EntranceMethodological conditions for teaching computer science in primary school. Methods of teaching computer science in primary school
Chapter 17. Features of teaching computer science in elementary school
The methodology of teaching computer science in primary school is a relatively new direction for domestic didactics. Although individual attempts to teach primary schoolchildren and even preschoolers took place at the early stage of the penetration of computer science into schools, systematic teaching has been carried out since the beginning of the 1990s. Back in 1980, S. Papert developed the LOGO programming language, which was the first programming language specifically created for teaching young children. Working on a computer with this software, children drew various pictures on the screen with the help of the Turtle artist. Through drawing, they learned the basics of algorithmization, and the Turtle’s good visibility made it possible to teach even preschoolers. These experiments showed the fundamental possibility of successfully teaching young children how to use a computer, which was quite revolutionary at that time.
Academician A.P. was actively involved in teaching programming to younger schoolchildren. Ershov. Back in 1979, he wrote that children should study computer science from the 2nd grade: “...the formation of these skills should begin simultaneously with the development of basic mathematical concepts and representations, i.e. in the lower grades of secondary schools. Only under this condition will the programmer style of thinking be able to organically enter the system of scientific knowledge, skills and abilities formed by the school. At a later age, the formation of such a style may be associated with the breaking of accidentally formed habits and ideas, which will significantly complicate and slow down this process" (see: Ershov A.P., Zvenigorodsky G.A., Pervin Yu.A. School informatics ( concepts, conditions, prospects) // INFO, 1995, No. 1, P. 3).
Currently, a group of scientists and methodologists led by Yu.A. Pervin, student and colleague of Academician A.P. Ershov, is actively developing issues of teaching computer science to junior schoolchildren. They believe that the informatization of modern society puts forward as a social order for the school the formation of an operational style of thinking among the younger generation. Along with the formation of thinking, great importance is attached to the ideological and technological aspects of the school computer science course. Therefore, in the elementary grades one should begin to form the fundamental concepts and knowledge necessary for an operational style of thinking, as well as develop skills in using information technology in various sectors of human activity.
According to the new basic curriculum of the school and the educational standard in computer science, the academic subject “Informatics and ICT” is introduced in grades 3-4 as an educational module of the subject “Technology”. But due to the school and regional components, computer science can be studied from the 1st grade. The propaedeutic course in computer science for grades 2-4 is provided with an official standard program, the authors of which are Matveeva N.V., Chelak E.N., Konopatova N.K., Pankratova L.P. .
The academic subject “Technology (Labor)” is studied in 3
and 4th grade in the amount of 2 hours per week, so the educational time
A course in computer science can be studied for 1 hour per
week. In this case, the name of the item must be
be “Informatics and Information Science”
Communication technologies (ICT)”, and under which it is registered in curricula and certification documents. When conducting computer science classes, classes are divided into two groups: in urban schools with a capacity of 25 or more people, and in rural schools with a capacity of 20 or more people. If the necessary conditions and funds are available, it is possible to divide classes into smaller groups.
The introduction of computer science in primary school is aimed at making its study continuous throughout secondary school, and is aimed at ensuring universal computer literacy among young people. Psychologists believe that the development of logical structures of thinking effectively occurs until the age of 11, and if their formation is delayed, the child’s thinking will remain incomplete, and his further studies will proceed with difficulties. Studying computer science at an early stage of education, along with mathematics and the Russian language, effectively contributes to the development of a child’s thinking. Computer science has a great formative ability for thinking, and the teacher must always remember this when planning and conducting classes. Therefore, the main attention when studying computer science should be paid to the development of thinking, as well as mastering the use of a computer.
As for the content of training, it is in the stage of intensive search, experimentation and development. Nevertheless, a certain line is visible towards maintaining the principle of concentric construction of the course in computer science and ICT. This concentric structure can be traced both from class to class, when, moving to the next class, students repeat previously studied material at a new level, and during the transition from a propaedeutic computer science course in primary school to a basic course in secondary school. The construction of many specialized courses for high school in relation to the basic course, to a large extent, is also concentric in nature.
As noted in the methodological letter on the introduction of the new educational standard of 2004, during the study of computer science in primary school, students should develop general educational skills, which include:
- initial skills of transfer, search, transformation, storage of information;
- using a computer;
- searching (checking) the necessary information in dictionaries and the library catalogue;
- presentation of the material in tabular form;
- organizing information alphabetically and numerically;
- use of simple logical expressions;
- elementary justification for the expressed judgment;
- following instructions, strictly following patterns and simple algorithms.
- main sources of information;
- purpose of the main computer devices;
be able to use acquired knowledge and skills in practical activities and everyday life for:
- solving educational and practical problems using a computer;
- searching for information using simple queries;
- changing and creating simple information objects on the computer.
