Computational thinking, informal learning, and makerspace

Author

Redar Ismail, DePaul UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-13-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

School of Computing

First Advisor

Roxanne Owens, PhD

Second Advisor

Craig Miller, PhD

Third Advisor

Amber Settle, PhD

Fourth Advisor

Lucia Dettori, PhD

Fifth Advisor

Eric Landahl, PhD

Abstract

The continuous advancement of technology has made it a crucial tool across various disciplines. As adaptation to this rapidly progressing field occurred, teaching and learning problem-solving skills are more essential than ever for empowering individuals to succeed across diverse fields. Studies have shown that engaging K-12 students in activities encouraging science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and computational thinking (CT) are critical for teaching them how to deal with complex problems (Rode, Barkhuus, & Ioannou, 2024; Shu & Huang, 2021). Makerspaces and making activities became popular among researchers and educators due to their potential to advance learning, enhance problem-solving skills, and expose students to STEM. Despite the numerous learning benefits reported by researchers related to makerspace and making activities (Lampe, 2023; Gousie, 2023), little research addressed their effectiveness in promoting learning outcomes among middle-school students. This gap in the literature underlined the importance of conducting a more rigorous study specifically targeting middle-school students to uncover the learning potentials and benefits of this environment in fostering essential skills such as CT.

This research investigated the development of CT skills among middle-school students through project activities in a makerspace learning setting. It proposed a CT framework that described CT as a thought process encompassing problem decomposition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking. Grounded in constructivism and constructionism, the research engaged middle-school students in programming and physical-computing activities in a makerspace to explore the potential of making in fostering CT skills. It proposed three iv hands-on projects, later reduced to two projects, and a curriculum map that teachers could use to teach CT skills to middle-school students. To answer the research questions, the analysis adapted the design-based research methodology (DBR) and incorporated formative and summative assessment to evaluate the development of CT skills among students.

The researcher carried out a two-day pilot at the university maker space to acquire insight and introduce improvements to the final study. The goal was to ensure that the approach to teaching the content and collecting the data would lead to valuable outcomes. Twenty-five students from local schools were recruited and self-selected to participate in the pilot. The researcher noted numerous areas—such as the study’s time frame, resource allocations, and the group size of students—for improvement. The final research took place at a makerspace in middle school. The participants were forty-nine 8th graders. There were five sessions, each consisting of different activities. In the first session, students took the pre-surveys and participated in a hook activity. Students worked on the maker projects in the subsequent sessions. They completed the post-surveys after the fifth session.

Facilitators collected quantitative data from surveys: students completed n=32 background knowledge and maker activities, n=43 self-report surveys, which consisted of CT disposition, frequency of use, and self-evaluation of maker activity-related knowledge and CT skills for quantitative analysis, and n=14 computational learning (see Appendix H). Educators used rubric (see Appendix A) to collect qualitative and quantitative data from students n=24 to form insight about students` progress during the intervention. The data was transcribed and analyzed using SPASS.

The results from the quantitative and qualitative analysis show that hands-on, project-based learning at makerspace indeed fosters the development of CT skills. Results revealed significant improvements in CT skills, especially in circuit design and programming, using tools like Makey Makey and Arduino. No significant changes were v marked in CT dispositions such as persistence, collaboration, and tolerance for ambiguity among middle school students. Researchers observed slight changes in scores of the frequency of using CT surveys, but only one item achieved a statistically significant improvement. The findings of the computational learning (see Appendix H) survey showed minor numerical improvements or changes in mean scores for some items. However, most were not statistically significant. The qualitative and qualitative findings from the rubric (see Appendix A) captured insight into students’ performance differences between both activities.

The research highlights the value of explicit, intentional, procedural, and collaborative scaffolding techniques to support students' learning and resilience in complex problem-solving tasks. The outcomes emphasize the significance of tailoring activities for middle-school students to CT concepts. However, it is essential to acknowledge that more prolonged, consistent interventions, dynamic scaffolding, and reflective practices are necessary to foster CT skills, disposition, and frequency of use.

Recommended Citation

Ismail, Redar, "Computational thinking, informal learning, and makerspace" (2025). College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations. 73.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/cdm_etd/73