Examinando por Autor "Pizarro, Celeste"

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A Case Study Investigating an Appropriate Age and Plugged or Unplugged Approach for Programming at Primary School
(STM Journals: A division of Consortium eLearning Network Private Limited, 2023-02-17) Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Connolly, Cornelia; Pérez-Marín, Diana; Pizarro, Celeste
Purpose Introducing computer programming concepts to children is key in their development. Understanding at what age is most appropriate for their comprehension of subject and discipline specific information is relevant in curriculum development and of particular interest when we look across jurisdictions at the diverse and divergent nature of education internationally. Methods This paper presents research investigating the most appropriate methodology and age to introduce computer programming concepts to primary school children. The study was conducted at a private school in Madrid and a variety of educational approaches were used in introducing introductory programming concepts to the children who took part. Results The results show there is a need to apply a variety of plugged and unplugged approaches and the results demonstrate that children in 5th and 6th classes experienced higher learning improvements. Conclusion The study contributes to the body of knowledge in regard to learning the basics concepts of computer programming and of value to curriculum designers as CS subjects are introduced to global curricula.
A First Approach to Co-Design a Multimodal Pedagogic Conversational Agent with Pre-Service Teachers to Teach Programming in Primary Education
(MDPI, 2024-02-29) Pérez-Marín, Diana; Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Pizarro, Celeste
Pedagogic Conversational Agents (PCAs) are interactive systems that engage the student in a dialogue to teach some domain. They can have the roles of a teacher, student, or companion, and adopt several shapes. In our previous work, a significant increase of students’ performance when learning programming was found when using PCAs in the teacher role. However, it is not common to find PCAs used in classrooms. In this paper, it is explored whether pre-service teachers would accept PCAs to teach programming better if they were co-designed with them. Pre-service teachers are chosen because they are still in training, so they can be taught what PCAs are and how this technology could be helpful. Moreover, pre-service teachers can choose whether they integrate PCAs in the teaching activities that they carry out as part of their degree’s course. An experiment with 35 pre-service primary education teachers was carried out during the 2021/2022 academic year to co-design a robotic PCA to teach programming. The experience validates the idea that involving pre-service teachers in the design of a PCA facilitates their involvement to integrate this technology in their classrooms. In total, 97% of the pre-service teachers that stated in a survey that they believed robot PCA could help children to learn programming, and 80% answered that they would like to use them in their classrooms.
Actividades para la enseñanza de la robótica con el fin de mejorar el pensamiento computacional para estudiantes del Grado en Educación Infantil y en Educación Primaria
(2024-09-30) Cavero, Sergio; Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Borrás-Gené, Oriol; Pizarro, Celeste
Aplicación educativa para la identificación de muestras microscópicas para estudiantes de FP con MIT App Inventor
(Dykinson, 2023) Muñoz Muñoz, Fernando; Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Pizarro, Celeste; Corrales-Cordón, Patricia
Los docentes de la Formación Profesional deben adecuar las herramientas pedagógicas de las que disponen para desarrollar y potenciar los resultados del aprendizaje de sus estudiantes. Para ello, se ha desarrollado una aplicación educativa para la identificación de muestras microscópicas para estudiantes del Ciclo de Anatomía Patológica y Citodiagnóstico. La aplicación ha sido evaluada con estudiantes en dos intervenciones avaladas por el Comité de Ética de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, con un total de 68 alumnos de dos centros de Formación Profesional de la Comunidad de Madrid, durante un periodo de tres semanas. Posteriormente, se han evaluado los resultados obtenidos, con el fin de comprobar la eficacia educativa de la aplicación para la identificación de muestras histológicas, citológicas no ginecológicas y ginecológicas correspondiente al módulo profesional de Fisiopatología. Los resultados indican que los estudiantes han mostrado una mejora significativa en la identificación de muestras biológicas, reforzando la idea de que la aplicación educativa creada contribuye al aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Desde el aprendizaje basado en la gamificación, se ha creado un atractivo quiz con niveles y contador de aciertos a través del desarrollo de Apps de Mobile Learning con MIT App Inventor.
