This week was another discussion on coding and makerspace. A code, as described by Phillip Auerswald (2016), can be a set of instructions or rules for machines or humans. In computer science education, coding involves creating these instructions (list of rules) often written as a programming language to control a computer’s behavior, perform a sequence of instructions, repeat a sequence of instructions a prescribed number of times, and test whether a sequence was performed correctly until the specific outcome is achieved (The Conversation, May 2015).

Makerspace, on the other hand, is an open space inside a school, library or separate public/private facility that allows people of common interest to work together to think, design, create, learn, explore and share thoughts, ideas, questions and projects around specific topics of importance that use high-technology tools. The space allows people to work across different disciplines, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health sciences, hobbies, arts/crafts, and many more. My post today will focus more on coding.

The importance of teaching Coding to students

The continuous integration of technology into our everyday lives has advocated coding as a fundamental skill for students to function in a digital and information-driven world, apply computational skills, and transfer these skills to solve everyday problems (Ogegbo & Aina, 2023). Popat (2017) indicates that integrating coding into curricula is not just about teaching students to code but also to help them develop collaborative skills, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills that are essential for success in the 21^st century and various academic disciplines. Furthermore, coding is regarded as an employable skill that teaches students to take risks and think logically while being empowered to fail in a safe environment. These skills are considered to be vital in all curricular areas as well as learning skills and work habits. Coding empowers students to be content creators rather than just content consumers. Teaching coding as a social practice can inspire students to use their skills to address real-world challenges and contribute to their communities (Popat, 2017).

There are some of us that think coding is meant for high school students or adults and not children. This ISTE video presentation by Keri Gritt basically explains why its important to teach coding even to younger children. She mentioned the fact that coding helps reinforce existing classroom concepts like sequencing, patterns, measurement, and storytelling and cultivates critical thinking, perseverance, flexibility, and teamwork. She also talked about the seamless integration of coding into curriculum, which requires a shift in teaching methods rather than adding new materials.

Students who engage in coding/maker space activities are actually exposed to a learning environment where they can work together in creating their own knowledge or idea of a topic/concept under the guidance of the teacher. This makes them to be highly motivated, as they are able to explore their interests and create things that they are passionate about. A typical example can be engaging young children in playing with Lego construction kits. Children can build anything of interest, and as a teacher, you can ask them to explain how they made their construction in case another person wants to replicate the same thing. In so doing, the children would give step-by-step instructions on what they had done (also known as an algorithm, which is a coding concept). During the activity, children can learn other principles like sequencing, pattern recognition, and abstraction, which can be used in solving any kind of problem.

Image copied from www.researchparent.com/coding-a-lego-maze/

Based on the values of coding, it is important as educators to provide opportunities for students to be innovative and create, and not just consume, technology.  The question of whether all students benefit from coding education is not a straight-forward answer, as it depends on various factors, including accessibility of resources to students, pedagogical approaches used by teachers, and individual learning contexts. While coding education is increasingly recognized as essential for developing computational thinking and problem-solving skills, its effectiveness can vary significantly among different student populations based on several variables, like age, experience, student accessibility, technology exposure, technical skills, and other contextual factors (Duncan et al., 2014; Ogegbo & Aina, 2023).

My experience as a teacher educator back in South Africa involved working with colleagues to facilitate coding and robotics workshops for students. This gave me first-hand experience on how to use both plugged and unplugged activities in teaching computational thinking concepts and practices using coding principles. Some of the activities we did during the workshop include students programming an Arduino, role-playing directions for one another to get to a particular destination, and the last one was the use of the TANKS coding app by Tangible Africa. It was initially challenging, but I had to do a lot of reading and attend several webinars to understand how those concepts are applicable to my subject area, and it took me time to be able to relate the concepts to other disciplines.

Sample of coding activities

So, should coding or makerspace be taught only by “techies?” My response would be ‘NO’. Since coding is regarded as basic literacy like math and English, then it should be taught by all teachers. I think the first thing will be demistifying coding as an approach that involves using technology., but rather see it as a pedagogical approach that can be used to promote inclusivity and enhance students interest in STEM careers. The article “An Overview of STEM, Robotics, Coding, and Maker Spaces” explains how coding activities are beginning to expand beyound curriculum and becoming a societal skill since it serves as a base for all kinds of game-based educational programs. Within the context of this article, makerspaces offer students a hands-on learning experience, allowing them to develop coding skills while exploring their creativity and problem-solving abilities. In addition, the article “Teaching-programming-in-schools-pedagogy-review-Raspberry-Pi-Foundation.pdf” outlines various strategies that teachers can use to support the integration of coding in the classroom. For instance, Kerit in the ISTE video highlighted some of the teaching methods and tools that can be used to teach coding to young children: physical sequencing of activities that help students create and follow programs using cards, understanding commands and sequencing, as well as peer activities that involve programming classmates to navigate obstacles; using robotics kits like KIBO which allows students to use barcoded blocks for coding; and Dash which allows students to use tiles to program actions (movement, sounds, lights), navigate paths, and do synchronized square dances. Based on all that has been discussed, I think non-techies should also be able to teach coding concepts in relation to their subjects. This will encourage students from various backgrounds to take an interest in the skills and break the stereotype of coding as “tech experts” alone.

As technology advances, coding will play an even more significant role in shaping the future, particularly with the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. I think it’s important that students are exposed to these concepts in their various subjects and disciplines with an understanding that the world is increasingly reliant on well-written code to operate smoothly.

References

Duncan, C., Bell, T., & Tanimoto, S. (2014, November). Should your 8-year-old learn coding?. In Proceedings of the 9th workshop in primary and secondary computing education (pp. 60-69).

Ogegbo, A. A., & Aina, A. Y. (2024). Exploring young students’ attitude towards coding and its relationship with STEM career interest.  Education and Information Technologies, 29(8), 9041-9059.

Puckket, M. (2021).  An Overview of STEM, Robotics, Coding, and Maker Spaces

Sterling, L. (2015).  An education for the 21st century means teaching coding in schools

Waite, J., & Sentance, S. (2021). Teaching programming in schools: A review of approaches and strategies. Raspberry Pi Foundation.