Difficulties with design: The challenges of teaching design in K5 programming Abstract   Teachers in England are required to ensure that learners from the age of five are taught about algorithms and program design. Yet, there is evidence that despite teachers reporting that design is important, they are not converting this into classroom practice. This paper describes a survey study, in which we explored teachersxe2x80x99 difficulties in using design. We surveyed 207 teachers asking them freetext questions on their use of design in teaching programming and their views of pupilsxe2x80x99 responses to using design. In the survey, we also investigated teachersxe2x80x99 understanding of the term algorithm, an essential concept which may be a contributing factor in their difficulties with design. We provide underpinning data on the difficulties of using design that teachers of pupils aged from 5 to 11 years old (Grades K to 5) have in teaching programming. Difficulties with design identified include pupil resistance, a lack of time, a lack of pupil and teacher expertise, conflicting pedagogical choices and a general confusion over what an algorithm is. There were statistically significant differences in selection of the term xe2x80x98algorithmxe2x80x99 to describe programming artefacts whether a teacher was a specialist or a generalist, what training they had received on programming or design, the age group taught and programming language used. Teachers were more likely to call a complex code snippet an xe2x80x98algorithmxe2x80x99 than a simpler one and more likely to select the term to describe code snippets than a design artefact. We make suggestions of how to alleviate the problems including that teachers are introduced to the idea of ambiguous representations of algorithms and process which refines the representation from ambiguous to unambiguous as the design progresses.

Scratch and Arduino for Effectively Developing Programming and ComputingElectronic Competences in Primary School Children Programming and designing computingelectronic solutions imply complex competences, which usually demand to restructure previous thinking and problemsolving knowledge. Both programming and computingelectronic design solutions ask for stepbystep thinking, and also being cautious regarding involved hardware items for the second one. Designing computingelectronic solutions is a nontrivial task since it unifies both worlds, even though platforms such as Arduino notably simplify that development. This article describes experiences of programming and computingelectronic teaching to a group of primary school children in ValparaisoChile by the use of Scratch and Tinkercad for the goal of developing programming and Arduinobased computingelectronic competences in school children. The obtained results demonstrate that children can effectively develop programming and computingelectronic theoretical and practical skills. These results also show that students can get abilities and enthusiasm to know more advanced skills and applications concerning sensing systems. Thus, programming and electronics can motivate the learning process in children. (Abstract)