TY - GEN
T1 - Scientific Inquiry in Middle Schools by combining Computational Thinking, Wet Lab Experiments, and Liquid Handling Robots
AU - Fuhrmann, Tamar
AU - Ahmed, Deeana Ijaz
AU - Arikson, Len
AU - Wirth, Mike
AU - Miller, Mark L.
AU - Li, Ethan
AU - Lam, Amy
AU - Blikstein, Paulo
AU - Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by NSF grant #1638070 (NRI: Liquid Handling Robots - A New Paradigm for STEM Education). We thank F. Mac for project feedback. Author contributions: TF, DIA, PB user study design, execution and data analysis; MM, EL, AL, MW, IHRK: LHR engineering; MLM, PB, IHRK: project leadership. IRB: TC Columbia (D-190466) and Stanford (18334).
Funding Information:
Supported by NSF grant #1638070 (NRI: Liquid Handling Robots-A New Paradigm for STEM Education). We thank F. Mac for project feedback. Author contributions: TF, DIA, PB user study design, execution and data analysis; MM, EL, AL, MW, IHRK: LHR engineering; MLM, PB, IHRK: project leadership. IRB: TC Columbia (D-190466) and Stanford (18334).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Owner/Author.
PY - 2021/6/24
Y1 - 2021/6/24
N2 - Computational thinking (CT) is necessary for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) literacy, but it can be difficult for many students to develop and it is challenging to integrate into science curricula. Here, we present a five-session curriculum where sixth-grade students programmed a Liquid Handling Robot (LHR) to conduct a science experiment while engaging in CT. We used a mixed-methods approach to assess how the curricular integration of robotics and science experimentation advances students' CT skills and perceptions of computation in science. We identified growth in CT skills, specifically regarding Algorithmic Thinking. Students identified as key advantages of this approach the increased precision in experimental procedures, time-efficiency, and easier debugging. This course provides a proof of concept curriculum on how the implications for teaching and learning of CT can be assessed, and how CT and robotics can be brought to science classrooms, especially for chemistry and biology.
AB - Computational thinking (CT) is necessary for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) literacy, but it can be difficult for many students to develop and it is challenging to integrate into science curricula. Here, we present a five-session curriculum where sixth-grade students programmed a Liquid Handling Robot (LHR) to conduct a science experiment while engaging in CT. We used a mixed-methods approach to assess how the curricular integration of robotics and science experimentation advances students' CT skills and perceptions of computation in science. We identified growth in CT skills, specifically regarding Algorithmic Thinking. Students identified as key advantages of this approach the increased precision in experimental procedures, time-efficiency, and easier debugging. This course provides a proof of concept curriculum on how the implications for teaching and learning of CT can be assessed, and how CT and robotics can be brought to science classrooms, especially for chemistry and biology.
KW - computational literacy
KW - Computational thinking
KW - hands-on experimentation
KW - robotics
KW - science labs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110136842&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85110136842&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1145/3459990.3465180
DO - 10.1145/3459990.3465180
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85110136842
T3 - Proceedings of Interaction Design and Children, IDC 2021
SP - 444
EP - 449
BT - Proceedings of Interaction Design and Children, IDC 2021
PB - Association for Computing Machinery, Inc
T2 - 2021 ACM Interaction Design and Children, IDC 2021
Y2 - 24 June 2021 through 30 June 2021
ER -