This chapter examines the relationship between coding, computational thinking, and the contexts in which those concepts are learned. It recounts a pilot study where a 12-week robotics curriculum was taught in kindergarten classrooms at eight interfaith and secular schools in Boston, United States of America and Buenos Aires, Argentina. In this chapter, the authors explore how teachers and students drew from their socio-cultural environments to inform the language of computational thinking and support the internalization of computational concepts and, in turn, how computational thinking was used as a tool for deeper exploration of cultural traditions and beliefs, meaning-making, and creative expression.
TopBeyond Stem Project Overview
Eight schools, four in Boston in the United States and four in Buenos Aires in Argentina, participated in the study. Six schools were representative of a major monotheistic religion in each country: Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam, and two schools were secular. These schools were selected for having a solid mission statement citing commitment to values education and character development — elements we hoped would be fostered throughout the project.
The project was implemented in 12 kindergarten classrooms — 5 in Boston and 7 in Buenos Aires — over a twelve-week period. The numbers are different because schools in Argentina are bigger and have more than one classroom per grade; this was the case for only one Boston school. A total of 224 children participated: 64 in Boston and 160 in Buenos Aires.
Although an increasing number of developmentally appropriate technological tools are available for children, this study utilized KIBO, a screen-free robotics kit designed for children ages 4-7 that supports cognitive development, creative problem solving, fine-tuning motor skills, and social engagement in a playful and developmentally appropriate manner (Bers, 2018; Lee, Sullivan, and Bers, 2013). KIBO was selected because of its hands-on nature, as well as its open-ended platform that allows children to experiment, express themselves, and share experiences while actively practicing computational thinking skills.
The KIBO curriculum was developed by the DevTech Research Group into two different versions to align with frameworks and standards in computer science for both Massachusetts and the City of Buenos Aires. It consisted of twelve lessons, from foundational aspects of robotics and programming (e.g., sequencing) to more complex concepts like control structures, repeats, and conditionals. The curriculum followed the Coding as Another Language (CAL) approach (Bers, 2019) and built upon the theoretical framework of Positive Technological Development (PTD) (Bers, 2008; 2012; 2018) that promotes six positive behaviors (“the 6 C’s”) through the use of technology: content creation, creativity, communication, collaboration, community building, and choices of conduct. Each lesson featured a variety of activities — warm-up games, design challenges, creative projects, “technology circles” for peer-reflection, and plenty of free-play — that correlated to one of more of the “C’s.”