Total Time: ~45 minutes (Poster Presentation)
This session will take the form of an interactive question-and-answer experience, allowing attendees to explore ideas, ask questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue throughout the presentation. The poster space will include slideshow visuals, evolving posters, short videos, and photographs that bring the concept of unplugged coding in early childhood to life.
Visitors will be encouraged to participate by adding sticky notes with reflections or questions, helping them focus on key ideas and remember the different areas of discussion. Small handouts or digital resources will serve as takeaways with guidelines and examples for classroom use.
After this session, participants will be able to design and implement unplugged coding and robotics activities that build computational and 21st-century thinking skills in young learners. They will learn practical, cost-effective strategies to make coding accessible in contexts with limited technology, helping bridge the digital divide. Participants will also be able to adapt playful, age-appropriate learning experiences that spark curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving, while aligning with early learning standards and developmental needs. Ultimately, they will leave inspired to integrate unplugged coding principles into their classrooms, transforming early coding education into an inclusive, authentic, and joyful learning journey for all children.
Ahmed, A., & Gut, D. (2020). Integrating 21st-Century Skills into the General Curriculum: Evidence from Public Schools in Alabama. Journal Of Education and Practice, 11(12). https://doi.org/10.7176/jep/11-12-01
Bers, M. (2018). Coding as a playground: Programming and computational thinking in the early childhood classroom. Routledge.
Bers, M., Flannery, L., Kazakoff, E., & Sullivan, A. (2014). Computational thinking and tinkering: Exploration of an early childhood robotics curriculum. Computers & Education, 72, pp.145-157.
https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.10.020
Ching, Y., Hsu, Y., & Baldwin, S. (2018). Developing Computational Thinking with Educational Technologies for Young Learners. Techtrends, 62(6), pp.563-573. doi: 10.1007/s11528-018-0292-7
Department of Basic Education. (2021). Proposed amendments to the curriculum and assessment policy statement (caps) to make provision for coding and robotics grades R- 9. Government Printers.
https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Legislation/Call%20for%20Comments/draftcodingandroboticscurriculum/Grade%20R-3%20Coding%20%20and%20Robotics%20Draft%20CAPS%20Final%2019Mar2021.pdf?ver=2021-03-24-164612-000
Isnaini, R., & Budiyanto, C. (2018). The Influence of Educational Robotics to Computational Thinking Skill in Early Childhood Education. Proceedings Of The 1st International Conference on Computer Science and Engineering Technology Universitas Muria Kudus.
https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.24-10-2018.2280538
Lee, J., & Junoh, J. (2019). Implementing Unplugged Coding Activities in Early Childhood Classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(6), pp.709-716. doi: 10.1007/s10643-019-00967-z
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