Bridging Primary Programming and Mathematics: Some Findings of Design Research in England

Abstract

In this paper we present the background, aims and methodology of the ScratchMaths (SM) project, which has designed curriculum materials and professional development (PD) to support mathematical learning through programming for pupils aged between 9 and 11 years. The project was framed by the particular context of computing in the English education system alongside the long history of research and development in programming and mathematics. In this paper, we present a Bframework for action^(diSessa and Cobb, Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13, 77-103, 2004) following design research that looked to develop an evidence-based curriculum intervention around carefully chosen mathematical and computational concepts. As a first step in teasing out factors for successful implementation and addressing any gap between our design intentions and teacher delivery, we focus on two key foundational concepts within the SM curriculum: the concept of algorithm and of 360°total turn. We found that our intervention as a whole enabled teachers with different backgrounds and Digit Exp Math Educ (2017) 3:115-138 DOI 10.1007/s40751-017-0028-x The research reported in this paper forms part of a larger project, the ScratchMaths project 2014-17 funded by the Educational Endowment Foundation. The project is being independently evaluated following a randomized control trial model involving over 100 primary schools across England. Department of Informatics Education, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia levels of confidence to tailor the delivery of the SM in ways that can make these challenging concepts more accessible for both themselves and their pupils.

Defining Procedures in Early Computing Education

“…The research reported within this paper is a part of a broader project, ScratchMaths (SM), which aims to explore connections between developing computational and mathematical thinking in the upper primary age pupils 4 in England [17,18]. In the project we have iteratively designed detailed curriculum materials for computing lessons in years 5 and 6, which are currently being trialled in 50+ primary schools across the country.…”

“…2 -right). Within our SM pedagogical framework [17] we encourage 5 In Scratch a stack of blocks snapped together, a piece of program 6 The topmost block to start a script, e.g. when this sprite clicked hat block 7 In the context of SM Module 1, patterns of actions are procedural representations of the corresponding visual patterns 557 pupils to follow the procedure: (i) build a script, debug and use it, (ii) give it a name, i.e.…”

Students’ interest in Scratch coding in lower secondary mathematics

“…His background for designing the curriculum materials was an interest in maths education and coding in general and Scratch in particular. Despite his lack of training, the tasks in Programming in Maths in point of fact align with tasks previously documented to support the learning of mathematics through coding (Benton, Hoyles, Kalas, & Noss, ). Therefore, they form an appropriate outset for investigating how Scratch coding affects interest development.…”

Beyond jam sandwiches and cups of tea: An exploration of primary pupils' algorithm‐evaluation strategies

“…Scratch is a visual blocksbased language that allows children to build scripts (programs) through snapping together different coloured blocks (commands), thus circumventing to a large extent the syntax errors that caused issues in many earlier programming languages for children such as Logo (Resnick et al, 2009). 6 The overall pedagogic approach in the SM project comprises five unordered constructs-Explore, Explain, Exchange, Envisage, and bridgE (the "5Es"), which have structured the whole classroom approach to the different activities in the SM curriculum (see Benton et al, 2017). 6 The overall pedagogic approach in the SM project comprises five unordered constructs-Explore, Explain, Exchange, Envisage, and bridgE (the "5Es"), which have structured the whole classroom approach to the different activities in the SM curriculum (see Benton et al, 2017).…”

“…Conceptual challenges are of course still evident, and in the absence of syntax issues, debugging can mainly focus on the algorithmic level (Foerster, 2016). 6 The overall pedagogic approach in the SM project comprises five unordered constructs-Explore, Explain, Exchange, Envisage, and bridgE (the "5Es"), which have structured the whole classroom approach to the different activities in the SM curriculum (see Benton et al, 2017). The approach was also shaped by constructionism, that is, to seek to foster learning as building knowledge structures by learners actively engaging together in "constructing a public entity" (Papert, 1980).…”