Such an important point as the development of fine motor skills in the hands of younger schoolchildren often escapes the attention of methodologists and teachers. Labor teachers usually pay attention to this aspect, where this is one of the teaching objectives. In computer science lessons, when working on a computer, students first have to learn how to use the keyboard and how to use a mouse. This is a rather complex process in conditions where the student has to monitor the result of subtle movements of the hand and fingers not directly, but on the computer screen. A complicating circumstance is that in domestic schools there are computers in classrooms made for adult users. Their keyboard and mouse are designed for the hands of an adult and are not at all suitable for a child. All this delays the process of children mastering the techniques of working with a keyboard and mouse and affects the development of fine motor skills of the fingers and hands, but through their subtle movements the development of the child’s brain is stimulated. In this regard, it is of interest to use laptops for teaching, which have a significantly smaller keyboard and are more comfortable for children’s hands. They take up little desk space and can be used in regular classrooms. It is worth noting that the cost of ordinary laptops is now comparable to the cost of desktop personal computers. Recently, the industry has begun to produce computer mice with variable sizes that can be adjusted to the user’s hand, which seems convenient for use in computer science classrooms by schoolchildren of various ages.
- Who was the initiator of teaching computer science to primary schoolchildren in our country?
- Why should computer science be studied from the first grades of school?
- Why should the development of schoolchildren’s thinking be considered a priority when studying computer science?
- What are the goals of teaching computer science in elementary school?
- Provide a list of general educational skills that should be developed when studying computer science in elementary school.
- Make a list of basic computer skills that primary schoolchildren should master.
- Why should a computer science teacher pay attention to the need to develop fine motor skills of the fingers and hands? How to do it?
18.1. Development of ideas about the content of computer science education in primary school
After domestically produced computer classes began to be supplied to schools en masse in the late 1980s and early 1990s, teaching computer science to younger schoolchildren became quite common. By this time, the Robotlandia software package had been created, which turned out to be very successful. Although it was developed for MS DOS, its undoubted advantages led to the fact that at the end of the 1990s a version was made for Windows. A large number of programs in the package allow you to effectively solve the problems of forming basic concepts of information technology, mastering the computer keyboard, and developing logical and algorithmic thinking in schoolchildren.
Equipping schools with modern computers, which in their parameters met the sanitary and hygienic requirements for schoolchildren to work on them, made it possible in a completely “legal” way to organize computer science training for young children. Therefore, in the 1990s, work on introducing compulsory computer science in primary schools became urgent. It was proposed to study it in different ways - some to integrate computer science with other subjects, others - to study it as a separate subject. There have been calls to abandon its study in primary school altogether. In the end, they came to the conclusion that the computer science course in elementary school should be propaedeutic, i.e. preparatory to studying the basic course in primary school. Since 2002, a large-scale experiment began in teaching computer science from grade 2, the results of which paved the way for a new academic subject in all primary schools in the country.
As for the actual content of computer science education for junior schoolchildren, there is still no unified approach. Some methodologists consider it necessary to study the fundamental principles of computer science, of course taking into account the age and level of development of children. Others believe that it is only necessary to master the computer and computer technologies so that primary schoolchildren can use the computer as a tool for studying other subjects and in everyday educational activities, as a means of leisure, communication and access to the information resources of humanity. To the author, the second approach seems more productive, especially against the backdrop of the accelerated penetration of information technology into all aspects of life. The first approach is rational in that primary schoolchildren can work on a computer during a lesson for no more than 15 minutes a day, and the rest of the lesson can be devoted to studying the basics of computer science.
Nevertheless, discussions continue about the goals and content of training - here are some statements from teachers and methodologists about this.
N.V. Sofronova notes that teaching computer science has a strategic goal of developing the child’s thinking and solves the following problems:
Teach your child to see the world meaningfully and navigate it;
- help cope with the subjects of the school curriculum;
- teach how to communicate fully and productively (with people and equipment), and be able to make decisions.
L.I. Chepelkina believes that a propaedeutic course for younger schoolchildren in general should have a developmental rather than educational value, although in the classroom children acquire basic computer skills. The course itself should be aimed at:
- help the child realize his own connection with the world around him and comprehend the informational nature of this connection;
- develop an understanding of the information picture of the world, the common patterns of information processes in various systems;
- develop the ability to quickly adapt to a changing information environment;
- to form an idea of the role and place of information technologies, to prepare for their successful development.
Yu.A. Pervin suggests taking a computer science course in elementary school over 2 years, 2 hours a week, based on the use of the Robotlandia PMS. In the first year it is proposed to study the following topics:
- Introduction to Computer Science. Information in the surrounding world.
- Computer.
- Introduction to algorithms.
- Algorithm executors.
- Editing text information.
- Computer communications.
- Processing of graphic information.
- Musical information and its editing.
- Introduction to programming.
- Work on projects from different subject areas.
The Department of General Education of the Ministry of Education of Russia offers to study such information processes as: collection, search, storage and transmission of information from the 2nd grade. And also expand the computer component by teaching keyboard writing, using a mouse, studying external hardware devices of computer equipment, and working with simple educational game programs.
The computer component of the course covers the following topics:
- computer and non-computer means of information technology;
- computer and rules for working on it;
- creating information objects on a computer;
- searching for information on the computer and on CDs.
- information and its types;
- information sources;
- organization, storage, retrieval and analysis of information;
- presentation of information;
- algorithms and their execution;
- tables, diagrams, graphs;
- logic and reasoning;
- modeling and design.