Can a learning companion be used to continue teaching programming to children even during the COVID-19 pandemic?
(IEEE, 2020-08-27) Ocaña, José Miguel; Morales-Urrutia, Elizabeth K.; Perez-Marín, Diana; Pizarro, Celeste
Learning how to program in Primary Education has attracted significant research in recent years. It is unclear though how programming environments and languages should be adapted to children to achieve better learning and use, but one trend seems to be the use of Scratch. The question in this paper is what programming environment can be used to continue teaching programming to children who have already been taught Scratch for years. This paper’s proposal is that students aged between 10 and 12 can benefit from interacting with a friendly learning companion using p-code such as Alcody. The hypothesis is that students (aged between 10 and 12) with a knowledge of Scratch will be able to significantly improve their scores by using a learning companion to teach them how to program even during the COVID-19 pandemic. To check the hypothesis, an experiment was carried out during the 2019/2020 academic year with 137 students in Ecuador. A significant improvement in the scores of the students was recorded together with high satisfaction.
Can Mindfulness Help Primary Education Students to Learn How to Program With an Emotional Learning Companion?
(IEEE, 2021-01-13) Morales-Urrutia, Elizabeth; Ocaña, Jose Miguel; Pérez-Marín, Diana; Pizarro, Celeste
Teaching programming to children has attracted significant research in recent decades. In our previous work, we co-designed the learning companion called Alcody with children between 10-12 years old who had some previous programming knowledge. Alcody is based on Papert’s constructionism theory, interacting with the students in pseudocode and providing recommendations as emotional support. Students using Alcody could significantly increase their scores in a programming test as well as seeming to be happy using the system. However, the relationship between the increase in scores and satisfaction and motivation levels was not explored. Moreover, since the COVID-19 pandemic, children have seemed too distracted and stressed to keep focusing on learning programming. This is why this paper introduces, for the first time in the literature, the use of mindfulness (the quality of being aware of the present moment) to help children focus before their programming sessions. The hypothesis is that by integrating mindfulness into the teaching of programming to children with an emotional learning companion, such as Alcody, the learning of programming concepts and students’ attitudes to learning can be improved. To test the hypothesis, an experiment was carried out with 137 students between 10-12 years old during the 2020 summer, split into a control group (without mindfulness) and a test group (with mindfulness). The 69 students in the test group achieved a significantly higher improvement in their post-test programming scores, and significantly higher satisfaction and motivation levels than the students in the control group. Moreover, students in the test group reported that they liked the experience of practicing mindfulness and that they felt it helped them to focus. It is therefore concluded that integrating mindfulness practices into the teaching of programming to children can be beneficial to increase their scores, satisfaction, and motivation levels.
Computational Thinking Measurement of CS University Students
(MDPI, 2024-06-18) Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Pizarro, Celeste; French, John; Palacios-Alonso, Daniel; Çoban, Emre
The measurement of computational thinking ability among computer science (CS) university students is of paramount importance. This study introduces UniCTCheck, a novel method designed to assess the main components of computational thinking in CS students. Utilising two key instruments, namely, the web application CTScore and the psychometric scale CTProg, this research aims to precisely evaluate seven core components of computational thinking and six programming concepts skills essential for CS students. The study, conducted at Rey Juan Carlos University and Atlantic Technological University Galway, involved a diverse sample of students from different year levels and programme specialisations. Through a rigorous research design, including sampling strategies and data collection tools, this study seeks to address critical research questions related to the measurement of variations in students’ computational thinking and programming skills by gender, university level, and location. By shedding light on the significance of computational thinking and programming in the educational realm, this research contributes to the existing literature and underscores the essential role of computational skills in the modern era.
Conflict Avoidance: 0-1 linear models for Conflict Detection & Resolution
(Springer, 2013) Alonso-Ayuso, Antonio; Escudero, Laureano F; Olaso, Pablo; Pizarro, Celeste
The Conflict Detection and Resolution Problem for Air Traffic Flow Man- agement consists of deciding the best strategy for airborne aircraft so that there is guarantee that no conflict takes place, i.e., all aircraft maintain the minimum safety distance at every time instant. Two integer linear optimization models for conflict avoidance between any number of aircraft in the airspace are proposed, the first being a pure 0-1 linear which avoids conflicts by means of altitude changes, and the second a mixed 0-1 linear whose strategy is based on altitude and speed changes. Several ob- jective functions are established. Due to the small elapsed time that is required for solving both problems, the approach can be used in real time by using state-of-the-art mixed integer linear optimization software.
