Algorithmic Thinking Skills through Play-Based Learning for Future’s Code Literates Erasmus Project

Project Title

Algorithmic Thinking Skills through Play-Based Learning for Future’s Code Literates

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early childhood education and care; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

CONTEXT
An algorithm is a set of actions involving the understanding of objectives of further activities and undertaking a series of steps to solve practical and educational problems (Veronina, Sergeeva & Utyumova, 2016). Algorithm comprehension makes it possible to transfer the method of solving a problem to similar tasks since algorithmic thinking is a way of reaching a solution by defining the steps clearly (Yıldız, Çiftçi & Karal, 2017). Algorithmic thinking is the base to understand and learn to code, but above all, this skill is necessary for every moment of our lives since by using this skill we can create and follow simple sequences to perform a task. Hereby, the good acquisition of algorithmic thinking skills will provide future generations to take the most appropriate steps to reach the desired goal.

As computational thinking, coding and educational robotics are entering European schools as tools for thought, teachers and curriculum developers offer to foster algorithmic thinking skills starting from the preschool period (Strnad, 2018), in so providing children with these skills they will be able to interpret data more easily, and develop thinking strategies for understanding and solving problems.

OBJECTIVES
Therefore the main goal of the project practice is to prepare a course programme and teaching materials to teach preschool teaching undergraduates how to reflect the algorithmic thinking skill in all areas of preschool education and integrate it into the teaching of music, art, mathematics, drama, science, behaviour development and language development, which are addressed in early childhood.

Hereby, the project will also refer to the objectives below
– Closing skills gaps in ICT oriented teaching/learning activities for immediate impact on contemporary teaching skills of preschool teaching undergraduates
– Increasing the acquisition of knowledge and skills of preschool teaching undergraduates related to employing algorithmic thinking skills through play-based learning as an innovative teaching approach
– Upskilling the lecturers of the partner universities related to the integration of algorithmic thinking skills into all subject areas focused, in preschool education.

TARGET GROUPS
Target groups of the project practice consist of 80 preschool teaching undergraduates who will participate in the piloting process and 9 lecturers who will take training to gain insight into the application of the developed learning/teaching activities to integrate algorithmic thinking skills into all subject areas addressed in preschool education and monitor the teaching practices through in-classroom observations.

METHODOLOGY & ACTIVITIES
Intellectual Output Preparation Process
Two research methods used in social sciences will be used for the preparation of intellectual outputs and for testing their compliance with the project objectives.
a- Descriptive (Preparation, Curriculum Development, Interactive Animated Presentations as teaching material)
Through literature reviews, workshops, individual works, teamwork and joint-work of the project team members
b- Experimental (Piloting process taking place after the preparation of the curriculum and teaching materials)
Through giving training during the spring semester of 2022, summative and formative assessments will take place to measure the effectiveness of the piloting.

RESULT & IMPACT
a- The project will provide a new research area for academia. The project ALGO-LITTLE will be a reliable step for academia, to study on the project topic from different aspects specifically for preschool teaching.
b- Project partners will be able to carry the proposed teaching approach to a step further by conducting further studies on the subject matter. The project outputs will be available for them to use in their courses. Besides, all interested preschool teaching departments will be able to use the developed teaching materials under the license of Creative Commons (CC BY-SA).
c- The project practice will directly impact on the preschool teaching undergraduates’ upskilling in the teaching of different subject areas. They will learn how to support children to see the happenings from different angles, to create algorithms, to apply them and see if they can reach the objective or not and also to check their steps, to see the problematic ones and correct them.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 147735 Eur

Project Coordinator

Izmir Demokrasi Unversitesi & Country: TR

Project Partners

• Educloud Egitim Organizasyon Teknoloji Ticaret Limited Sirketi
• SVEUCILISTE U RIJECI
• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE VISEU
• SCUOLA DI ROBOTICA
• UNIVERZA V MARIBORU