**2.3 Vex VR technological content knowledge (TCK)**

This section elaborates on the intersections of technical and content knowledge (**Figure 1**) necessary to understand Vex VR. Students who have prior knowledge of programming on the Scratch platform [19], or other websites that use block coding, will recognize the structure of the Vex VR integrated development environment (IDE). Like Scratch programming [19], the code blocks are drag and drop puzzle pieces that join together in the large white work area that dominates the right twothirds of the screen (**Figure 3**). Vex VR organizes the blocks into 10 categories: Drivetrain, Magnet, Looks, Events, Control, Sensing, Operators, Variables, My Blocks, and Comments. Vex VR provides you with the "when started" block. The programmer subsequently connects additional blocks based on planning strategies.

To learn more about each block, the programmer can click on the question mark in the upper right-hand corner of the screen (**Figure 2**) and then click on a block in the column that contains the puzzle pieces on the left of the screen. The "Help" column

### **Figure 3.**

*VR vex work area, block categories, and resources. VR vex is a product of the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) foundation.*

*Virtual Robotics in Hybrid Teaching and Learning DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102038*

will populate with information about the selected block. To learn more about topics such as "Driving Forward and Backward" or "Turning," click on the "Tutorials" button under the lightbulb icon in the top blue "ribbon" of the screen. Vex VR provides a robust Level 1 Blocks Course collection to get the students started.

### **2.4 Vex VR pedagogical knowledge (PK): computational thinking**

This section introduces the pedagogical, teaching methods, knowledge (**Figure 1**) necessary to instruct virtual robotics. Computational thinking is a mindset that is not limited to programming and computer science. It is a set of skills and attitudes that support students' creative solutions. Educators new to STEM might consider problemsolving as the only component of computational thinking. However, there are two additional skills: abstraction and algorithmic thinking [20]. Educators must emphasize that a computational thinking methodology is an *iterative* approach where mistakes and adjustments are an expected component of the process. **Table 1** summarizes the essential elements of the three computational thinking skills with examples based on the Vex VR Wall Maze challenge [11].

### **2.5 Vex VR pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)**

This section addresses the intersection of pedagogy and content knowledge. Pedagogy is an art, especially when teaching technology. The methods of pedagogy seek multiple entry points to introduce content and provide all students with the opportunity to practice, make mistakes, revise, and reveal understanding. Giving guidance to each student is crucial to advance their knowledge of programming.


### **Table 1.**

*Summary of three computational thinking skills.*


**Table 2.**

*Hattie and Temperly's tri-direction model [21].*

Feedback, however, is only one of three components that comprise formative assessments. Hattie and Temperly [21] provide a tri-directional model of helpful feedback: feed up, feedback, and feed forward. **Table 2** elaborates on the three directions of formative assessments.

Hattie and Temperly's Tri-Direction Model [21].