18.2. Propaedeutics of the basics of computer science in elementary school
The educational standard of 2004 brought some order to the discussions, which proposed studying computer science from the 3rd grade as a training module in the subject “Technology (Labor)”. For younger schoolchildren, the computer science course should be propaedeutic in its content, i.e. introductory to the basic course. Its goals and objectives can be formulated as follows:
- formation of thinking;
- mastering basic computer literacy.
- The concept of information and its role in human life and society.
- Basic information about the computer and working on it.
- The concept of algorithms, algorithm executors, development of the simplest algorithms.
- Solving logical problems.
- Working on a computer with applied, educational, developmental and gaming programs.
For a propaedeutic course in grades 2-4, the concentric structure is complemented by a stepwise one, in which the educational material is divided into 3 parts, but some sections are covered only at the first stage, and others only at the second and third, and there are sections whose material is distributed for study at all levels. The advantage of this structure is the even distribution of the difficulties of the educational material in accordance with the age capabilities of the students.
Attached to the educational standard of 2004 is a standard program of a propaedeutic course in computer science for grades 2-4 of a secondary school, the authors of which are: N.V. Matveeva, E.N. Chelak, N.K. Konopatova, L.P. Pankratova. The explanatory note sets out the objectives of the course:
1) Formation of general ideas among schoolchildren about the information picture of the world, about information and information processes as elements of reality.
- Introduction to the basic theoretical concepts of computer science.
- Gaining experience in creating and converting simple information objects: texts, drawings, diagrams of various types, including using a computer.
- Formation of the ability to build simple information models and use them in solving educational and practical problems, including when studying other school subjects.
- Formation of a systemic information picture of the world (worldview) in the process of creating texts, drawings, and diagrams.
- Formation and development of skills to use electronic aids, construction sets, simulators, presentations in the educational process.
- Formation and development of skills to use a computer during testing, organizing educational games and relay races, searching for information in electronic reference books and encyclopedias, etc.
Develop general educational, communication skills and elements of information culture, i.e. ability to work with information (collect, store, process and transmit it, i.e. correctly perceive information from a teacher, from textbooks, exchange information in communication with each other and
To develop the ability to describe objects of reality, i.e. present information about them in various ways (in the form of numbers, text, pictures, tables);
Develop initial skills in using computers and information technologies to solve educational and practical problems.
The content of the propaedeutic course is proposed to be built on the basis of three main ideas:
- An elementary presentation of the content of school computer science at the level of developing preliminary concepts and ideas about a computer.
- The separation in the student’s mind of real and virtual reality, if by virtual reality we mean, for example, concepts, thinking and computer models.
- Formation and development of skills to purposefully and consciously present (encode) information in the form of text, drawing, table, diagram, binary code, etc., that is, to describe objects of real and virtual reality in various types and forms on various media.
- that depending on the senses with which a person perceives information, it is called sound, visual, tactile, olfactory and gustatory;
- that depending on the method of presenting information on paper or other media, it is called text, numerical, graphic, tabular;
- that information can be represented on a storage medium using various characters (letters, numbers, punctuation marks and others);
- that information can be stored, processed and transmitted over long distances in encrypted
- that man, nature, books can be sources of information;
- that a person can be both a source of information and a receiver of information;
- that data is encoded information;
- that texts and images are information objects;
- that the same information can be presented in different ways: text, drawing, table, numbers;
- how to describe objects of reality, i.e. how to present information about them in various ways (in the form of numbers, a test, a picture, a table);
- computer rules and safety precautions;
- present the same information about an object in a notebook and on a computer screen in different ways: in the form of text, drawing, table, numbers;
- encode information in various ways and decode it using a code correspondence table;
- work with texts and images (information objects) on a computer screen;
- search, carry out simple transformations, store, use and transmit information and data using tables of contents, indexes, catalogues, reference books, notebooks, the Internet;
- name and describe various human assistants when counting and processing information (counting sticks, abacus, abacus, calculator and computer);
- use information technology tools: radio, telephone, tape recorder, computer;
- use a computer to solve educational and simple practical problems, for this: have basic skills in using computer technology, be able to carry out simple operations with files (creating, saving, searching, launching a program); run the simplest, widely used application programs: text and graphics editor, simulators and tests;
- create basic projects and presentations using a computer.
Test questions and assignments
- Why should a computer science course in elementary school be propaedeutic?
- What, in your opinion, should be the content of teaching computer science in elementary school?
- Why is there no uniform approach among methodologists to the content of computer science courses for elementary schools?
- Provide the main content of the computer and non-computer components of the computer science course for elementary school, recommended by the Department of General Education of the Ministry of Education of Russia.
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the concentric design of a computer science course?
- Make a list of the goals of the propaedeutic course in computer science, set out in the standard program for grades 2-4.
- Make a list of skills that need to be developed during the study of a propaedeutic course in computer science.
19.1. Peculiarities of thinking of younger schoolchildren
To consider the methods of teaching younger schoolchildren, it is first advisable to familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of their thinking.
