From the point of view of the game, the fun and engagement generated. From a pedagogical point of view, we study different dimensions that can affect the learning process in or out of class (such as the richness of the proposed interaction, the time that can be invested, and the depth of the exploration). There are articles which discuss some of them our intention is to propose an objective analysis, reviewing their possibilities from different perspectives. In this chapter, we review a number of existing platforms with features mentioned above. Consequently, they considerably limit the prior knowledge required to program and reinforce the program structure, eliminating the possibility of syntax errors and focusing only on the logic that exists in the activity that is to be undertaken. These blocks work as an abstraction of programming components: sentences, data, control structures, procedures, and so on.
These tools employ user interfaces based on visual blocks that are moved and placed constructively as an assembly game, usually with the visual abstraction of a puzzle with its pieces and fitting ways. There are several ways to address this problem such as narrative tools, flow-model tools, or specialized output realizations in this chapter, we focus on the most common tools, which are those that use the block-based visual programming. It is also important that all these tools seek to avoid novice programmers having to confront the complexity of text-based computer coding and to improve the learnability.
#Stencyl opensource tileset free#
To delimit the study, we see that there are many common features among most of the current tools geared to developing CT skills like, Alice, Scratch, or Kodable: they are open and free for general use they focus mainly on primary and secondary school students and there is an explicit gaming characteristic, which facilitates the use by these learners and applies the proven benefits of games in education.
It is not this chapter’s goal to discuss the advantages of incorporating CT into education, but to analyze the tools, their possible uses, and their limitations. Most of these initiatives are based on digital platforms where learner programmers can develop and improve their CT skills through games.
#Stencyl opensource tileset code#
The Hour of Code, Code Week, or Scratch Day are some of the well-known global events that promote changes in curricular design toward this new digital formation. In recent years, many initiatives have been developed to promote CT in primary and secondary education due to both the social boom in CT and the lack of computer professionals in the present and near future. It is still a topic of debate how important and transversal CT should be in compulsory education however, for practical reasons, the educational world has been paying it increasingly more attention. Thanks to all these efforts, we begin to see signs that the situation is changing, but there are many challenges, starting with the still insufficient definition of the concept of CT and its structuring in the classroom, which involves multiple initiatives by national and international organizations.Ĭonsidering the ubiquity of computers in our digital society, CT appears to be a fundamental skill not only for computer specialists but also for many other professionals. In just a decade, since Wing introduced the concept to the technological community, the movement has been very intense, both in the scientific community and the educational world, as well as in the tools and content available. Computational thinking (CT) allows you to solve problems in a way that a computer (human or machine) can execute.