Journal of Educational Computing Research

Tangible programming tools (TPTs) are promising teaching aids in programming courses due to their interactivity and ability to enhance early childhood students’ computational thinking, spatial reasoning, and executive function skills. However, it remains unclear whether TPTs support these skills simultaneously. This study examines the impact of TPTs on enhancing cognitive thinking skills among students at different developmental stages, with a focus on early childhood education. A quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-tests was conducted involving 82 preschoolers aged 5-7. Participants were categorized into three developmental stages (beginner, intermediate, advanced) based on their prior programming experience. A TPT called “Bee-bot Brushing Challenge: A Computational Adventure” was employed during a STEM summer camp program. The findings revealed significant improvements in students’ abstract thinking, problem decomposition, and spatial reasoning skills, particularly among beginners. Participants at intermediate levels showed notable improvement in algorithm design and efficiency. Results also indicate significant differences in cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control between groups, with advanced students outperforming beginners and intermediates while working memory remained unaffected. This research provides important evidence supporting the inclusion of TPTs in early childhood curricula to foster comprehensive cognitive development. It offers valuable insights for educators and policymakers in designing similar learning environments.

Real-time collaborative programming (RCP), which allows multiple programmers to work concurrently on the same codebase with changes instantly visible to all participants, has garnered considerable popularity in higher education. Despite this trend, little work has rigorously examined how undergraduates engage in collaborative programming when using RCP. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of RCP on undergraduates’ programming knowledge and skills, behaviors, and attitudes toward collaboration. Eighty-two participants were randomly assigned to either the RCP group or the Traditional Collaborative Programming (TCP) group. The data analysis yielded noteworthy findings. First, RCP significantly improved learners’ problem-solving skills and led to higher knowledge test scores compared to TCP. Second, there were no significant differences in attitudes toward collaboration between the two groups. Third, analysis of programming behaviors indicated that the RCP group exhibited more efficient coding practices, including producing a greater volume of code and executing it more successfully. Additionally, the RCP group’s code-testing activities were predominantly concentrated at the first half of the class sessions. Based on the empirical research results, three major pedagogical implications were proposed. These findings highlight the benefits of integrating RCP into programming education and suggest avenues for future research into collaborative learning dynamics.

Computer programming is regarded as an important skill for the future. However, many K-12 students face challenges and difficulties in learning traditional text-based programming. Block-based visual programming (BVP) can reduce the difficulty of learning programming and is seen as a potential programming education tool. Nevertheless, the effects of BVP on K-12 student learning outcomes remain unclear, and there is no evidence of meta-analysis. This is the first meta-analysis that aims to examine the effects of BVP on K-12 students’ learning based on 42 effect sizes from 29 independent experimental studies (2000–2023). The result suggests that BVP has an upper-medium effect on learning (SMD = 0.769, 95% CI = [0.554, 0.984], p < .001), particularly in the cognitive outcome (SMD = 0.698, p < .001). Moreover, the BVP tool, study design, and region have moderating effects. The BVP’s effects are larger when: (1) with 61∼100 students, (2) for junior high school, (3) with the learning duration of >1 month, (4) targeting math, (5) among novice students, (6) using Scratch, ScratchJr, Alice, and App Inventor, (7) employing project-based learning and project-based + game-based learning, (8) base on quasi-experimental design, (9) in Africa and Europe, (10) with latter publication years. Finally, discussions, implications, limitations, and future directions are put forward.

Role-play activities are considered a useful instructional design in enhancing the speaking performance of foreign language learners. However, in the traditional classroom context, learners may not readily have access to interlocutors for role-play activities. In this study, we proposed a designed method that integrated the GenAI agent into role-play activities and conducted a quasi-experiment at a Chinese university. A total of 53 Chinese students in an English course were assigned to an experimental group (n = 29) that engaged in role-playing with a GenAI agent and a control group (n = 24) that engaged in role-playing with their class peers. The results showed role-play activities with GenAI could facilitate students’ speaking performance, and one-way ANCOVA showed there was no significant difference in speaking performance improvement when compared with traditional role-play activities with peers. Moreover, the paired-sample Wilcoxon test showed that the treatment students had significant intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy improvement, which were higher than the control group. The findings provide important implications for the design and implementation of GenAI-integrated role-play activities for foreign language speaking learning.

This study examines the effectiveness of a collaborative support method in enhancing programming learning outcomes in a serious game. The game Code Hasp was developed to facilitate the comparison between two support methods, worked examples and a collaborative peer support approach. A total of 111 elementary school students participated, divided into two groups. The experimental group received collaborative support from teammates alongside worked examples, while the control group relied solely on worked examples. Pre- and post-test results and in-game data revealed that the collaborative support method improved learning efficiency and problem-solving skills. A notable effect of the process was the emergence of a leadership role in most collaborative groups. The game’s support design and shared goal structure mitigate potential problems associated with unbalanced participation. These findings suggest that collaborative support systems in serious games are a promising strategy for promoting engagement and improving learning outcomes in programming education.

This study explores the integration of advanced AI technologies, including emotion detection and adaptive learning systems, to enhance second language acquisition among 274 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Utilizing a pretest-posttest randomized control trial, the research evaluates the effects of AI-enhanced interventions on emotional self-regulation and linguistic proficiency compared to traditional teaching methods. The results indicate significant improvements in language retention and emotional regulation for learners using AI tools. Qualitative feedback from interviews and surveys corroborates these findings, underscoring the positive impact of AI on educational experiences. This research highlights the potential of AI to deepen emotional engagement and tailor learning experiences, recommending the incorporation of AI technologies into language learning programs to boost linguistic competencies and enrich educational outcomes.

This research examines the impact of online help-seeking strategies—both adaptive and peer-based—on promoting self-regulated and collaborative learning skills, as well as language learning outcomes, among Chinese EFL learners in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) environments. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study triangulates various data strands from 92 randomly selected EFL learners to explore how these strategies influence their learning outcomes. Through methodological triangulation and the execution of one-way ANOVA, the research demonstrates the superior effectiveness of combining adaptive and peer help-seeking strategies, compared to their isolated use, in enhancing self-regulated and collaborative learning skills and language learning outcomes. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between learners’ interactive engagement with help-seeking strategies and their overall CALL outcomes, indicating that such strategies support the development of both collaborative and self-regulated learning skills. This study provides theoretical and practical insights into CALL, offering evidence-based guidance for researchers and practitioners on the nuanced impact of integrating dynamic and flexible help-seeking strategies to enhance EFL learners’ skills and outcomes.

Block-based visual programming tools are widely used in elementary education. Nonetheless, these tools alone may not ensure the spontaneous and efficient acquisition of concepts and skills in computational thinking (CT). Using mind mapping as a form of scaffolding to facilitate the visualization of abstract thinking processes may enhance the effectiveness of programming instruction. This study therefore investigated the effects of mind mapping-based scaffolding that integrates five CT skills on elementary students’ CT development. Eighty-six fifth-grade students participated in our pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. In the experimental group, mind mapping-based scaffolding was used to help students learn programming, while in the comparison group it was not used. The results showed that both groups achieved significant improvements in concept understanding and skill development; however, students instructed using mind mapping-based scaffolding obtained notably superior performance in understanding CT concepts and mastering CT skills. The results also revealed that the students had positive perceptions of mind mapping-based scaffolding, although challenges were also identified. This study enriches the relevant empirical research and offers insights for practitioners on designing effective scaffolding to promote students’ CT development.