When children come to school, they still have primitive thinking. Their judgments connect a variety of incredible ideas about the world around them. For example, a six-year-old child believes that “The sun does not fall because it is hot.” Therefore, the most important task of school education is the development of children's thinking.
As L.S. pointed out. Vygotsky, a child enters school age with a relatively poorly developed intellectual function, in comparison with perception and memory, which are much better developed in him. First-graders easily and quickly remember vivid, emotionally impressive material. At the same time, they are prone to literal memorization. And only gradually do they begin to develop methods of voluntary, meaningful memorization. Younger schoolchildren's thinking is emotional and figurative. They still think in forms, sounds, sensations. The peculiarity of this type of thinking should be taken into account in the content of educational work in computer science.
Based on these features, an important task of teaching in elementary school is the gradual development of emotional-imaginative thinking in the direction of abstract-logical thinking, which continues in middle school and ends in high school. At the first stage, it is necessary to transfer the child’s mental activity to a qualitatively new level - to develop thinking to the level of understanding cause-and-effect relationships. In elementary school, intelligence develops very intensively, so the teacher’s activities in organizing such training that would most contribute to the development of the child’s thinking are of great importance. Such a transition in thinking contributes to the restructuring of other mental processes - perception, memory.
The transfer of thinking processes to a qualitatively new level should constitute the main content of the work of teachers on the mental development of younger schoolchildren. This problem can be effectively solved in computer science lessons, which, along with mathematics, physics and classical languages, has the greatest ability to shape a child’s thinking.
The size of the area of visual perception in younger schoolchildren is narrowed and therefore they cannot take in all the information on the computer screen at one glance, especially when working with an open window of a text editor program containing a dozen commands and several dozen buttons. This feature of perception must be taken into account when studying applied programs and distribute educational material in such portions that would allow students to cover the plot-important elements of the image on the computer screen. The interface of game programs for young children is usually built with these features in mind. Their screen windows are not overloaded with information and often contain images of characters known to children from children's fairy tales and cartoons, which makes them easier to perceive and work with.
19.2. Organization and methods of teaching computer science to junior schoolchildren
Children of primary school age cannot concentrate on completing one task for a long time, even if it is working on a computer, so it is necessary to provide for a constant change of activities in the lesson. This is especially important to do because the duration of work on a computer in primary school should not exceed 15 minutes, so the teacher needs to quickly switch the children’s attention to another activity, which should be interesting for them, at least comparable in interest with working on a computer. Such an activity could be a game. Let us briefly consider didactic games, which should be the main method of teaching primary schoolchildren.
A didactic game is a type of educational activity that models the object, phenomenon, or process being studied. The purpose of the didactic game is to stimulate the cognitive interest and activity of students. The subject of the game is usually human activity. Interest in didactic games once again arose in the 1980s, when another school reform began, cooperation pedagogy appeared, and personal computers began to arrive in schools.
As K.D. once noted. Ushinsky, a game for a child is life itself, reality itself, which he himself constructs. Therefore, it is more understandable to him than the surrounding reality. The game prepares him for subsequent work and learning. Play is always a little bit of learning and a little bit of work. For children, the meaning of a game often lies not in its results, but in the process itself. They are attracted to the game by the task at hand, the difficulty that must be overcome, the joy of obtaining a result, etc. The game promotes psychological relaxation, relieves tension, and facilitates children’s entry into the complex world of human relationships. These features of didactic games must be taken into account when using them, especially in lower grades, skillfully organizing the inclusion of didactic games in the course of the lesson. It is important that the game is possible only if the students and teacher are interested in it, because the game cannot be played formally.
Educational games are creative games. They should bring joy to both children and adults, joy from success, joy from learning, joy from moving forward in mastering the computer and new information technologies. Successful mastery of a modern computer, a sense of power over a smart machine, elevates the child in his own eyes, in the eyes of others and parents, makes his studies joyful, intense and easy. The slogan of the great teacher V.F. Shatalov “Learn victoriously!” for such children comes to life, and the computer helps them with this.
It should be noted that younger schoolchildren consider any work on the computer as an interesting game with an unusual partner - the computer. This feature should be taken into account and the element of competition inherent in any game should be used in training. You can successfully use a variety of educational and developmental games, of which there are quite a lot in the arsenal of computer science teachers, both with and without the use of computers.
An interesting experience in the use of game forms of computer science classes in grades 1 and 2 is described in the work. The main tool that ensures that students are immersed in a game situation is the robot Question. It is a schematic representation of a robot, a sample of which is shown in Fig. 19.1. This scheme is used mainly when solving problems, as well as when studying new material. In just 2 years of training, about 100 similar schemes are used. As the author of the work notes, in the process of filling out a diagram with drawings of a robot, students’ model thinking effectively develops. Such a successfully found methodological technique allows the teacher to conduct most of the computer science classes in a playful way and successfully study quite complex theoretical material.
The work proposes the following approximate structure of computer science lessons in elementary school: 4. Organizational moment - 1-2 minutes.
- Warm-up: short mathematical, logical problems and tasks for developing attention - 3-5 minutes.
- Explanation of new material or frontal work on solving problems, work in a notebook - 10-12 minutes.
