"Computational thinking (CT) draws on fundamental computer science concepts to formulate and solve problems, design systems, and understand human behavior. CT practices (e.g., problem representation, abstraction, decomposition, simulation, verification, and prediction) are also central to the development of expertise in a variety of STEM disciplines. Exploiting this synergy between CT and STEM disciplines, we have developed CTSiM, a cross-domain, scaffolded, visual-programming and agent-based learning environment for middle school science. We present and justify the CTSiM architecture and its implementation. To identify challenges and scaffolding needs in learning with CTSiM, we present a case study describing the challenges that a high- and a low-achieving student faced while working on kinematics and ecology units using CTSiM. Decreases in the number of challenges for both students over sequences of related activities illustrate the combined effectiveness of our approach. Further, the specific challenges and scaffolds identified suggest the design of an adaptive scaffolding framework to help students develop a synergistic understanding of CT and science concepts."
Basu S Dickes A Kinnebrew J Sengupta P Biswas G
1. SUMMARY
The paper discusses the design principles (9) and corresponding implementation decisions of CTSiM which provides an agent-based, visual programming interface for constructing executable computational models. The use of agent-based modeling paradigm allows students to execute and compare their models with an expert model. 9 principles were implemented through conceptualization world, construction world, enactment world and envision world.
Through analyzing students’ experiences, the paper shows that CTSiM helps student learn the problem solving skills needed for dealing with programming challenges. The paper also illustrates and laid the groundwork for adaptive scaffolding in CTSiM.
2. STRENGTHS
Readers who are new to this domain may pick up several helpful terms from this paper. The CT approach is very interesting with its focus on conceptualization of problems and the corresponding high-level problem solving ideas rather than giving specific solutions. A table of design principles accompanied by implementation decisions really illustrates the meanings of the design principles.
How the architecture was divided into “worlds” with each world has several smaller components is very impressive. The authors were somehow able to explain the important details of the system, evaluation of its architecture with detailed charts and tables in a total of 8 pages.
The paper by itself represents an example of a well-structured research paper.
3. WEAKNESSES
The paper was well written with academic rigor, involving in-depth topics. At the moment, no weakness was identified.
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