An exploratory study of technological knowledge when pupils are designing a programmed technological solution using BBC Micro:bit

An exploratory study of technological knowledge when pupils are designing a programmed technological solution using BBC Micro:bit

Technology educators often provide activities where pupils design programmed technological solutions (PTS) with various programming materials for developing pupils’ technological knowledge related to PTS and digital technology. However, few studies have investigated how pupils experience these activ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of technology and design education 2022-03, Vol.32 (1), p.355-381
Main Author: Cederqvist, Anne-Marie
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
BBC Micro:bit
Coding
Computer programming
Computer Science Education
Didactics
Didaktik
Education
Educational Sciences
Educational Technology
Feedback control
Knowledge
LeaDS - Learning in a Digitalised Society
LeaDS - Lärande i ett digitalt samhälle
Learning Activities
Learning and Instruction
Original Research Article
Phenomenography
Programming
Programming materials
Science Education
Security systems
Sketches
Students
Technological Literacy
Technological solutions
Technology Education
Utbildningsvetenskap
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Summary:Technology educators often provide activities where pupils design programmed technological solutions (PTS) with various programming materials for developing pupils’ technological knowledge related to PTS and digital technology. However, few studies have investigated how pupils experience these activities. To fill this gap in knowledge, this phenomenographic study explores how pupils experience designing a PTS using BBC Micro:bit and identifies the technological knowledge these pupils need, in terms of critical aspects (i.e., aspects necessary to discern), to successfully solve a real world task—the design and coding of a burglar alarm. The data were gathered from sketches, interviews, and video-recordings of pupils aged 10 and 14. This study shows that the pupils struggled with two intertwined phenomena during the activity: the dual nature of the PTS (i.e., the structure and function) and the BBC Micro:bit material. The findings indicated that the pupils needed to understand what components to use based on their function and how to organise these components so they interacted with a code that used feedback control. That is, the pupils needed to code a conditional statement by combining blocks in the BBC Micro:bit editor. To produce working code, the pupils needed to know what the blocks represent, where to find the blocks in the editor, and how to interpret the shapes of the blocks. The results have implications for teaching technological knowledge, suggesting an importance of addressing these phenomena and critical aspects with respect to developing pupils’ conceptual and procedural knowledge related to designing PTS with BBC Micro:bit.
ISSN:0957-7572
1573-1804
1573-1804