**3.3 Course elements**

Taking into account studies found in the literature [10, 43, 44], the course combines a little theoretical training with a strong practical component, encouraging the active participation of the trainee. Thus, the course elements are (see **Image 5**):

	- The first one is about fundamentals and principles of CT.
	- The second part is about the Scratch environment, basic commands, control structures, and some advanced commands.
	- The third part is about the construction of projects in the form of animations, interactive stories, and educational games in Scratch. The Creative Computing Curriculum Guide (http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/guide/) and the Scratch cards (https://scratch.mit.edu/info/cards/), a set of 12 cards which are available to download free from the Scratch website, were used as learning material, in order to help the students' teams to explore the features of Scratch on their own learning rhythm.

**191**

**Image 5.** *Course description.*

*Evaluating a Course for Teaching Advanced Programming Concepts with Scratch to Preservice…*

• Element 2. This element consists of building applications in the Scratch

and introducing even more complex CS concepts when needed.

and their application of computational concepts.

○ Secondly, they were asked to create either an interactive story (based on an Aesop myth) or an educational game (trying to teach Greek language learning, math, or science). At the end of the semester, the students presented their projects. The program that each student created was also collected and analyzed to understand the outcomes of students' computational practices

During the period between September 2017 and January 2018, 15 third-year female preservice kindergarten education students enrolled in a science education course entitled "Science education in early childhood" at a Greek university for

○ The students firstly were required to make their own version of the popular Angry Birds game. The idea was based on a similar project in the book entitled *Raspberry Pi Projects for Kids* [3]. In this game the player launches a bird through the air using a slingshot and attempts to hit all of the pigs at the other end of the level. This was a complex programming activity. In terms of the computational thinking framework, it involves the computational concepts of operators such as variables, control structures, keyboard-handling blocks, etc. The students had also to handle physics issues such as flight, gravity, and bouncing. For that reason, supplementary learning materials such as worksheets and group activity instructions were given to them. Furthermore, the educator advised the students how to manage the process of game development, working collaboratively, etc. Also, the educator offered his guidance to the students, helping them to complete their games

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81714*

environment.

**3.4 Method**

*3.4.1 Participants*

*Evaluating a Course for Teaching Advanced Programming Concepts with Scratch to Preservice… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81714*

	- The students firstly were required to make their own version of the popular Angry Birds game. The idea was based on a similar project in the book entitled *Raspberry Pi Projects for Kids* [3]. In this game the player launches a bird through the air using a slingshot and attempts to hit all of the pigs at the other end of the level. This was a complex programming activity. In terms of the computational thinking framework, it involves the computational concepts of operators such as variables, control structures, keyboard-handling blocks, etc. The students had also to handle physics issues such as flight, gravity, and bouncing. For that reason, supplementary learning materials such as worksheets and group activity instructions were given to them. Furthermore, the educator advised the students how to manage the process of game development, working collaboratively, etc. Also, the educator offered his guidance to the students, helping them to complete their games and introducing even more complex CS concepts when needed.
	- Secondly, they were asked to create either an interactive story (based on an Aesop myth) or an educational game (trying to teach Greek language learning, math, or science). At the end of the semester, the students presented their projects. The program that each student created was also collected and analyzed to understand the outcomes of students' computational practices and their application of computational concepts.

## **3.4 Method**

*Early Childhood Education*

The course was developed to help preservice teachers introduce CS as a new subject to their students. It was also developed to demonstrate that even without a background or training in this subject, preservice kindergarten teachers have the ability to learn fundamental CS theory and concepts. It was focused on CS education in the context of developing higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. We also wanted to encourage students to become innovative and think critically about how technology impacts their daily teaching techniques (see **Image 4**).

Taking into account studies found in the literature [10, 43, 44], the course combines a little theoretical training with a strong practical component, encouraging the active participation of the trainee. Thus, the course elements are (see **Image 5**):

• Element 1. Scratch and applications built in Scratch. This element is divided

○ The second part is about the Scratch environment, basic commands, control

○ The third part is about the construction of projects in the form of animations, interactive stories, and educational games in Scratch. The Creative Computing Curriculum Guide (http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/guide/) and the Scratch cards (https://scratch.mit.edu/info/cards/), a set of 12 cards which are available to download free from the Scratch website, were used as learning material, in order to help the students' teams to explore the features

○ The first one is about fundamentals and principles of CT.

structures, and some advanced commands.

of Scratch on their own learning rhythm.

**190**

**3.3 Course elements**

*The trajectory of the course approach.*

**Image 4.**

into three parts:

#### *3.4.1 Participants*

During the period between September 2017 and January 2018, 15 third-year female preservice kindergarten education students enrolled in a science education course entitled "Science education in early childhood" at a Greek university for

**Image 5.** *Course description.*

13 weeks. The lessons were 3 hours per week. The course was offered as optional, and the students took part in the study after ethics approvals were received and all participants signed consent forms. All research participants had basic computer skills, but they had no previous experience with neither computational thinking nor the use of Scratch or any other programming environment.

## *3.4.2 Evaluation*

In order to evaluate the course, we examined both cognitive (how effectively they learned) and affective (how enjoyable the experience was, and how motivated by it the students were) factors. Thus, in this study we collected both quantitative and qualitative data:

	- The conception about the potential of Scratch and CT activities as a learning support tool
	- The intention to introduce a CT curriculum
	- The level of satisfaction about the course

The respondents were asked to answer both to closed questions (yes/not) and open questions ("Do you think that Scratch and coding activities can be a useful support learning tool? Why?," "Do you think about introducing some coding activities in your lessons? Why?").
