Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting

The paper presents the details of a four-year project to test the effectiveness of teaching spreadsheeting with spreadsheet programming, instead of the traditional, widely accepted surface approach methods. The novel method applied in the project, entitled Sprego (Spreadsheet Lego), is a concept-bas...

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Autores principales:	Maria Csernoch, Piroska Biro, Janos Math
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	IEEE 2021
Materias:	Algorithm-driven spreadsheeting long lasting knowledge schema construction cognitive load end-user computing computational thinking Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering TK1-9971
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/1b1b7c419d024c11928305cddfca26c2
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:1b1b7c419d024c11928305cddfca26c2
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:1b1b7c419d024c11928305cddfca26c22021-11-24T00:01:13ZDeveloping Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting2169-353610.1109/ACCESS.2021.3126757https://doaj.org/article/1b1b7c419d024c11928305cddfca26c22021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9606871/https://doaj.org/toc/2169-3536The paper presents the details of a four-year project to test the effectiveness of teaching spreadsheeting with spreadsheet programming, instead of the traditional, widely accepted surface approach methods. The novel method applied in the project, entitled Sprego (Spreadsheet Lego), is a concept-based problem-solving approach adapted from the didactics of other sciences and computer programming. In the experimental group contextualized, real-world programming problems are presented in a spreadsheet environment. A semi-unplugged data-driven analysis is carried out based on each problem, which is followed by the building of a feasible algorithm, expressed by natural language expressions. The coding is completed in the following step by applying a limited number of spreadsheet (Sprego) functions, multilevel, and array formulas. The final steps of the process are discussion and debugging. On the other hand, classical, tool-centered approaches are applied in the control groups. Our research reveals that the traditional surface approach methods for teaching spreadsheeting do not provide long lasting, reliable knowledge which would provide students and end-users with effective problem-solving strategies, while Sprego does. Beyond this finding, the project proves that Sprego supports schema construction and extended abstraction, which is one of the major hiatus points of traditional surface navigation methods. The project also reveals that developing computational thinking skills should not be downgraded, and the misconceptions of self-taught end-users and user-friendly applications should be reconsidered, especially their application in educational environments. Gaining effective computer problem-solving skills and knowledge-transfer abilities is not magic, but a time-consuming process which requires consciously developed and effective methods, and teachers who accept the incremental nature of the sciences.Maria CsernochPiroska BiroJanos MathIEEEarticleAlgorithm-driven spreadsheetinglong lasting knowledgeschema constructioncognitive loadend-user computingcomputational thinkingElectrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineeringTK1-9971ENIEEE Access, Vol 9, Pp 153943-153959 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Algorithm-driven spreadsheeting long lasting knowledge schema construction cognitive load end-user computing computational thinking Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering TK1-9971
spellingShingle	Algorithm-driven spreadsheeting long lasting knowledge schema construction cognitive load end-user computing computational thinking Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering TK1-9971 Maria Csernoch Piroska Biro Janos Math Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting
description	The paper presents the details of a four-year project to test the effectiveness of teaching spreadsheeting with spreadsheet programming, instead of the traditional, widely accepted surface approach methods. The novel method applied in the project, entitled Sprego (Spreadsheet Lego), is a concept-based problem-solving approach adapted from the didactics of other sciences and computer programming. In the experimental group contextualized, real-world programming problems are presented in a spreadsheet environment. A semi-unplugged data-driven analysis is carried out based on each problem, which is followed by the building of a feasible algorithm, expressed by natural language expressions. The coding is completed in the following step by applying a limited number of spreadsheet (Sprego) functions, multilevel, and array formulas. The final steps of the process are discussion and debugging. On the other hand, classical, tool-centered approaches are applied in the control groups. Our research reveals that the traditional surface approach methods for teaching spreadsheeting do not provide long lasting, reliable knowledge which would provide students and end-users with effective problem-solving strategies, while Sprego does. Beyond this finding, the project proves that Sprego supports schema construction and extended abstraction, which is one of the major hiatus points of traditional surface navigation methods. The project also reveals that developing computational thinking skills should not be downgraded, and the misconceptions of self-taught end-users and user-friendly applications should be reconsidered, especially their application in educational environments. Gaining effective computer problem-solving skills and knowledge-transfer abilities is not magic, but a time-consuming process which requires consciously developed and effective methods, and teachers who accept the incremental nature of the sciences.
format	article
author	Maria Csernoch Piroska Biro Janos Math
author_facet	Maria Csernoch Piroska Biro Janos Math
author_sort	Maria Csernoch
title	Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting
title_short	Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting
title_full	Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting
title_fullStr	Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting
title_full_unstemmed	Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting
title_sort	developing computational thinking skills with algorithm-driven spreadsheeting
publisher	IEEE
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/1b1b7c419d024c11928305cddfca26c2
work_keys_str_mv	AT mariacsernoch developingcomputationalthinkingskillswithalgorithmdrivenspreadsheeting AT piroskabiro developingcomputationalthinkingskillswithalgorithmdrivenspreadsheeting AT janosmath developingcomputationalthinkingskillswithalgorithmdrivenspreadsheeting
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Developing Computational Thinking Skills With Algorithm-Driven Spreadsheeting

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