Development of Contents for Effective Computer Programming Education in Curriculum of Elementary Schools

Abstract

In a variety of fields, highly developed technology is being combined to create a lot of value. In order to keep up with this global trend, the Ministry of Education, which is in charge of national education, continuously develops and applies content for creative education to textbooks. The continuous development of content for creative education is not only related to national interests, but also to the continued development of mankind. Today, the succession and development of human knowledge is in charge of the education system. Research into an effective educational system is necessary for effective succession of rapidly developing science and technology and building up technical personnel with such skills. In particular, the computer science field is faster in development than other scientific fields and has accumulated many technologies, indicating that it takes a lot of time and good teaching to foster talent that can effectively utilize the technology. In this paper, elementary school subjects were analyzed to achieve the purpose of cultivating talent in the field of computer science. In addition, we have investigated techniques related to computer programming learning not covered in elementary school subjects. So we developed content that students need to practice. Next, we taught the content to randomly selected elementary school students and assessed their educational effectiveness. As a result of training using the content we developed, 55.37% increased academic performance.

I. INTRODUCTION

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, robots and 5G information and communications are expanding day by day. There is a great deal of human wisdom accumulated by technological sophistication, and the systematic succession and development of this knowledge is paramount to the continued development of mankind [1-2].

A computer is a calculation tool that has a wide range ofuses where cutting-edge technologies are quickly fused. As a member of modern society, to solve a given problem quickly and efficiently, the technology to program computers freely is useful and important [3].

However, in the current education system, after majoring in computer science, it often takes a long time to fully learnskills such as artificial intelligence and big data, and to have the ability to effectively solve given problems. Even incollege and early industrial life, which can be very creative, one often fails to concentrate on creating value by using computers. This is because they need to learn additional programming skills required to implement an analysis ordesigned program.

In computer programming learning, it is a basic andimportant process to understand the characteristics and behavior of major electronic components. The currentelementary school curriculum also includes some contenton electrical circuits and electronic components. However, there is not much educational content on how to experimentor practice that can deepen the learning.

In this paper, in addition to the elementary schoolcurriculum currently being conducted, we select some electromagnetic technologies that elementary school students can easily practice. Next, we develop some contentso that those technologies can be reflected in computerprogram practice. Finally, we will use the content to educate students, and then study the effects of the training.

 

II. ANALYSIS OF CURRICULUM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

In Korea, Efforts are being made by many educators tostudy efficient teaching methods and education systems and apply them to education sites. Representatively, a study on the comparison of education system in Korea and educationsystem in other countries, In American elementary school project learning, a study on computer and internetutilization to improve thinking ability, a study on the development of IT convergence education program formiddle and high school students, college students, and ordinary people, a study on the suggestion of developing the curriculum for computer engineering education in a 4-year university using the NCS(National Competency Standards) system, after developing and educating algorithm contents for 5^th and 6^th graders, a study to find outif their problem-solving and logical thinking skills have improved, a study on the evaluation of computer programsubjects and etc. there are many studies about it [4-9].

Also, in other countries, there is a lot of studies on howto teach English to elementary school students using scratch program, how to make educational content into s of tware, how to develop educational content for students at highintellectual levels, and an efficient computer education for college students [10-16]. In this paper, we analyzed theseprior studies to produce efficient computer programmingeducation content for elementary school students.

According to OECD data, the computer and creativity capabilities of elementary, middle and high school students in Korea are among the lowest in OECD countries [17]. Because, from elementary, middle and high schools and universities in Korea to corporate and civil service examinations, all evaluation methods and their content focus only on the efficiency and fairness of selection of applicants. With regard to programming in elementary schools, the 'Information' class was strengthened to teachsof tware in the revised 2015 curriculum. It reorganizes apart of the actual class of the 5^th and 6^th graders' classes intosof tware-based education and allocates them for 17 hours.

We analyzed math, science and practical coursetextbooks related to computer programming amongelementary school textbooks in 2019 to produce computerprogramming education content for elementary school students. Among the content covered by the subjects organized by each grade in elementary school, thesemesters with content related to computer science areshown in Table 1.

