How Can Debugging With Physical Computing Be More Playful For Children?

Abstract

In response to the ongoing call for the education of computational thinking, I explored how debugging activities in a physical computing environment can be more playful and learnable for children. While a lot of studies have addressed the importance of debugging in generic programming learning, the benefits and challenges of physical computing implementation in classrooms, or the potential of playfulness in STEM education, few research focused on an interdisciplinary conversation that sought design solutions to bring playfulness into the learning experience and to improve the user experience cohesively. In this study, based on a synthetical understanding of the relevant studies from computer science, human-computer interaction, and education, I situated the concept of fragile knowledge into the complex, multiple-object environment of physical computing. Accordingly, I designed two debugging projects on micro:bit for 8 participants at KidsTeam at the University of Maryland to understand their intuitive approaches to debugging in the physical computing environment. I analyzed the video data of the two 90-minute sessions and applied semantic coding to examine and compare the participants’ earning experiences, including typical progress and failures. The qualitative findings revealed: 1) the differentiation in the process of debugging between the first-time and returning learners of programming, 2) the participants’ passion for customizing after success by upgrading their projects or testing the limit of the physical chip, and 3) two forms of spontaneous collaborations. Across those experiences, I further identified the failures without feedback caused by the micro:bit’s current coding environment and extended Fish Tanks and Sandboxes, two playful learning principles, to provide design insights for future physical debugging activities that support the findings above.