Unplugged Programming: The future of teaching computational thinking?

Abstract

We currently live in digital times, with educators increasingly coming to realise the need to prepare students to productively participate in such a coding-infused society. Computational Th inking (CT) has emerged as an essential skill in this regard. As with any new skill, the ways it is theorised and practiced vary greatly. In this paper, we argue for the importance of Unplugged Programming (UP) as a hands-on and practical approach to teaching and learning, which emphasises embodied and distributed cognition. UP has the potential to open up what it means to enact CT in the classroom when computational devices are put to the side. Preparing for the issues of the future is a matter of reconnecting with the past, in particular with ideas such as epistemological pluralism. By appreciating the diversity of ways that students can undertake CT and teachers can support them in doing so – from coding with digital devices to pencil-and-paper programming – we can work to make the classroom a place in which students can explore and undertake CT in rich and diverse ways.

Remaking and reinforcing mathematics and technology with programming – teacher perceptions of challenges, opportunities and tools in K-12 settings

“…Two common approaches to teach programming are through textual programming tools and block programming tools, both requires access to a computer (Garneli et al , 2015; Tsukamoto et al , 2016; Gomez et al , 2019). A third approach, called unplugged programming, that uses no computer is also described in previous research (Bell et al , 2009; Aranda and Ferguson, 2018; Caeli and Yadav, 2020). These three types of programming tools are described more thoroughly in the sub-sections below.…”

“…The act of programming without a computer is called unplugged programming (Bell et al , 2009; Faber et al , 2017; Heintz et al , 2017; Aranda and Ferguson, 2018). The idea is that it is possible to learn basic programming through activities that do not necessarily require a computer, such as giving oral or written instructions on how to perform a task in a number of steps (Wyffels et al , 2014; Faber et al , 2017; Aranda and Ferguson, 2018; Miller et al , 2018). Another way to approach unplugged programming is through board games that aims to teach basic programming (Tsarava et al , 2018; Jagušt et al , 2018).…”

On the Role of Unplugged Programming in K-12 Education

“…Unplugged programming can be described as programming without the use of a computer (Aranda & Ferguson, 2018;Faber et al, 2017;Wohl, Porter & Clinch, 2015;Bell et al, 2009) and was first developed at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, providing teaching material for computer science in an unplugged environment (Aranda & Ferguson, 2018;Wohl, Porter & Clinch, 2015;CSUnplugged, 2019). Unplugged programming can take various form, from boardgames (Tsarava, Moeller & Ninaus, 2018;Jagušt et al, 2018) to controlling each other or something with commands or written instructions (Aranda & Ferguson, 2018;Miller et al, 2018;Faber et al, 2017;Wohl, Porter & Clinch, 2015). An advantage mentioned about the unplugged approach, compared to the more traditional use of digital devices, is that it can be especially important for schools with low technical resources or lack of stable access to the internet or electricity (Brackmann et al, 2017).…”

“…However, research indicates that there are some uncertainties about what computational thinking entails (Shute, Sun & Asbell-Clarke, 2017;Román-González, Pérez-González, & Jiménez-Fernández, 2017;Weintrop et al, 2016;Brennan & Resnick, 2012). The concept of computational thinking stems back to the work of Papert (1980Papert ( , 1991 and have its basis in the idea of constructionism (Aranda & Ferguson, 2018;Shute, Sun & Asbell-Clarke, 2017). The term was coined by Wing (2006), who described computational thinking as a way of using the fundamentals of computer science to solve problems, design systems, and understand human behaviour (Shute, Sun & Asbell-Clarke, 2017;Chen et al, 2017;Wing, 2006).…”

The Effect of Computer-Free Coding Education for Special Education Students on Problem-Solving Skills

“…While unplugged programming broadly refers to learning computational thinking and computer science concepts without relying on computational devices, plugged programming relies on the usage of computational devices in these learning processes (Aranda & Ferguson, 2018). Unplugged coding can include role-playing, manipulation of real-world objects (eg sticky notes, cards, wooden blocks), and physical actions of the body activity (Aranda & Ferguson, 2018). Special education students are also disadvantaged in this coding education as in other training.…”