- Physical education minute - 1 minute.
- Working at the computer or performing a creative task - 8-15 minutes.
- Summing up the lesson - 2-5 minutes.
Of interest is the lesson plan given there in the 3rd grade:
Summary lesson in 3rd grade on the topic “Information”
4. Grades and grades in training
5. Organizational forms of teaching computer science
6. Types of computer science lessons
7. Using the computer room in the classroom
8. Didactic features of teaching computer science
9. Extracurricular work in computer science
10. Teacher preparation for the lesson
Lecture 5.6 Methods and organizational forms of teaching computer science at school
1. Methods of teaching computer science
When teaching computer science, basically the same teaching methods are used as for other school subjects, however, having their own specifics. Let us briefly recall the basic concepts of teaching methods and their classification.
A teaching method is a way of organizing joint activities between teacher and students to achieve learning goals.
A methodological technique (synonyms: pedagogical technique, didactic technique) is an integral part of the teaching method, its element, a separate step in the implementation of the teaching method. Each teaching method is implemented through a combination of certain didactic techniques. The variety of methodological techniques does not allow them to be classified, however, it is possible to identify techniques that are quite often used in the work of a computer science teacher. For example:
Display (of a visual object in kind, on a poster or computer screen, practical action, mental action, etc.);
Statement of a question;
Issuing a task;
Briefing.
Teaching methods are implemented in various forms and using various teaching media. Each method successfully solves only some specific learning tasks, while others are less successful. There are no universal methods, so a variety of methods and their combinations should be used in the lesson.
The structure of the teaching method includes a target component, an active component and teaching aids. Teaching methods perform important functions of the learning process: motivational, organizing, teaching, developing and educating. These functions are interconnected and mutually penetrate each other.
The choice of teaching method is determined by the following factors:
Didactic purposes;
The level of development of students and the formation of educational skills;
The experience and level of training of the teacher.
Classification of teaching methods is carried out on various grounds: by the nature of cognitive activity; for didactic purposes; cybernetic approach according to Yu.K. Babansky.
According to the nature of cognitive activity, teaching methods are divided into: explanatory and illustrative; re-productive; problem; heuristic; research.
According to didactic goals, teaching methods are divided into methods: acquiring new knowledge; formation of skills, abilities and application of knowledge in practice; control and assessment of knowledge, skills and abilities.
Classification of teaching methods proposed by academician Yu.K. Babansky, is based on a cybernetic approach to the learning process and includes three groups of methods: methods of organizing and implementing educational and cognitive activities; methods of stimulation and motivation of educational and cognitive activity; methods of monitoring and self-monitoring of the effectiveness of educational and cognitive activities. Each of these groups consists of subgroups, which include teaching methods according to other classifications. Classification according to Yu.K. Babansky considers in unity the methods of organizing educational activities, stimulation and control. This approach allows us to holistically take into account all the interrelated components of the activities of the teacher and students.
Here is a brief description of the main teaching methods.
Explanatory-illustrative or information-receptive teaching methods consist of transmitting educational information in a “ready” form and perceiving (reception) it by students. The teacher not only conveys information, but also organizes its perception.
Reproductive methods differ from explanatory and illustrative methods by the presence of an explanation of knowledge, memorization of it by students and subsequent reproduction (reproduction) of it. Strength of assimilation is achieved through repeated repetition. These techniques are important in developing keyboard and mouse skills and in learning to program.
With the heuristic method, a search for new knowledge is organized. Part of the knowledge is imparted by the teacher, and part of it is acquired by the students themselves in the process of solving cognitive problems. This method is also called partial search.
The research method of teaching consists in the fact that the teacher formulates a problem, sometimes in a general form, and students independently obtain the necessary knowledge in the course of solving it. At the same time, they master the methods of scientific knowledge and experience in research activities.
A story is a sequential presentation of educational material of a descriptive nature. Usually the teacher tells the history of the creation of computers and personal computers, etc.
Explanation is a presentation of material using evidence, analysis, explanation, repetition. This method is used when studying complex theoretical material using visual aids. For example, the teacher explains the structure of a computer, the operation of the processor, and the organization of memory.
Conversation is a method of teaching in the form of questions and answers. Conversations can be: introductory, final, individual, group, catechetical (in order to check the assimilation of educational material) and heuristic (search). For example, the conversation method is used when studying such an important concept as information. However, the use of this method requires a lot of time and a high level of teaching skill of the teacher.
A lecture is an oral presentation of educational material in a logical sequence. Usually used only in high school and rarely.
Visual methods provide a comprehensive, imaginative, sensory perception of educational material.
Practical methods form practical skills and abilities and are highly effective. These include: exercises, laboratory and practical work, projects.
A didactic game is a type of educational activity that models the object, phenomenon, or process being studied. Its goal is to stimulate cognitive interest and activity. Ushinsky wrote: “... a game for a child is life itself, reality itself, which the child himself constructs.” Play prepares a child for work and learning. Educational games create a gaming situation for the development of the creative side of the intellect and are widely used in teaching both junior and senior schoolchildren.
