Promoting computational thinking of both sciences- and humanities-oriented students: an instructional and motivational d
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Promoting computational thinking of both sciences‑ and humanities‑oriented students: an instructional and motivational design perspective Zoltan Katai1
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract We proposed to investigate whether properly calibrated e-learning environments can efficiently promote computational thinking of both sciences- and humanities-oriented people. We invited two groups of students (sciences- vs. humanities-oriented members) to participate in a six-stage learning session: to watch a folk-dance illustration (s1) and an animation (s2) of the bubble-sort algorithm; to reconstruct the algorithm on the same input (s3); to orchestrate the algorithm on a random input stored in a white(s4)/black(s5) array (visible/invisible sequence) and to watch a parallel simulation of several sorting algorithms as they work side-by-side on different color-scale bars (s6). To assess the current motivation of students we created nine specific questionnaires (Q1–9). The experiment we conducted included the following task sequence: Q1–2, s1, Q3, s2, Q4, s3, Q5, s4, Q6, s5, Q7, s6, Q8–9. We focused on assessing the motivational contributions of the generated (situational factors) emotions, challenge and active involvement during the e-learning experience. Research results revealed that there are no unbridgeable differences in the way these two groups relate to e-learning processes that aim to promote computational thinking. Although sciences-oriented students’ motivational-scores were consistently superior to their humanities-oriented colleagues, there was strong correlation between them; furthermore, differences diminished as both groups advanced with their learning tasks. Keywords Computational thinking · Motivation · Learning · Instruction · Computer science education · Algorithms
Introduction Hardly has any technology been as ubiquitous in human history as computer science is today. Therefore, a major responsibility of modern educational systems is to prepare all members of society for the challenges involved with the increasing digitalization of our everyday lives and to meet the demands of the one of the most fast–expanding job markets:
* Zoltan Katai [email protected] 1
Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Corunca, 1C, Târgu‑Mureş, Romania
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computing (Grover and Pea 2013).The creation of a genuine educational program which ensures a proper initiation in computational thinking (CT) is a major endeavor. As in most countries there is already a severe computational literacy gap among the different segments of society, this educational program must be all inclusive and must address all irrespective of age, gender, race, culture, orientation or disability. Accordingly, one of the most serious challenges faced by such an initiative is that of dealing effectively with diversity. In this study we have focused on one specific facet of diversity: sciences- vs. humanities-oriented people. After Snow (1959) had introduced the term of “two cultures”, the concept of sciences/hum
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