Content area
This study reports on a STEM camp that aimed to engage middle grade students in computational thinking dispositions. Case study methodology and data from observational field notes and participant reflections were used to investigate if and how students engaged in computational thinking dispositions as they engaged in the unplugged LEGO activities. The findings revealed that unplugged structured LEGO activities (a) did not facilitate tolerance for ambiguity, (b) facilitated high persistence on difficult problems, and (c) high and developing willingness to collaborate with others to achieve a common goal. The findings also revealed that unplugged semi-structured LEGO activities (a) facilitated high and developing tolerance for ambiguity, (b) facilitated no evidence of persistence, and (c) increased and developed willingness to collaborate with others to achieve a common goal. The overall findings of this study suggest that when using unplugged, LEGO activities: (a) it is better to use unplugged structured LEGO activities to promote the computational thinking disposition of persistence, (b) it is better to use semi-structured activities to promote tolerance for ambiguity, and (c) it is better to use either or both to promote collaboration with others to achieve a common goal. The study’s findings are significant because it provides an empirical example of how the use of LEGOS as an unplugged activity can be used to facilitate computational thinking dispositions in middle grade students. Having this information is important because it can support STEM educators in modifying and adapting unplugged LEGO activities to develop students’ computational thinking dispositions.
