RE: researches dealing with MicroWorlds Envirnoment (published after 2004)

["Erik Nauman" <ENauman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Zehava,
This is a very interesting topic for your thesis! I'm getting a masters
in Educational Communications and Technology at NYU and I teach computer
classes and Lego robotics at a girls school and have been thinking a lot
about the optimal environment for teaching programming to middle
schoolers. Personally my bias is towards using MicroWorlds because I
think visual programming environments like the new NXT software or
Robolab for the RCX allow students to solve problems by visual
trial-and-error without understanding why their program does or doesn't
work. If they can just drag around icons until it works they probably
won't get how their program works on a conceptual level, whereas if they
have to confront the vocabulary and fix errors by finding where they are
in the code they will be forced to see how aspects of the language
function. 
 
This is all observations of my own, however, and I'm only just beginning
to look for research to support any of it. Here's one paper I found that
actually refutes this conclusion at least for girls, but not because of
any textual/visual characteristics:
Vale, C. M., & Leder, G. C. (2004). Student views of computer-based
mathematics in the middle years: Does gender make a difference?
Educational Studies in Mathematics, 56(2/3), 287-312.
Here's another one that looks very promising:
Title:	 The Use of Computer-Based Programming Environments as Computer
Modelling Tools in Early Science Education: The Cases of Textual and
Graphical Program Languages	 
Source:	 International Journal of Science Education [0950-0693] Louca
yr:2008 vol:30 iss:3 pg:285
This second article is very interesting, comparing students making a
science simulation with MicroWorlds and with StageCast Creator. In their
conclusion they say, "Consequently, the type of the programming language
has implications on (a) the programming process--textual language
systems are more open-ended environments, enabling users to create many
kinds of routines with limited scaffolding, whereas graphical language
systems restrict users to pre-defined scaffolding for creating programs;
and (b) the modelling process--Microworlds Logo, which is a textual
language system, seemed to more easily trigger causal accounts of
natural phenomena, whereas Stagecast Creator, which is a graphical
language system, seemed to better support narrative accounts. "
I hope you can find more on the topic and wish you the best in your work
on it. By the way, the first article I found through JStore and the
second through the ERIC database.
 
Erik Nauman
Middle School Technology Coordinator
The Hewitt School
212-994-2610
 

________________________________

From: mwforum-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:mwforum-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of zehava
wizman
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:21 AM
To: help MW
Subject: researches dealing with MicroWorlds Envirnoment
(published after 2004)


Hello Forum!
I am going to finish my M.A in Education, and choose to do it about
"Variables and how LOGO with MicroWorlds Invirnoment can help young
programmers to overcome difficulties in understanding".
I am looking for researches dealing with Microworlds adavtages,
published from 2004 till today.
           thanks, Zehava Wizman

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