Communications of the ACM
Teaching Programming to Preschoolers
Researchers are developing a system that enables young children to program interactive robots by affixing stickers to laminated sheets of paper.
Credit: Bryce Vickmark
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers are developing a system that enables young children to program interactive robots by placing stickers on laminated sheets of paper.
In addition to introducing young children to programming principles, the system also could help determine which computational concepts children can understand at different ages, and how interactive robots can best be integrated into educational programs.
The system uses an interactive robot called Dragonbot, which features audio and visual sensors, a speech synthesizer, a range of gestures, and a video screen for a face that can display a variety of expressions.
The basic components of the programming system are triangular and circular stickers, representing stimuli and responses, respectively, and arrow stickers, representing the relationships between them. Children can create computational templates by placing the triangles, circles, and arrows on sheets of laminated paper. The children then place other stickers that represent particular stimuli and responses. A subject is introduced to the system by issuing an individual command, which involves attaching a single response sticker to a small laminated sheet.
The sticker system is designed to encourage a way of thinking about programming that is more consistent with how modern computation is done. The system could be used to introduce children to principles of conventional, sequential programming, as well as scenario-based programming.
From MIT News
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