Cthink.It. A Board-game for Computational Thinking in Early Years

Tharrenos Bratitsis; Leonard Busuttil; Diane Vassallo; Iro Koliakou; Maria Tsapara; Kiriaki Melliou; James Callus; Gonçalo Meirelles; Nabil Tarraf Kojok; Sofia Sousa; George Arnaoutis

doi:10.34190/ecgbl.18.1.2836

Authors

Tharrenos Bratitsis University of Western Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4257-2755
Leonard Busuttil University of Malta, Malta https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3779-891X
Diane Vassallo University of Malta, Malta https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9062-2297
Iro Koliakou Anatolia College, Greece
Maria Tsapara University of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1148-0619
Kiriaki Melliou University of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7297-7852
James Callus University of Malta, Malta https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4577-0968
Gonçalo Meirelles Advancis - Business Services, Lda, Portugal
Nabil Tarraf Kojok Chiswick House School, Malta
Sofia Sousa Projeto Scholé, Lda, Portugal
George Arnaoutis Anatolia College, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.18.1.2836

Keywords:

Computational Thinking, board games, early years, cards

Abstract

Computational Thinking (CT) refers to a specific set of mental skills used to formulate solutions to problems by converting given inputs to produce appropriate outputs while following detailed algorithms to perform this process. Essentially, CT is broadly defined as a combination of thinking processes which include abstraction, algorithm design, decomposition, pattern recognition and data representation.

Board-games can be used in the educational process as a learning tool while creating an attractive and authentic learning environment, providing an educational approach which is transdisciplinary, developing and utilizing multiple skills. Using board-games in Early Childhood Education (ECE) cultivates students' social skills, 21st century skills and cognitive skills, while helping them to increase their motivation and achieve the objectives of the curriculum framework.

In this paper, the aforementioned areas are combined through the presentation of a board-game that was designed within the CThink.it Erasmus+ project (2022-1-MT01-KA220-SCH-000086903) for cultivating CT competency in the early years. The backstory is a toy, lost in a museum and through a series of activities, it is to be returned to the child-owner. Prior to designing the game, a systematic literature review was conducted so as to provide foundation for the game itself and a set of associated lesson plans.

The produced materials were pilot tested in schools. The paper aims to provide preliminary data for the game evaluation, focusing on the issues of playability, age appropriateness, connection to curricula and the teachers’ perspective on the usability of the game as teaching resource for ECE. For that, the research methodology will be presented, along with preliminary findings.

Author Biographies

Tharrenos Bratitsis, University of Western Macedonia

Dr Tharrenos Bratitsis is a Full Professor at the Early Childhood Education Department, University of Western Macedonia, Greece. He has participated in over 300 international conferences’ scientific committees; is a member of the reviewers’ board of 47 scientific journals and publishes regularly, having over 250 scientific publications regarding TEL, GBL, digital narratives and STEAM education.

Leonard Busuttil, University of Malta, Malta

Prof. Leonard Busuttil is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. His research focuses on the intersection of Computing and Education, where he participates in several innovative projects. Leonard’s primary research interests include game-based learning, computational thinking, and the application of artificial intelligence in educational contexts.

Diane Vassallo, University of Malta, Malta

Dr Diane Vassallo PhD. (Belfast) is a lecturer at the University of Malta. She is currently involved in a number of research projects, including ERASMUS+ funded projects. Her areas of special interest include Computing Education, Computational Thinking, Curriculum Development and AI in education.

Iro Koliakou, Anatolia College, Greece

Dr. Iro Koliakou, Head of STEAM at Anatolia College, coordinates EU STEAM projects and teaches Physics. She holds a PhD in Biology, MSc in Biomedical Engineering, and a Physics degree. An active STEM education advocate, she has 18 publications and extensive experience in R&D, teacher training, and student competitions.

Maria Tsapara, University of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece

Maria Tsapara is an early childhood and a PhD candidate in the University of Western Macedonia. Her thesis aims to explore the pedagogical use of board games, as a tool for STE(A)M education for sustainable development, motivating learning and thinking of preschool children to understand issues related to problems in the natural world around them. She is also an ICT trainer, EU Code Week Leading Teacher, eTwinning and Scientix Ambassador.

Kiriaki Melliou, University of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece

Dr. Kiriaki Melliou is Educational Consultant and among the authors of the national Curriculum of Early Childhood Education in Greece. She has contributed to national and international projects awarded by the Council of Europe and OECD. She has published more than 40 research papers and presented in several international conferences.

James Callus, University of Malta, Malta

James Callus is a Head of Department (Digital Literacy) within the Directorate for Digital Literacy and Transversal Skills. He is also a Visiting Lecturer within the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. His areas of interest include Digital Literacy, Computational Thinking, Mobile Technologies, AI in education and Innovative Pedagogical Approaches.

Gonçalo Meirelles , Advancis - Business Services, Lda, Portugal

Gonçalo Meirelles holds a Five-Year Degree in Business Administration by the Catholic University of Porto. Developed his initial career in strategic, innovation and entrepreneurship consulting. For the past 15 years he was involved in international projects in the field of education and learning, mostly researching new teaching methodologies, designing learning games and developing learning contents.

Nabil Tarraf Kojok, Chiswick House School, Malta

Nabil Tarraf Kojok is an educator in Mathematics, ICT & Computing at St. Martin's College, Malta. He is currently the Digital Literacy Coordinator at Chiswick House School, Malta, implementing a new Digital Literacy syllabus for all primary levels focused on Computational Thinking. He is also currently leading the partnership of Chiswick House School within CThink.IT Project (ERASMUS+).

Sofia Sousa, Projeto Scholé, Lda, Portugal

Sofia Sousa is an elementary school and math teacher. Currently she is the Pedagogical Coordinator at Scholé, a project based learning school in Portugal. In the school she helps to implement an experimental, experiential and playful learning approach, while trying to develop “cleaver minds and happy hearts”.

George Arnaoutis, Anatolia College, Greece

George Arnaoutis, an Instructional Technology Consultant and Computing Teacher at Anatolia College, holds an MBA, Master in Information Systems, and a Bachelor's in Balkanic Studies. He supports faculty with interactive technologies and teaches computer science. Certified by Microsoft, he excels in educational technology and multimedia content creation.