Problem-based learning is a very effective method for developing students' thinking. However, around the understanding of its essence, many absurdities, misunderstandings, and distortions are piled up. Therefore, let's dwell on it in detail.
The method of problem-based learning has become widely used since the 1960s after the publication of V. Okon’s monograph “Fundamentals of Problem-Based Learning,” although historically it dates back to “Socratic conversations.” K.D. Ushinsky attached great importance to this teaching method. But, despite its rather long history, misconceptions and distortions of its essence are widespread among methodologists, and even more so among teachers. The reason, in our opinion, partly lies in the name of the method, which is extremely unfortunate. Translated from Greek, the word “problem” sounds like a task, but then the meaning is distorted - what does “task-based learning” mean? Is this learning to solve problems or learning by solving problems? There is little meaning. But when the term “problem-based learning” is used, then one can speculate on this, because everyone has problems, they exist both in science and in teaching, then we can say that teachers use modern teaching methods. At the same time, it is often forgotten that at the heart of the problem there is always a contradiction. A problem arises only when there is a contradiction. It is the presence of a contradiction that creates a problem - whether in life or in science. If a contradiction does not arise, then this is not a problem, but simply a task.
If we show and create contradictions during training sessions, then we will use the method of problem-based learning. Do not avoid contradictions, do not get away from them, but on the contrary, identify, show, isolate and use for learning. You can often see how a teacher explains educational material easily and simply, without a hitch, so everything works out smoothly for him - ready-made knowledge simply “flows” into the students’ heads. And, meanwhile, this knowledge was obtained in science through the thorny process of trial and error, through the formulation and resolution of contradictions and problems (sometimes this took years and decades). If we want, in accordance with the principle of science, to bring teaching methods closer to the methods of science, then we need to show students how knowledge was obtained, thereby modeling scientific activity, so we must use problem-based learning.
Thus, the essence of problem-based learning is the creation and resolution of problematic (contradictory) situations in the classroom, which are based on dialectical contradiction. Resolving contradictions is the path of knowledge, not only scientific, but also educational. The structure of problem-based learning can be represented by a diagram, as shown in Fig. 3.1.
Problem-based learning
Contradiction
Rice. 3.1. Scheme of the problem-based learning method
Using this teaching method, one must clearly understand that the contradiction that arises is usually a contradiction for the students, and not for the teacher or science. So in that sense it is subjective. But since the contradiction arises in relation to the learner, it is objective.
Contradictions can arise and be caused by the properties of the subject perceiving the educational material. Therefore, it is possible to create problematic situations based on contradictions associated with the peculiarities of perception of educational information. They can be created on a formal or shallow understanding of the material, narrowing or expanding the scope of the formulas used and the laws used, etc.
For example, when asked what the fruit of a potato is, most schoolchildren, without hesitation, answer that it is a potato. Having heard such an answer, the teacher can immediately create a problematic situation by building a system of consistent questions and reasoning that leads students to identify and understand the contradiction. The question arises, why then are the flowers of potatoes not in the ground, where, in your opinion, the fruits are formed? There is a contradiction - in all plants, fruits are set after flowering and develop in the place of the flower, in addition, the fruits always contain seeds, but there are no seeds inside the potato. Through leading questions, it turns out that the potato also has a fruit in place of the flower, similar to a small tomato, and the potato is simply a thickening on the roots, which is why it is called a tuber, a root vegetable. Here, a problematic situation arises in the formal assimilation of educational material and children’s everyday ideas about the fruits of cultivated plants: fruits are “what people eat.”
Another example of creating a problem situation is that after studying the units of measurement of information, you can ask students a series of questions:
- “Can the amount of information be less than one bit?”
- “If it takes one byte of memory to encode one letter or number, then what can be encoded with one bit? After all, in this case, it makes no sense to imagine that one bit is needed to encode one eighth of a letter or number? Then, by organizing a heuristic conversation, the teacher organizes the discussion and resolves the contradiction that has arisen.
The following example of creating a problem situation is based on the use of a comic poem with unusual content, which can be read before starting to study the binary number system.
She was 1100 years old.
She went to class 101.
She carried 100 books in her briefcase.
This is all true, not nonsense.
When there are ten feet of dust,
She walked along the road
The puppy was always running after her
With one tail, but one hundred-legged.
She caught every sound
With your ten ears,
And 10 tanned hands
They held the briefcase and leash.
And 10 dark blue eyes
We looked around the world as usual.
But everything will become completely normal,
When you understand our story.
Students very lively begin to discuss the situation described in the poem, putting forward the most fantastic assumptions about the character: that he is an alien, a mutant, an animal, etc. The teacher should only closely monitor the assumptions made, argue arguments and put forward counter-arguments, direct the discussion in the right direction, and lead students to the need to study binary and other number systems.
By creating problematic situations, we ensure that ignorance itself takes on an active form and stimulates cognitive learning activity, because the process of resolving a contradiction is a process of developing new knowledge. A problematic situation and the process of resolving a contradiction encourages questioning and thereby develops creativity.
A problematic situation then becomes problematic for students when it interests them, as they say, “touches a nerve.” The teacher’s skill lies precisely in turning the educational material in such a way that will highlight the contradiction.
