, the concerns that coding is a distraction to core subjects might decline, and administrative support for teaching coding might increase. We believe this work should be done at the elementary school level, better preparing more students and underrepresented groups for STEM subjects taught in the upper grades
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Teaching Coding to Elementary Students – the Use of Col- lective Argumentation
This project, titled Collective Argumentation Learning and Coding (CALC), aims to use the principles of collective argumentation to teach coding through appropriate reasoning. Creating and critiquing arguments as part of a coding activity promotes a more structured approach rather than the trial-and-error coding activity commonly used by novice programmers. Teaching coding via collective argumentation allows teachers to use methods that are already in use in mathematics and science instruction to teach coding, thus increasing the probability that it will be 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.
Specific objectives of the CALC project are to - increase the attention that coding is given in the elementary classrooms taught by our participating teachers, and -direct students away from informal approaches (e.g.trial-and-error) to develop code to the more formal, structured approach recommended for novice programmers.
Our research activities investigate teachers’ understanding of argumentation using the CALC concept and how the implementation of the CALC concept helps students (grades 3-5) learn how to code. The CALC approach supports the learning of coding by providing teachers with a formal, structured means to a) trace the growth of students’ understanding, and misunderstanding, of ideas (i.e., coding) as they form, b) facilitate students’ use of evidence, not opinion, to select a solution among multiple solutions (i.e., different sequencing of the code), and c) help each student realize she/he, as well as others, is a legitimate participant (i.e., a programmer) in the activity of developing, assessing and implementing an idea (e.g., coding of a robot).
This paper/presentation discussed the first phase of an on-going investigation and focuses on a prototype graduate-level course designed for and taught to practicing elementary school teachers. The discussion outlines how the course impacted the participating teachers content knowledge of coding and their belief that coding can be made an integral part of everyday lessons, not as an add-on activity.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1741910
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10104608
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ASEE annual conference & exposition
- Volume:
- 1
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2153-5965
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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This project, titled Collective Argumentation Learning and Coding (CALC), is based on our belief that if teachers had an instructional approach that allowed them to teach coding alongside mathematics and science in integrated ways, then coding would become a mainstream subject taught in the elementary school curriculum. However, few practicing elementary school teachers have the academic backgrounds that allow them to teach coding in a manner that goes beyond allowing students to learn how to code through trial-and-error experimentation and as an additive learning activity such as an after-school program. Teachers at our partnering school district have completed the first design of a prototype CALC course, where they used collective argumentation to learn how to code educational robotics. Overall, the implementation of the CALC approach demonstrates the growth of the teachers in their ability to teach coding as a reasoning process and as a mean to integrate it into everyday classroom activities.more » « less
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This project, titled Collective Argumentation Learning and Coding (CALC), is based on our belief that if teachers had an instructional approach that allowed them to teach coding alongside mathematics and science in integrated ways, then coding would become a mainstream subject taught in the elementary school curriculum. However, few practicing elementary school teachers have the academic backgrounds that allow them to teach coding in a manner that goes beyond allowing students to learn how to code through trial-and-error experimentation and as an additive learning activity such as an after-school program. Teachers at our partnering school district have completed the first design of a prototype CALC course, where they used collective argumentation to learn how to code educational robotics. Overall, the implementation of the CALC approach demonstrates the growth of the teachers in their ability to teach coding as a reasoning process and as a mean to integrate it into everyday classroom activities.more » « less
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null (Ed.)Collective Argumentation Learning and Coding (CALC) is a research project that provides teachers with strategies to engage students in collective argumentation in mathematics, science, and coding. Thirty-two elementary teachers participated in a semester-long professional development course that included coding content and discussions about using collective argumentation across multiple disciplines. Ten teachers were selected for the enactment phase, in which classroom observations and coaching sessions were conducted during the semester after completing the professional development course.more » « less
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Abstract It is important to understand how students reason in K-12 integrated STEM settings to better prepare teachers to engage their students in integrated STEM tasks. To understand the reasoning that occurs in these settings, we used the lens of collective argumentation, specifically attending to the types of warrants elementary students and their teachers provided and accepted in integrated STEM contexts and how teachers supported students in providing these warrants. We watched 103 h of classroom instruction from 10 elementary school teachers and analyzed warrants that occurred in arguments in mathematics, coding, and integrated contexts to develop a typology of warrants contributed in mathematics and coding arguments. We found that these students made their warrants explicit the majority of the time, regardless of the teacher’s presence or absence. When teachers were present, they supported argumentation in various ways; however, they offered less support in integrated contexts. Additionally, we found students relied more on visual observations in coding contexts than in mathematics or integrated contexts, where they often provided warrants based on procedures required to accomplish a task. These findings have implications for improving integrated STEM instruction through engaging students in argumentation.
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- The DOI is not currently available.
