Chapter 8
From Block-based
Programming to Construction of Smart Objects
Nowadays, with the advent of graphical programming environments, block-based programming has been utilized to introduce young learners to programming and computer science more broadly. When introducing programming to them via block-based programming, showing the application of programming in reality is a key aspect. Previous work have been done on how to teach basic programming con-cepts, using block-based programming and tangible objects like robots, smart tex-tiles, wearable products, LED lights, and smart artifacts. Nevertheless, there have been very few studies with a special focus on how young students’ attitudes and programming skills changed over time, when they introduce to real life-size smart environments, as well as learn to program and construct a smart tangible object, connecting to the smart environments.
In this chapter, we present findings from a user study, investigating how the use of block-based programming together with a real life-size smart home can leverage young learners’ (both female and male) interest in programming over time, and sup-port the acquisition of programming skills. To do this, we useBEESM (introduced in Chapter 3) along with constructionist learning theory. In Constructionism, ed-ucational designers and researchers tried to turn the table providing learners with greater opportunities to construct a product, and thus, enable them to learn by doing. 28 8th grade students from a German secondary school participated in the study, who programmed and constructed asmart-lightning objectintegrated into the
114 8.1. Introduction and Motivation
smart home. Their performance and trajectories of attitude towards programming were assessed, using repeated questionnaires throughout the study. The findings imply that using block-based programming in the context of smart homes can fos-ter young learners’ programming skills, and develop a positive attitude towards programming.
8.1 Introduction and Motivation
The importance of computer programming is increasingly growing together with the dispersion of computing applications in our high-tech world. Increasingly, young learners start with programming activities via visual block-based programming en-vironments [Wei19]. These enen-vironments are highly used to design introductory programming courses [WW17b, WHHF18], and workshops [MCK17, MGB15]. Fur-thermore, the application of programming tends to be shown to the learners in reality. In this respect, in addition to allowing them to learn the general purpose of programming and author programs via block-based programming environments, previous work provides possibilities to experience and implement new ideas into tangible objects and real environments [MCK17, PHEC17, MGB15].
The design of introductory programming concepts has resulted in a growing use of tangible objects and block-based programming to enable inexperienced and young learners to program. However, relatively little attention has been given to show potential for using educational block-based programming environments to make state-of-the-art smart technologies accessible for them. More specifically, lit-tle work has investigated how introducing young learners to real life-size smart homes, and teaching basic programming concepts via block-based programming can improve their programming performance and attitude towards programming over time. Unfortunately, these smart homes rely on modern and powerful tech-nologies, which make them not fully accessible for young learners. In previous research, block-based programming environments are already employed to intro-duce the general purpose of programming to young learners in the context of mo-bile robots [MCK17, PHEC17, MGB15], and smart homes [KD18]. Additionally, it is addressed that introducing young learners to modern technologies fosters their programming skills [MGB15, MCK17] and interest in computer science [MGB15].
While there is much to show for teaching programming to young learners, less is known about how their performance and attitude towards programming are influ-enced over time in the context of smart homes. Thus, research is needed to show that by using block-based programming along with real life-size smart homes, we are able to not only introduce programming to young learners but also to show com-puting applications in the aspect of everyday life. In this chapter, we investigate
8. From Block-based Programming to Construction of Smart Objects 115
the learners’ trajectories of acquisition of programming skills and their attitudes towards programming in the context of real life-size smart homes by answering the following research questions:
• In what ways can young learners benefit from learning environments that use smart homes as an application area for block-based programming and construction of smart objects?
• Does the construction of a smart interactive object in the context of smart homes have a positive impact on young learners’ programming performance and attitude towards programming?
• Are there differences between experienced and inexperienced young learners with respect to their programming performance and attitude towards pro-gramming?
To answer this question, we conducted a 2-day non-formal programming work-shop with 28 8thgrade students (12 to 14 years old). We claim that it is possible to introduce young learners to personally meaningful state-of-the-art smart technolo-gies in the context of smart homes. This enables them to author programs and to see their scope of action to creatively design and control a tangible object embedded in a smart home system. The main goal of using the tangible object is to let the learners apply their new gained programming skills into it, and making it smart.
This provides opportunities for them to find out the connection of programming to modern reality, and thus, motivate them to begin with programming activities and develop a greater interest in programming. In order to reduce the complexity of programming and facilitate for the learners to learn basic programming concepts and author programs, a block-based programming environment (BEESM) has been employed as a form of visual programming environment. The block-based program-ming environment integrated functionality for connecting a micro-controller (in this case, WeMos D1 mini Wi-Fi board) to the smart home server in order to read the data generated by different items in the smart home. The smart home isBAALL, an approximately 60 m2 smart living lab apartment which is equipped with var-ious actuators (e.g., doors, toggleable, dimmable and RGB lights), sensors (e.g., lighting, temperature, and thermal cameras), voice recognition system, and smart mirror and fridge. The additional features ofBAALLcan be found in more detail in Section 5.3.2 of this thesis.
In a user study, young learners were enabled to author programs that connect the micro-controller to the smart home server, and read the generated data by different items. The data was then used in order to construct asmart-lightning objectwhich consists oflightsand aorganic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, both connected