Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Roberto Munoz; Thiago S. Barcelos; Rodolfo Villarroel; Ismar Frango Silveira

doi:10.1109/CISTI.2016.7521416

Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Roberto Munoz, Thiago S. Barcelos, Rodolfo Villarroel, Ismar Frango Silveira

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Computational Thinking (CT) has been described as the use of abstraction, automation and analysis skills for problem solving, thus becoming a set of fundamental skills for the 21st century. Many initiatives have emerged to promote early development of CT skills. However, to date, there are no studies in which CT is developed in minority groups, such as individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In this paper we present the design and evaluation of a Game Design Workshop aimed at teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. An analysis of the artifacts produced by the participants of a pilot offering of the workshop was performed using a rubric for CT skills acquisition. The results showed that the participants, all of them with high-functioning autism and no previous experience with programming, acquired intermediate level skills related to CT.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016
Editors	Alvaro Rocha, Luis Paulo Reis, Manuel Perez Cota, Ramiro Goncalves, Octavio Santana Suarez
Publisher	IEEE Computer Society
ISBN (Electronic)	9789899843462
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/CISTI.2016.7521416
State	Published - 25 Jul 2016
Event	11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016 - Gran Canaria, Spain Duration: 15 Jun 2016 → 18 Jun 2016

Publication series

Name	Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI
Volume	2016-July
ISSN (Print)	2166-0727
ISSN (Electronic)	2166-0735

Conference

Conference	11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016
Country/Territory	Spain
City	Gran Canaria
Period	15/06/16 → 18/06/16

Keywords

autism spectrum disorders
computational thinking
digital games
scratch

Access to Document

10.1109/CISTI.2016.7521416

Cite this

Munoz, R., Barcelos, T. S., Villarroel, R., & Silveira, I. F. (2016). Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In A. Rocha, L. P. Reis, M. P. Cota, R. Goncalves, & O. S. Suarez (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016 Article 7521416 (Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI; Vol. 2016-July). IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/CISTI.2016.7521416

Munoz, Roberto ; Barcelos, Thiago S. ; Villarroel, Rodolfo et al. / Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Proceedings of the 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016. editor / Alvaro Rocha ; Luis Paulo Reis ; Manuel Perez Cota ; Ramiro Goncalves ; Octavio Santana Suarez. IEEE Computer Society, 2016. (Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI).

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title = "Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders",

abstract = "Computational Thinking (CT) has been described as the use of abstraction, automation and analysis skills for problem solving, thus becoming a set of fundamental skills for the 21st century. Many initiatives have emerged to promote early development of CT skills. However, to date, there are no studies in which CT is developed in minority groups, such as individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In this paper we present the design and evaluation of a Game Design Workshop aimed at teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. An analysis of the artifacts produced by the participants of a pilot offering of the workshop was performed using a rubric for CT skills acquisition. The results showed that the participants, all of them with high-functioning autism and no previous experience with programming, acquired intermediate level skills related to CT.",

keywords = "autism spectrum disorders, computational thinking, digital games, scratch",

author = "Roberto Munoz and Barcelos, {Thiago S.} and Rodolfo Villarroel and Silveira, {Ismar Frango}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 AISTI.; 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016 ; Conference date: 15-06-2016 Through 18-06-2016",

year = "2016",

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day = "25",

doi = "10.1109/CISTI.2016.7521416",

language = "English",

series = "Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI",

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Munoz, R, Barcelos, TS, Villarroel, R & Silveira, IF 2016, Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. in A Rocha, LP Reis, MP Cota, R Goncalves & OS Suarez (eds), Proceedings of the 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016., 7521416, Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI, vol. 2016-July, IEEE Computer Society, 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016, Gran Canaria, Spain, 15/06/16. https://doi.org/10.1109/CISTI.2016.7521416

Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. / Munoz, Roberto; Barcelos, Thiago S.; Villarroel, Rodolfo et al.
Proceedings of the 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016. ed. / Alvaro Rocha; Luis Paulo Reis; Manuel Perez Cota; Ramiro Goncalves; Octavio Santana Suarez. IEEE Computer Society, 2016. 7521416 (Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI; Vol. 2016-July).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T1 - Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

AU - Munoz, Roberto

AU - Barcelos, Thiago S.

AU - Villarroel, Rodolfo

AU - Silveira, Ismar Frango

PY - 2016/7/25

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N2 - Computational Thinking (CT) has been described as the use of abstraction, automation and analysis skills for problem solving, thus becoming a set of fundamental skills for the 21st century. Many initiatives have emerged to promote early development of CT skills. However, to date, there are no studies in which CT is developed in minority groups, such as individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In this paper we present the design and evaluation of a Game Design Workshop aimed at teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. An analysis of the artifacts produced by the participants of a pilot offering of the workshop was performed using a rubric for CT skills acquisition. The results showed that the participants, all of them with high-functioning autism and no previous experience with programming, acquired intermediate level skills related to CT.

AB - Computational Thinking (CT) has been described as the use of abstraction, automation and analysis skills for problem solving, thus becoming a set of fundamental skills for the 21st century. Many initiatives have emerged to promote early development of CT skills. However, to date, there are no studies in which CT is developed in minority groups, such as individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In this paper we present the design and evaluation of a Game Design Workshop aimed at teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. An analysis of the artifacts produced by the participants of a pilot offering of the workshop was performed using a rubric for CT skills acquisition. The results showed that the participants, all of them with high-functioning autism and no previous experience with programming, acquired intermediate level skills related to CT.

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A2 - Cota, Manuel Perez

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Munoz R, Barcelos TS, Villarroel R, Silveira IF. Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In Rocha A, Reis LP, Cota MP, Goncalves R, Suarez OS, editors, Proceedings of the 11th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI 2016. IEEE Computer Society. 2016. 7521416. (Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, CISTI). doi: 10.1109/CISTI.2016.7521416

Game design workshop to develop computational thinking skills in teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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