Effectiveness of Robot-Mediated Learning in Fostering Children’s Social and Cognitive Development
(MDPI, 2025-03-25) Salma, Zainab; Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Pizarro, Celeste; Moqueet, Arqam Abdul
Engaging with social robots has been recognized as potentially beneficial for children facing social communication challenges, especially in developing skills such as joint attention. This systematic review examines the effectiveness of robot-mediated learning in enhancing children’s cognitive abilities, emotional resilience, and self-confidence, based on an analysis of research conducted between 2018 and 2025. While social robots show promise in delivering personalized and engaging educational experiences, challenges such as emotional dependence, accessibility, and ethical concerns persist. The review concludes that further research, particularly longitudinal studies and cross-cultural comparisons, is necessary to fully understand the long-term impacts of robot-mediated learning on children’s cognitive and social development. It explores the application of robotic technology in relation to children’s educational progress across different age groups. The review includes studies of various types, such as experimental, non-experimental, and research articles, covering diverse research fields, robots, contexts of use, target audiences, and outcomes. The findings highlight the growing potential of social robots to support children’s cognitive development by providing interactive and stimulating learning experiences. This review offers valuable insights for researchers and designers aiming to improve robotic interventions and tailor them to meet diverse developmental needs and educational settings.
Fostering computational thinking with simulated 3D robots in secondary education
(Wiley, 2024-04-08) Castro-San Martín, Luis; Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Pizarro, Celeste; Cañas, José M.
Computational Thinking (CT) can be defined as the thought processes involved in formulating problems so that their solutions can be represented as sequential steps and algorithms. It is a key skill for children in the 21st century. However, it is unclear how CT can be developed most effectively in children. Several pedagogical methodologies have been proposed and are being investigated. The main aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis which states that using three-dimensional (3D) simulated robots helps in the learning of programming and CT concepts, such as directions, loops, conditionals, and functions. The research questions are: Does this hypothesis hold true? Are some concepts easier or better learned than others and to what extent? The goal is to measure and evaluate the effect of using as a learning tool a platform with 3D simulated robots and realistic physics, and compare it with the standard Scratch learning tool which does not use robotics but a two-dimensional (2D) cartoon avatar they are already familiar with. For practical reasons, a quasiexperimental design with nonequivalent groups and 85 second-year Secondary Education students (ages 12–13) was performed. They were separated into control and experimental groups and followed a seven-session intervention with the baseline 2D Scratch and the 3D simulated robots platform, respectively. Both used a visual block programming language and the same activities. To have quantitative and reliable results, a widely accepted CT test has been used, pre- and postintervention. Also qualitative feedback is presented. The obtained results show that using the platform with simulated 3D robots significantly helps when developing students' CT. With it, the students do learn basic programming concepts and reach higher scores in the CT test. This improvement applies to all CT-analyzed concepts except in functions where the grades are maintained. Furthermore, students manage to master the activities on the 3D simulated robots platform, which reflects on the empowerment the platform has got in them
Improving CS1 Programming Learning with Visual Execution Environments
(MDPI, 2023-10-20) Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Pizarro, Celeste; French, John; Paredes-Barragán, Pedro; Duignan, Michael
Students in their first year of computer science (CS1) at universities typically struggle to grasp fundamental programming concepts. This paper discusses research carried out using a Java-based visual execution environment (VEE) to introduce fundamental programming concepts to CS1 students. The VEE guides beginner programmers through the fundamentals of programming, utilizing visual metaphors to explain and direct interactive tasks implemented in Java. The study’s goal was to determine if the use of the VEE in the instruction of a group of 63 CS1 students from four different groups enrolled in two academic institutions (based in Madrid, Spain and Galway, Ireland) results in an improvement in their grasp of fundamental programming concepts. The programming concepts covered included those typically found in an introductory programming course, e.g., input and output, conditionals, loops, functions, arrays, recursion, and files. A secondary goal of this research was to examine if the use of the VEE enhances students’ understanding of particular concepts more than others, i.e., whether there exists a topic-dependent benefit to the use of the VEE. The results of the study found that use of the VEE in the instruction of these students resulted in a significant improvement in their grasp of fundamental programming concepts compared with a control group who received instruction without the use of the VEE. The study also found a pronounced improvement in the students’ grasp of particular concepts (e.g., operators, conditionals, and loops), suggesting the presence of a topic-dependent benefit to the use of the VEE.
