Unplugged Programming

The Future of Teaching Computational Thinking?

George Aranda and Joseph Paul Ferguson (2018)

Introduction

• Schools want to prepare students for a digital society
• Computational Thinking (CT) is now seen as a basic skill
• Unplugged Programming (UP) teaches CT without digital devices
• UP uses hands-on activities, role-play, and physical objects

What is Computational Thinking?

• Roots in Seymour Papert's idea of constructionism
• Papert highlighted learning by making and tinkering with objects
• Modern definitions often focus on problem-solving
• Debate continues on whether CT must use a computer

What is Unplugged Programming?

• Learning computing concepts without computers or screens
• Uses cards, sticky notes, string, drawing, and body movement
• Removes syntax and software barriers
• Allows students to focus on core concepts first

CS Unplugged

• Created in the late 1990s at the University of Canterbury
• Designed for primary students, but used across all age groups
• Free and accessible teaching activities
• Helps teachers feel confident teaching computer science

Conceptual and Attitudinal Gains

• Studies show UP can improve understanding of CT concepts
• Helps make computer science accessible and less intimidating
• Improves student interest and attitudes toward computing careers
• Supports teacher professional development

Criticisms of Unplugged Programming

• May focus more on big concepts than small coding details
• May be less engaging for older high school students
• Some researchers argue CT requires creating an external digital artifact
• UP activities should connect to actual coding over time

Embodied and Distributed Cognition

• Thinking does not happen only inside the brain
• Cognition is distributed across people, tools, and the environment
• The physical body plays an active role in learning
• Interacting with physical representations helps make abstract ideas concrete

Bodily Movement and CT

• Acting out code helps learners understand program logic
• Full-body movements can improve math and programming performance
• Writing and drawing on paper allow students to think through ideas
• Distance from screens helps students focus directly on concepts

Epistemological Pluralism

• Introduced by Sherry Turkle and Seymour Papert
• Means accepting and valuing different ways of thinking and knowing
• Traditional computer science favored formal and abstract styles
• Pluralism welcomes diverse learners and learning styles

A Multifaceted Approach

• Unplugged programming is not meant to replace computers
• Best results come from combining methods:
  • Physical and unplugged activities
  • Storybooks and literature
  • Screenless robots and tangible tools
  • Screen-based coding

Activity 1: Binary Counting Cards

• Goal: Understand how computers store numbers and data
• Materials: 5 index cards with 16, 8, 4, 2, and 1 dots
• Rules: Cards are either face up (1) or face down (0)
• Task: Flip cards to make numbers from 0 to 31
• CT Concept: Abstraction, binary representation, and bits

Activity 2: Human Robot Navigation

• Goal: Learn precise instructions and algorithmic sequences
• Setup: Create a simple grid on the floor with tape and obstacles
• Roles: One student is the programmer, one is the human robot
• Rules: Programmer writes card commands (Step, Turn Left, Turn Right)
• CT Concept: Algorithms, sequential execution, and debugging

Activity 3: Floor Sorting Network

• Goal: Discover parallel sorting algorithms through movement
• Setup: Draw lines and compare nodes on the floor with chalk or tape
• Task: Students hold random numbered cards and step into lanes
• Rules: At each node, two students compare cards and swap paths
• CT Concept: Algorithmic thinking, conditional logic, and parallel processing

Conclusion

• Computational Thinking is a way of reasoning for all citizens
• Unplugged programming provides a concrete and embodied foundation
• Embracing diverse ways of knowing invites all students into computing
• Curriculum and policy should support both plugged and unplugged methods