Learning LOGO: Method of Teaching, Transfer of General Skills, and Attitudes Toward School and Computers
Richard E. Mayer · 2013
Papert and his colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to be easy enough so that even very young children could be introduced to programming. This language is usually introduced through the use of computer graphics, which serves to attract and maintain children&s;s interest and lets them see how the basic commands they are learning can be put together in different ways to yield very complex designs. (See Delclos, 1987, and Papert, 1980, for full discussions of the LOGO language.) There are a number of reasons for assuming that LOGO programming might be especially suited for facilitating problem-solving abilities. First, LOGO provides a problem-rich environment that encourages a great deal of practice at solving programming problems. Because it is rarely the case that a program will do exactly what the programmer intended the first time, meaningful problems of various kinds occur spontaneously and very frequently during the normal course of programming. Second, the structure of the LOGO language facilitates activities such as breaking problems into subproblems and devising systematic plans for finding errors (i.e., debugging). Third, the turtle graphics component of LOGO, which involves instructing a "turtle" to draw intricate patterns, makes LOGO programming simple enough so that even kindergarten children are able to successfully learn something about programming. The turtle graphics component also makes LOGO a highly motivating environment, contributing to the sense of excitement and anticipation that many students feel when programming in LOGO.