The CritiCAL project, directed by Prof. Marina Bers and Prof. Henry Braun at Boston College, aims to investigate the relationship between computational thinking (CT), critical thinking (CrT) and coding in pre-service and in-service early childhood educators.
CrT and CT are examples of high order thinking, cognitive capabilities that involve the processing of information. While CT involves applying concepts and techniques to solve problems in ways that a computer could also execute the solution, CrT involves logical analysis, but of facts, evidence and arguments to form a judgment, in such a way that a human can determine a course of action. Both CrT and CT include the use of logic, abstraction and representation to think about a problem. Coding, instead, involves the use of a programming language, a symbolic system of representation, to express the process and outcome of the thinking process.
This project will comprise two aspects. At the theoretical level, it will explore the relationship, overlaps, and uniqueness of the three constructs of interest (critical thinking, computational thinking, and coding). At the empirical level, it will explore if an intervention aimed at teaching coding to pre-service and in-service K-2 educators has an impact on CrT and CT.
The Coding as Another Language (CAL) curriculum was designed by Prof. Marina Bers and the DevTech Research Group. It consists of 24 lessons designed for a total of 18 hours, each lesson includes warm up and unplugged activities, structured and expressive explorations with the free ScratchJr programming language, and journaling and discussion activities that strengthen the literacy connection. The CAL curriculum is free and has units for K, 1st and 2nd grade and it is publicly available. CAL’s pedagogical premise is that coding is a literacy for the 21st century and each lesson focuses on powerful ideas from computer science in conversation with language arts. CAL supports the learning of coding as an expressive activity by engaging children in programming their own interactive projects. It fosters the exploration of similarities and differences between natural and artificial languages during the creation of computational projects and applies strategies for teaching alphabetical literacy to the coding playground. CAL puts problem solving at the service of personal expression, just as best practices in literacy education place decoding and writing skills at the center of student meaning-making and self-expression. The CAL curriculum is designed to be adaptable to the needs of each teacher, school, classroom, and student.
ScratchJr is a free programming language for children ages 5-7. ScratchJr utilizes block programming to allow children to create their own imaginative stories and games. The ScratchJr programming app was created in collaboration between the DevTech Research Group, MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group, and the Playful Invention Company through the generous funding of the National Science Foundation (DRL-1118664 Award) and is supported by the Scratch Foundation. In the summer of 2014, ScratchJr was released as a free iPad app. As of today, November 2022, the app has over 35 million iOS downloads and is available on iPads, Android tablets, and Chromebooks. Furthermore, volunteers from around the world have helped translate ScratchJr into 48 languages!
In order to support the successful use of Coding as Another Language in the classroom, educators need training, thus Prof. Bers and her DevTech team created TeachCAL. TeachCAL is an online module designed to prepare educators to bring CAL ScratchJr to their classrooms. The module is a free, self paced online course introducing the features and programming language of ScratchJr and the corresponding CAL pedagogy and activities. The module is broken into five parts and can be completed within four to six hours. The format is flexible, interactive, and user-friendly just like ScratchJr. It is accessible for all skill or knowledge levels and requires no previous experience with coding or the ScratchJr application. It provides visuals, additional resources, teacher testimonials and assessments throughout the lessons.
Who can participate in the study?
Preservice teachers currently enrolled in an educational degree program, and in-service teachers working in collaboration with the faculty and institutions partnering in this project.
Interested in participating? Please contact isabella.otoka@bc.edu and you will be given access to the consent forms, assessments, and module or complete our interest form.
What does this study entail?
Participation in the study begins with the completion of a consent form and a pre-survey. The pre-survey includes background questions to gather demographic information of participants (race, ethnicity, age etc). Once the consent and survey are submitted, all participants complete on-line pre-assessments: 1) the Critical Reasoning Assessment (CRA) to assess critical thinking, 2) the Bebras Computational Thinking Assessment 3) the Coding Stages Assessment (CSA). After completion, participants gain access to the TeachCAL module.
The TeachCAL module starts by gathering information regarding participant’s previous experience with computer science and programming languages, educational attainment, educational background (field of study), language proficiency and occupational setting. The module then introduces users to ScratchJr, the Coding as Another Language (CAL) approach, and the CAL curriculum.
Upon completion of the module and submission of their ScratchJr final project, participants complete the on-line post-assessments: the Critical Reasoning Assessment (CRA), Coding Stages Assessment (CSA) and the Bebras Computational Thinking Assessment. Upon completion participants are offered access to a virtual community of participants and educators to share experiences and lessons learned.
Participant Information
The CritiCAL project is recruiting pre-service and inservice teachers as participants. Preservice teachers are those currently enrolled in a school of education and are pursuing a degree or license in early childhood education. Inservice teachers refers to the licensed educators already working with the partnering institutions on this project. Participants enrolled in the study will complete the consent form, pre and post assessments, the TeachCAL module, and create and submit a ScratchJr final project.
Partnering Institutions
This project, directed by Prof. Marina Bers and Prof Henry Braun, from Boston College will be launching in January of 2023 in partnership with different Schools of Education. If you or your institution is interested in joining the January 2023 first cohort of the CritiCAL study please email Bella Otoka, the DevTech Research Group Lab Manager, at isabella.otoka@bc.edu.