The use of problem situations requires the teacher to have certain experience and skill. A special tact, a respectful business atmosphere, and psychological comfort are required, because the student faces a contradiction, experiences difficulties, and makes mistakes. The teacher must show delicacy, tact, support students, and inspire confidence in their abilities. Students must see the teacher's interest and sincere desire to teach them. Often the teacher needs the ability to impartially evaluate the solutions that students offer. There are times when the students themselves notice a contradiction in the teacher’s explanation or in the educational material, in which case the teacher is required to be especially tactful and able to quickly navigate the situation.
There is a fairly widespread opinion that students themselves must resolve a problematic situation. However, this is not at all required, but the obligatory condition is that they are emotionally prepared to resolve it.
As psychologists note, creative abilities are not created at birth, but are “released” in the process of training and education. Therefore, problem-based learning greatly contributes to the “release” of students’ creative abilities and increases their intellectual level.
You can often hear the opinion that problem-based learning can only be used when working with prepared students in high school. However, this is not true; a contradiction can arise at any time during training and for any students, so problem-based learning can be used for children of any age and level of training.
It should be noted that problem-based learning requires the teacher to have good knowledge of the educational material, experience, and even an instinct for problem situations. The expenditure of teaching time is quite large, especially in comparison with traditional teaching methods, but it is compensated by the opportunity to organize search activities and effectively develop students’ dialectical thinking. Problem-based learning solves fundamentally different learning problems that are difficult and even impossible to solve by other methods.
Block-modular training is a teaching method when the content of educational material and its study is designed in the form of independent completed blocks or modules to be studied in a certain time. It is usually used in universities in conjunction with a rating system for monitoring knowledge. In high school, modular learning allows students to build an individual trajectory for mastering information technology by compiling specialized courses from a set of modules.
Programmed training is training according to a specially compiled program, which is recorded in a programmed textbook or in a teaching machine (in computer memory). Training proceeds according to the following scheme: the material is divided into portions (doses) that make up successive steps (stages of training); at the end of the step, control of assimilation is carried out; if the answer is correct, a new portion of material is given; If the answer is incorrect, the student receives instructions or help. Computer training programs are built on this principle.
In computer science teaching, the methods described above have their own specifics. For example, reproductive methods are widely used, especially at the initial stage of working on a computer - learning to use a mouse and keyboard. In this case, the teacher often has to “give a hand” to the students. The principle “Do as I do!” can be used effectively where there is a local computer network or demonstration screen and the teacher can work with all students simultaneously while apparently preserving the individuality of learning. Then gradually there is a transition from “Do as I do!” to “Do it yourself!” Reproductive methods are used in the study of algorithms and the basics of programming, when students copy parts of ready-made programs and algorithms when performing their individual assignments.
The use of a local computer network makes it possible to effectively organize the collective activity of students, when one large task is divided into a number of subtasks, the solution of which is entrusted to individual students or their groups. Participation in collective work involves the student in a relationship of mutual responsibility, forcing them to solve not only educational, but also organizational problems. All this contributes to the formation of an active personality who knows how to plan and optimally organize his activities, and relate them to the activities of others.
2. Project method in teaching computer science
In the teaching of computer science, the long-forgotten method of projects has found a new continuation, which organically fits into the modern activity-based approach to teaching. The project method is understood as a way of carrying out educational activities in which students acquire knowledge, skills and abilities in the course of choosing, planning and performing special practical tasks called projects. The project method is usually used when teaching computer technology, so it can be used for both junior and senior schoolchildren. As you know, the project method originated in America about a hundred years ago, and in the 1920s it was widely used in Soviet schools. The revival of interest in it is due to the fact that the introduction of educational information technologies makes it possible to transfer part of the teacher’s functions to the means of these technologies, and he himself begins to act as an organizer of the interaction of students with these means. The teacher increasingly acts as a consultant, organizer of project activities and its control.
An educational project is understood as a certain organized, purposeful activity of students to complete a practical task-project. The project can be a computer course for studying a specific topic, a logic game, a computer model of laboratory equipment, thematic communication by e-mail, and much more. In the simplest cases, projects of drawings of animals, plants, buildings, symmetrical patterns, etc. can be used as subjects when studying computer graphics. If you choose to create a presentation as a project, you usually use PowerPoint, which is quite easy to learn. You can use the more advanced Macromedia Flash program and create high-quality animations.
We list a number of conditions for using the project method:
1. Students should be given a fairly wide choice of projects, both individual and collective. Children do the work they choose independently and freely with great enthusiasm.
2. Children should be provided with instructions for working on the project, taking into account individual abilities.
3. The project must have practical significance, integrity and the possibility of completeness of the work done. The completed project should be presented as a presentation to peers and adults.
4. It is necessary to create conditions for students to discuss their work, their successes and failures, which promotes mutual learning.
5. It is advisable to provide children with the opportunity
flexible distribution of time for project completion,
both during scheduled training sessions and outside
lesson time. Working outside of school hours allows
contact children of different ages and levels of proficiency
information technology, which promotes mutual
my training.