Mathematical Optimization models for Air Traffic Flow Management: A review
(2010-02-10) Agustín, Alba; Alonso-Ayuso, Antonio; Escudero, Laureano F.; Pizarro, Celeste
Congestion problems are becoming increasingly acute in many European and American airports and air sectors. To protect Air Traffic Control (ATC) from overload a planning activity called Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) tries to anticipate and prevent overload and limit resulting delays. When the traffic expects to exceed the airport arrival and departure capacities or the airsector capacity a delay in the flight arrival (so called-congestion) occurs. The casuistry to be considered in this field is very extensive. In general, most references to be found in the literature written some years ago refer to the simplest models, those which do not take into account airsector. This is so because this work was first studied in USA, where only the problems of congestion in airports basically occur. In the paper we present a state-of-the-art survey on the main optimization models encountered in the literature. They are classified as follows: (1) Single-Airport Ground-Holding Problem (SAGHP). The simplest of the methodologies of planning modelling studied proposes solutions to the problem of deciding the optimal planning for an arrival airport. (2) Multi-Airport Ground-Holding Problem (MAGHP). In this methodology the field of work is extended and the inter-relationship which exists between different airports is included. (3) Air Traffic Flow Management Problem (ATFMP). This methodology attempts to solve real situations that are much more complex than those which can be dealt with using the previous methodologies, since the air sector capacity is also considered. (4) Air Traffic Flow Management Rerouting Problem (ATFMRP). This methodology considers the more realistic situation where the flights can be diverted to alternative routes. (5) Air Traffic Flow Management Rerouting Problem (ATFMRP) with uncertainty. The ATFM problem is especially sensitive to changes in capacity. This leads to generalize the previous methodologies and to include generic uncertainty for these possible unforeseen changes in the parameters of the model, making way for stochastic methodologies. This type of problems are the most difficult ones, but alas the realistic ones.
Multi-mode digital teaching and learning of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) using the VARK model during COVID-19
(JSTOR, 2022-01) Perez-Marin, Diana; Paredes-Velasco, Maximiliano; Pizarro, Celeste
In this paper, a multi-mode digital teaching approach is proposed based on the use of the VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/Write, Kinaesthetic) model where students have different styles (one or more) that improve their learning (face-to-face and online). Our research question is on the effectiveness of this approach in terms of learning efficacy and students’ satisfaction. An experiment with 41 students has been carried out for five months to answer the research question and to provide a first validation of using VARK for multi-mode digital HCI teaching. During the experiment, the theoretical sessions were given through videoconference using Microsoft Teams and with the support of Moodle. In the practical sessions, students had to create a software prototype following a User-Centred Design with a real client. For this, they used Discord to collaborate in their groups, Teams to ask questions to teachers and PowerPoint and Genially to present their work online to the class through a Teams videoconference. A regression model has been provided to predict the VARK indicated by the questionnaire to each student with a prediction success of nearly 77%. Using the VARK multi-mode digital teaching approach has proved valid, and effective and beneficial in the teaching of HCI with a significant improvement in the learning scores and satisfaction levels of the students even with respect to pre-COVID-19 where the teaching was face-to-face.
