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Abstract: This study explores the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and collaborative activities to leverage abstract Computational Thinking (CT) concepts accessible to young students. The instructional design follows Plan, Act, Reflect (PAR) cycles that consist of three types of collaborative activities: Hands-on, AR-integrated, and self-directed robot programming activities. Findings highlight the importance of scaffolding in helping young learners, particularly those with low spatial ability, grasp directional concepts. Role-based collaboration proved effective in fostering engagement and problem-solving skills, though challenges emerged in the AR-based activity. This study contributes to immersive learning by demonstrating practical application of AR technology into K-12 classrooms. 

This study is implemented with a focus of discovering how students use the practice of embodied learning to gain knowledge of computational thinking (CT). An intervention was executed at an elementary school in a midwestern state, where students used a marker free virtual reality system to engage in a task that requires them to use the CT concepts and skills. Students participated in the path finding activity within the AR system, and demonstrated accounts of how they use their body to express their understanding of abstract CT concepts. Moreover, the affordances of the AR system were integrated to the student’s learning experience, furthering the discussion of how student’s embodied movement within the virtual world influences their learning outcomes of CT concepts. As an attempt to analyze the embodied learning experience of abstract notions, the researchers developed a coding framework that introduces the mapping of abstract CT concepts and the tangible embodied action that reflects each concept. This short paper thus presents the framework for embodied computational thinking skills, and further elaborates on the future implications of the on-going work. 

This study investigates the effects of embodied learning experiences in learning abstract concepts, such as computational thinking (CT), among young learners. Specifically, it examines whether the benefits of embodied learning can be replicated within a mixed-reality setting, where students engage with virtual objects to perform CT tasks. A group of ten first-grade students from an elementary school participated, engaging in embodied learning activities followed by assessments in CT. Through the analysis of video recordings, it was observed that participants could effectively articulate CT concepts, including the understanding of programming code meanings and their sequences, through their bodily movements. The congruence between students’ bodily movement and CT concepts was found to be advantageous for their comprehension. However, the study also noted instances of incongruent movements that did not align with the intended CT concepts, which attracted researchers’ attentions. The study identified two distinct types of embodiment manifested in the mixed-reality environment, shedding light on the nuanced dynamics of embodied learning in the context of CT education. 

This study examined the effects of embodied learning experiences on students’ understanding of computational thinking (CT) concepts and their ability to solve CT problems. In a mixed-reality learning environment, students mapped CT concepts, such as sequencing and loops, onto their bodily movements. These movements were later applied to robot programming tasks, where students used the same CT concepts in a different modality. By explicitly connecting embodied actions with programming tasks, the intervention aimed to enhance students’ comprehension and transfer of CT skills. Forty-four first- and second-grade students participated in the study. The results showed significant improvements in students’ CT competency and positive attitudes toward CT. Additionally, an analysis of robot programming performance identified common errors and revealed how students employed embodied strategies to overcome challenges. The effects of embodied learning and the impact of embodied learning strategies were discussed.