Between 3-1 and 6-1, Science textbooks evenly introduce such fields as physics, geoscience, chemistry, biology, and so on. These fields of science can be taught indetail if students go to middle school.

 

Table 1. Elementary school computer science subject (Korea). Grade Math Science

However, education on how to use computers to analyze and organize the results of scientific observations, especially programming that can foster creative thinking, appears for the first time in Practical course 6 which is composed of five and 6^th grade subjects. Its main content is "block-coding using entry" and "the status quo for the robotindustry, " which is composed only within only 17 hours. Most of all, 17 hours out of a total of 5,892 hours of mandatory classes for six years in elementary school areonly 0.29% of the total.

 

III. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT FOR CREATIVE COMPUTING EDUCATION

 

3.1. Elementary School Education and Advanced
Science

The development of high-capacity data storage andinformation-communication technologies makes it easy foreven elementary school students to access videosintroducing cutting-edge technology using the Internet. Having grasped its principles after mastered the art of the past one by one, teaching how to apply it is also one of good method of education. However, there is some disadvantages in such an approach that it may always lag behind in thelatest technology, and that there may be a lack of time todevelop new technology beyond the latest one. In order to improve national competitiveness, it is necessary to have aneducation system in place so that students who will enterthe society can take advantage of advanced technology asearly as possible.

In addition, in learning related to computer programming, it is necessary to systematically deepen the scientifictechnology related to computer hardware development, plan to identify the latest technological trends, and helpstudents decide on their future activity. Computerprogramming education requires deep thinking and concentration, and also the training period is rather long. Therefore, software education for elementary school students with weak concentration and stamina needs to take into account the following points.

① Interesting curriculum focused on practice

② A systematic computer programming training course for elementary, middle and high schools.

In this paper, the goal of developing computer education content for 5^th and 6^th graders in elementary school was set as follows.

•  Training objectives: Technical training to program computers as intended, which are usefulcomputational tools.

 

3.2. Software training content for elementary school
students

We selected "Technologies to Understand the Characteristics of Computer Hardware" and " Technologies to Help Learn Computer Programming" for elementary school students. Table 2 shows a list of the content.

 

Table 1. Practical list for effective programming training.

Since April 2019, we have taught 5^th and 6^th graders inone randomly selected pilot school, and to evaluate the effectiveness. In view of the learning ability of elementary school students, we trained students to learn the principlesthrough experience-oriented learning so that they could arouse interest in the field of study and help develop theirown brains. A deep interpretation of the results is not covered here. Because students learn about it in middleschool or high school.

 

Ⅳ. VERIFYING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
TRAINING CONTENT

 

4.1. Modification of Curriculum Objectives

For 5^th and 6^th graders of elementary school, s of twareprogramming education was conducted for a total of eightweeks every Thursday at the first and second classes, from April 18, 2019 to June 13, 2019. As the education is proceeded, the goals of the curriculum were revised as follows due to a lack of training time compared to the existing plans.

▪Education Objective: Creating a Remote Control Carusing Micro: bit

Based on the revised lecture plan, by analyzing the hardware built into Micro: bit, we produced the electricalcircuit practical content for the students' education. In addition, educational content was developed to enablestudents to create programs that could control RC cars afteracquiring basic knowledge of hardware.

 

Table 2. Modified lecture plan(Total of 8 weeks: 1st and 2nd classes every Thursday).

To analyze the effectiveness of content, we used the “self-ability assessment” method that is one of the NCScurriculum development processes. It was carried out once before the beginning of the training course and once at the end of the course. As a technique for analyzing a survey, achi-square test such as Formula 1 can be used to analyzedifferences in academic performance by grade or gender.

• Null hypothesis: A and B are independent of eachother.
• Alternative hypothesis: The two variables A and B arenot independent of each other.

Formula 1. Chi-square test.

