Children’s Embodiment of Coding Concepts in an Unplugged-to-Plugged Learning Sequence
Jessica M. Kerr, Theodore J. Kopcha · ACM Transactions on Computing Education · 2025
Objectives . The purpose of this study was to explore the way concepts embodied during an unplugged coding activity emerged in a plugged coding environment. Participants . A pair of 4th-grade elementary-aged children who participated in an after-school coding club over a 4-week period. Participants had no prior experience with coding. Study Method . Using a multimodal lens to frame the study, data collection and analysis focused on 3 hours of video paired with the children’s coding documents in which we observed how the pair constructed meaning through both verbal and non-verbal (e.g., gestures, body movements) communication and interaction with the environment. Findings . The findings revealed unit thinking as a central concept in which the physical properties of objects in the environment were associated with units of movement. Units were then used to support the children’s thinking as they planned sequences of moves with greater accuracy. This transitioned from a bodily understanding of units in unplugged towards more abstract representations in plugged. Conclusions . Findings suggest that unit thinking may be an important but somewhat overlooked mathematical concept that children embody when using physical objects to complete coding activities. Additionally, the findings support a grounded perspective of cognition in which engaging the sensorimotor system during unplugged activities can play a role in completing tasks later in a plugged environment. Implications include encouraging teachers to introduce unit thinking to children during unplugged coding activities, particularly when sequencing and measurement are required.