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.NET Gadgeteer: a new platform for K-12 computer science education

.NET Gadgeteer: a new platform for K-12 computer science education
.NET Gadgeteer: a new platform for K-12 computer science education
In this paper we present the features of a new physical device prototyping platform called Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer along with our initial experiences using it to teach computer science in high schools. Gadgeteer makes it easy for newcomers to electronics and computing to plug together modules with varied functionality and to program the resulting system’s behavior. We believe the platform is particularly suited to teaching modern programming concepts such as object-oriented, event-based programming and it could be a timely addition to established teaching tools given the current interest in improving high school computer science education in some regions. We have run a number of pilot studies in the US and in the UK with students of varying age and ability. Our results indicate that the tangible and expressive nature of Gadgeteer helps to engage and motivate a diverse set of students. We were also pleasantly surprised by the level of polish and sophistication of the devices which were built. We hope to further explore the potential of Gadgeteer for teaching in future work and we encourage others to build on our experiences.
978-1-4503-1868-6
Hodges, Steve
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Scott, James
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Sentance, Sue
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Miller, Colin
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Villar, Nicolas
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Schwiderski-Grosche, Scarlet
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Hammil, Kerry
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Johnston, Steven
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Hodges, Steve
1beb406f-d916-4916-b4ba-f43db56e6a99
Scott, James
38da9dc5-ce87-4dc9-96c9-14af6592c2fb
Sentance, Sue
facd568d-3ca0-4607-9afe-2fa4ec99137f
Miller, Colin
49dea3b2-2183-4d59-bf3a-47053f376f9c
Villar, Nicolas
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Schwiderski-Grosche, Scarlet
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Hammil, Kerry
abbb59f0-4552-4d56-82d7-d63b33ce986b
Johnston, Steven
6b903ec2-7bae-4a56-9c21-eea0a70bfa2b

Hodges, Steve, Scott, James, Sentance, Sue, Miller, Colin, Villar, Nicolas, Schwiderski-Grosche, Scarlet, Hammil, Kerry and Johnston, Steven (2013) .NET Gadgeteer: a new platform for K-12 computer science education. SIGCSE, Denver, United States. 06 - 09 Mar 2013. 6 pp .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

In this paper we present the features of a new physical device prototyping platform called Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer along with our initial experiences using it to teach computer science in high schools. Gadgeteer makes it easy for newcomers to electronics and computing to plug together modules with varied functionality and to program the resulting system’s behavior. We believe the platform is particularly suited to teaching modern programming concepts such as object-oriented, event-based programming and it could be a timely addition to established teaching tools given the current interest in improving high school computer science education in some regions. We have run a number of pilot studies in the US and in the UK with students of varying age and ability. Our results indicate that the tangible and expressive nature of Gadgeteer helps to engage and motivate a diverse set of students. We were also pleasantly surprised by the level of polish and sophistication of the devices which were built. We hope to further explore the potential of Gadgeteer for teaching in future work and we encourage others to build on our experiences.

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More information

Published date: March 2013
Venue - Dates: SIGCSE, Denver, United States, 2013-03-06 - 2013-03-09
Organisations: Engineering Science Unit

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 362921
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/362921
ISBN: 978-1-4503-1868-6
PURE UUID: d6b2fa9d-ed28-4e2d-8cf3-29999308d500
ORCID for Steven Johnston: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3864-7072

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 17 Mar 2014 16:09
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 16:16

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Contributors

Author: Steve Hodges
Author: James Scott
Author: Sue Sentance
Author: Colin Miller
Author: Nicolas Villar
Author: Scarlet Schwiderski-Grosche
Author: Kerry Hammil
Author: Steven Johnston ORCID iD

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