Here, O: observed count, r: row count, c: column count, E: expected count, n: total sum, ni: row sum, nj: column sum

In order to verify that the mean of academic performance by grade or gender is significant, a t-test, such as Formula2, can be used.

Formula 2. t-test.

∴ Standard error of difference between two sample means

Formula 3. Standard error.

Also, using the survey, we can analyze the correlation between pre-learning content and new content and useregression analysis to estimate the academic performance of the content to be learned in the future. In this paper, inorder to find out the educational effect of the content we produced, the measured frequency was converted tonumerical values and the results were shown.

 

4.2. Analyze the results of “self-ability assessment”

Total 22 students were participated in the first “self-ability assessment” before the start of the training course at April 18, 2019(Thursday).

 

Table 2. Proportion of male and female students.

Among these students, the number of students whoparticipated in the second “self-ability assessment” is 10 in the 5^th grade and 9 in the 6^th grade. To measure students ' academic performance, a three-point scale questionnaire was prepared as shown in Table 5.

Among these students, the number of students whoparticipated in the second “self-ability assessment” is 10 in the 5^th grade and 9 in the 6^th grade. To measure students ' academic performance, a three-point scale questionnaire was prepared as shown in Table 5.

 

Table 3. “self-ability assessment” Questionnaire.

Using the questions as shown in the table above, the firstand second “self-ability assessment” was completed. Figure 1 shows a graph of the individual academic performance.

 

Fig. 1. Individual academic performance.

In the picture, the blue bars represent 5^th graders and thered bars drawn with a diagonal line represent 6^th graders. It is able to be seen that there are more students in the 6^th grade who have fully understood their education. The overall frequency shown in the “self-ability assessment”, which was conducted for all 5^th and 6^th graders participated in the training course, is shown in Table 6.

 

Table 4. Academic performance of all participant.

Before starting our course, almost all of the students werenot familiar with the content we had prepared, so the overallacademic performance rate was low at 0.27%. In the second self-ability assessment results conducted after completing the course, students' academic performance averaged 56% with 55.73% improvement. To analyze the differences inacademic performance in each grade, the results of the “self-ability assessment” according to the academic performance of 5^th and 6^th graders are shown in Table 7.

 

Table 5. Academic performance by 5^th and 6^th graders.

In the 5^th grade of elementary school, the academicachievement rate was 55%, and in the 6^th grade, theacademic achievement rate was 58%. In the case of 6^th graders, the distinction between 'well' and 'not at all' was more pronounced than in the 5^th grade. There is a 3% difference between the two groups, but it able to be seen the content we produced is something that even 5^th graders inelementary school can understand. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the scholastic achievement rate aftereducating students lower than 5^th grade. The results of self-ability assessment for each the boy and the girl groupsamong the 5^th grade respondents are shown in Table 8.

 

Table 6. Academic performance according to gender in 5^th grade.

For 5^th graders, boys' groups showed an average 15% higher overall academic performance than girls' groups. However, there are not enough male student’s samples, research on more students are needed. The results of self-ability assessment for each the boy and the girl groupsamong the 6^th grade respondents are shown in Table 9.

 

Table 7. Academic performance according to gender in 6^th grade.

In the case of 6^th graders in elementary school, theacademic performance rate of the boy and girl groups differed somewhat. In the case of girl groups, the academicachievement rate was 69%, the highest among all groups. there are also not enough male student’s samples in this case, and research on more students are needed.

 

Ⅴ. Conclusion

In this paper, we analyzed the elementary schoolcurriculum currently in place to improve the creativity of elementary school students. Based on the analyzed data, we developed content for computer programming training. To improve computer programming skills using the content, for 5^th and 6^th graders in elementary school, students weretaught for training on electronic circuits and parts related to Micro: bit & RC Car for 12 hours and block coding classesto control them for 4 hours.

To check students' academic performance, two timessurveys were conducted. The survey showed that there was the 55.73% improvement in academic performance compared to the previous class. Therefore, we could seethat the 5^th grade of elementary school is content that is fully understand able. Also, the group with the highestachievement rate was the group of female students in the 6^th grade of elementary school.