Abstract

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As computer science (CS) education becomes more prevalent in compulsory education from an early age worldwide, a diverse set of activities have been proposed to teach young children. These include different approaches such as unplugged, physical computing, or completely virtual programming interfaces. For very young children, experiences which integrate action and the use of concrete materials are often used and considered developmentally appropriate. In this talk, we will explore the implications of grounded cognition theory for the design and structure of early computing activities that promote and scaffold students’ conceptual understanding.

Speaker:

Anaclara Gerosa is currently pursuing her PhD in Computing Science at the University of Glasgow under the supervision of Dr Maria Kallia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Cognitive Science. Her current research centres around the field of computing education, approached from an interdisciplinary perspective. The aim of her research is to understand the way young children develop their understanding of computing concepts through action-based activities and engaging with concrete materials.