On risk management of a two-stage stochastic mixed 0–1 model for the closed-loop supply chain design problem
(Elsevier, 2019-04-01) Pizarro, Celeste; Baptista, Susana; Barbosa-Povoa, Ana Paula; Escudero, Laureano F.; Gomes, Maria Isabel
In this work, the design and operation planning of a multi-period, multi-product closed-loop supply chain is addressed. Recovered end-of-life products from customers are evaluated in disassembly centers and accordingly are sent back to factories for remanufacturing, or leave the network either by being sold to third parties or by being sent to disposal. Typical uncertain parameters are product demand, production cost, and returned product volume and evaluation, among others. So, stochastic optimization approaches should be used for problem solving, where different topology decisions on the timing, location and capacity of some entities (factories, and distribution and sorting centers) are to be considered along a time horizon. A two-stage multi-period stochastic mixed 0–1 bilinear optimization model is introduced, where the combined definition of the available entities at the periods and the products’ flow among the entities, maximizes the net present value of the expected total profit along the time horizon. A version of the mixture of chance-constrained and second order stochastic dominance risk averse measures is considered for risk management at intermediate periods of the time horizon. Given the high dimensions of the model it is unrealistic to look for the optimality of the solution in an affordable computing effort for current hardware and optimization software resources. So, a decomposition approach is considered, namely a Fix-and-Relax decomposition algorithm. For assessing the computational validation of the modeling and algorithmic proposals, pilot cases are taken from a real-life glass supply chain network whose main features are retained
Prototype of a Recommendation Model with Artificial Intelligence for Computational Thinking Improvement of Secondary Education Students
(MDPI, 2023-05-26) Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Connolly, Cornelia; Pizarro, Celeste; Pérez-Marín, Diana
There is a growing interest in finding new ways to address the difficult task of introducing programming to secondary students for the first time to improve students’ computational thinking (CT) skills. Therefore, extensive research is required in this field. Worldwide, new ways to address this difficult task have been developed: visual execution environments and approaches by text programming or visual programming are among the most popular. This paper addresses the complex task by using a visual execution environment (VEE) to introduce the first programming concepts that should be covered in any introductory programming course. These concepts include variables, input and output, conditionals, loops, arrays, functions, and files. This study explores two approaches to achieve this goal: visual programming (using Scratch) and text programming (using Java) to improve CT. Additionally, it proposes an AI recommendation model into the VEE to further improve the effectiveness of developing CT among secondary education students. This integrated model combines the capabilities of an AI learning system module and a personalized learning module to better address the task at hand. To pursue this task, an experiment has been carried out among 23 preservice secondary teachers’ students in two universities, one in Madrid, Spain, and the other in Galway, Ireland. The overall results showed a significant improvement in the Scratch group. However, when analyzing the results based on specific programming concepts, significance was observed only in the Scratch group, specifically for the Loop concept.
Structuring bilateral energy contract portfolios in competitive markets
(2010) Alonso-Ayuso, Antonio; Domenica, Nico di; Escudero, Laureano F; Pizarro, Celeste
The Effects of a Visual Execution Environment and Makey Makey on Primary School Children Learning Introductory Programming Concepts
(IEEE, 2020-01-01) Hijón-Neira, Raquel; Pérez-Marín, Diana; Pizarro, Celeste; Connolly, Cornelia
The interest of children in learning to program computers has increased dramatically in recent years with the adaptation of new programming languages such as Scratch or game-based approaches. That being so, it is still unclear how best to teach programming concepts to young children. There is a gap in the literature on how to introduce basic programming concepts to children at the primary school level, while taking factors such as the grade level and approach used into account. This paper explores the best approach for introducing basic programming concepts to school children in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades as well as the effects of the approaches on students’ learning gains (per concept). The concepts addressed here are those used in a traditional Introduction to Programming course, such as programs, memory and variables, inputs and outputs, conditionals and loops. The paper presents the resulting improvements achieved by the 4th, 5th and 6th graders in a multigroup pretest-posttest design, with a control group (the use of a blackboard as an unplugged approach) and two experimental groups (the use of a visual execution environment (VEE) with a mouse and the use of the VEE with Makey Makey). We present the results exploring the interaction between the grade and approach factors for the 144 children (9-12 years old) enrolled in primary education. The results provide statistically significant data indicating how the children succeeded in learning basic programming concepts according to their grade, the type of approach used, and the programming concept under study.