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Title: Exploring Algorithm Building through Designing and Making Kinetic Sculpture
Algorithm building, creating a step-by-step procedure to carry out a solution, is a challenging concept for youth to learn and practice. Kinetic sculpture is a novel context for examining how students may learn algorithms through designing and making. As part of a larger study, we collected and analyzed a total of 18 student pre- and post-tests on computational thinking, physical computing, and arts. To examine how students build algorithms in the process of designing and making a kinetic sculpture, we analyze two vignettes from two small groups in a STEAM-based workshop. Findings show that while designing and building kinetic sculpture, students learned computational thinking and applied algorithms by incorporating inputs, outputs, and variables during the process. This study offers a springboard to investigate how students create and apply algorithms in designing and making kinetic sculpture and provides empirical evidence on how students learn algorithms in a STEAM learning context.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1647150
PAR ID:
10431790
Author(s) / Creator(s):
Date Published:
Journal Name:
International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS)
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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