Mastering loops and repetition is a well-documented source of difficulty for novice programmers in upper primary school, who often “unroll” a repeated action into a long linear stack of identical blocks rather than recognising the repeating pattern and expressing it with a single repeat block. This study reports a between-groups experiment. We examined whether a multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) assistant tutor — one that interprets screenshots of pupils’ Scratch code and replies with Socratic scaffolding rather than with corrections — improves learning outcomes and engagement relative to traditional classroom lesson. Forty pupils aged 11 to 12 were assigned to two intact classes of 20. The first received a standard, teacher-led lesson on loops, in pairs at shared computers using scratch.mit.edu. The second covered the same material; whenever a pair’s script did not behave as intended, the pair captured a screenshot (a “print screen”) of their blocks and submitted it to the multimodal AI assistant tutor, which read the code and replied with a guiding question that prompted the pair to locate and repair the fault themselves. Pairs followed the driver–navigator pair-programming technique on both groups. We measured learning with a matched pre- and post-test on loops and gauged engagement through a short attitude questionnaire and classroom observation. The tutor group scored significantly higher on the post-test and reported markedly greater interest and enjoyment than the traditionally taught group. These findings suggest that multimodal AI tools that read learner code and scaffold through questioning can enhance both achievement and motivation in introductory programming.
Dimitrios Kravvaris· European Journal of Contempo...· 0 citations
The integration of digital technology into the primary classroom remains a contested pedagogical question. Our study examines how the interactive whiteboard can be exploited as a cognitive tool rather than a simple means of projection. More specifically, we focus on the teaching of Informatics in a primary school, a setting where the device is frequently reduced to a digital replacement for the traditional board. The research adopts an action research design, since the researcher is simultaneously the teacher who plans and delivers the intervention. This dual role allows the investigation of teaching practice from within. Data were collected through a reflective journal, field notes kept during and immediately after each lesson, a short pupil questionnaire supplemented by a group discussion, and samples of pupils' work. The analysis was carried out through thematic analysis. The results suggest that the interactive whiteboard supports engagement and participation, particularly when its interactive and multimedia affordances are deliberately linked to specific cognitive tasks. An important distinction emerged. The device contributes to learning not through its technical features alone but through the pedagogical framing that surrounds its use. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the shift from a presentation tool to a cognitive tool depends on the teacher's planning, the design of the activities, and the degree to which pupils themselves manipulate the interface. We also acknowledge the limitations that the dual role of teacher-researcher introduces, concerning subjectivity and researcher bias, which we addressed through triangulation and reflexivity. This is perhaps the most telling conclusion of our work. The interactive whiteboard is neither inherently transformative nor inherently trivial; its value is constituted in the pedagogical decisions of the teacher. We close with implications for teacher education and for the design of Informatics activities in primary schooling.
Dimitrios Kravvaris· International journal of res...· 0 citations