6. The project method is focused mainly on
military techniques for working on a computer and information
new technologies.
The structure of an educational project includes elements
Theme formulation;
Formulation of the problem;
Analysis of the initial situation;
Tasks solved during the project: organizational, educational, motivational;
Stages of project implementation;
Possible criteria for assessing the level of project implementation.
Evaluating a completed project is not an easy task, especially if it was carried out by a team. For collective projects, public defense is required, which can be carried out in the form of a presentation. In this case, it is necessary to develop criteria for evaluating the project and bring them to the attention of students in advance. Table 3.1 can be used as a sample for assessment.
In the practice of the school, interdisciplinary projects find a place, which are carried out under the guidance of a teacher
formats and subject teachers. This approach makes it possible to effectively carry out interdisciplinary connections, and use ready-made projects as visual aids in lessons in relevant subjects.
In schools in Europe and America, the project method is widely used in teaching computer science and other subjects. There it is believed that project activities create conditions for intensifying the development of intelligence with the help of a computer. Recently, the organization of classes in schools based on the project-based teaching method with the widespread use of information and communication technologies has also become popular.
3. Methods for monitoring learning outcomes
Control methods are mandatory for the learning process, as they provide feedback and are a means of correcting and regulating it. Control functions: 1) Educational:
This is showing each student his achievements in work;
Encouragement to take responsibility for learning;
Fostering diligence, understanding the need to systematically work and complete all types of educational tasks.
This function is of particular importance for younger schoolchildren who have not yet developed the skills of regular academic work.
2) Educational:
Deepening, repetition, consolidation, generalization and systematization of knowledge during control;
Identifying distortions in understanding the material;
Activation of students' mental activity.
3) Developmental:
Development of logical thinking during control, when the ability to recognize a question and determine what is cause and effect is required;
Development of skills to compare, compare, generalize and draw conclusions.
Development of skills and abilities in solving practical tasks.
4) Diagnostic:
Showing the results of training and education of schoolchildren, the level of development of skills and abilities;
Identification of the level of compliance of students’ knowledge with the educational standard;
Establishing gaps in training, the nature of errors, the amount of necessary correction of the learning process;
Determination of the most rational teaching methods and directions for further improvement of the educational process;
Reflection of the results of the teacher’s work, identification of shortcomings in his work, which contributes to the improvement of the teacher’s teaching skills.
Control will be effective only when it covers the entire learning process from beginning to end and is accompanied by the elimination of detected deficiencies. Control organized in this way ensures control of the learning process. In control theory, there are three types of control: open, closed and mixed. In the pedagogical process at school, as a rule, there is open-loop control, when control is carried out at the end of training. For example, when solving a problem independently, a student can check his solution only by comparing the result obtained with the answer in the problem book. Finding a mistake and correcting it is not at all easy for a student, since the process of managing the solution of a problem is open-ended - there is no control over the intermediate stages of the solution. This leads to the fact that errors made during the solution remain undetected and uncorrected.
With closed-loop control, control is carried out continuously at all stages of training and on all elements of the educational material. Only in this case does control fully perform the function of feedback. Control is organized according to this scheme in good educational computer programs.
With mixed control, learning control at some stages is carried out according to an open circuit, and at others - according to a closed circuit.
The existing practice of managing the learning process at school shows that it is built according to an open circuit. A typical example of such open-loop control is the majority of school textbooks, which have the following features in organizing control over the assimilation of educational material:
Test questions are given at the end of the paragraph;
Test questions do not cover all elements of the educational material;
Questions, exercises and tasks are not determined by the learning objectives, but are asked in an arbitrary manner;
Standard answers are not provided for each question (there is no feedback).
In most cases, control is organized in a similar way in the classroom - feedback from the student to the teacher is usually delayed for days, weeks and even months, which is a characteristic sign of open-loop control. Therefore, the implementation of the diagnostic control function in this case requires significant effort and clear organization from the teacher.
Many mistakes made by students when completing assignments are the result of their inattention, indifference, i.e. due to lack of self-control. Therefore, an important function of control is to encourage students to self-monitor their learning activities.
Typically, in school practice, control consists of identifying the level of knowledge acquisition, which must correspond to the standard. The educational standard in computer science normalizes only the minimum required level of education and includes, as it were, 4 steps:
General characteristics of the academic discipline;
Description of the course content at the level of presentation of its educational material;
Description of the requirements for the minimum required level of educational training of schoolchildren;
“measurements” of the level of compulsory training of students, i.e. examinations, tests and individual tasks included in them, the completion of which can be used to judge whether students have achieved the required level of requirements.
In many cases, the procedure for assessing knowledge and skills in computer science and ICT, based on the requirements of the educational standard, is based on a criterion-oriented system using a dichotomous scale: pass - fail. And to assess a student’s achievements at a level above the minimum, a traditional standardized system is used. Therefore, testing and assessing the knowledge and skills of schoolchildren should be carried out at two levels of training - compulsory and advanced.
The school uses the following types of control: preliminary, current, periodic and final.
Preliminary control is used to determine the initial level of students' learning. Such control allows a computer science teacher to determine children who have computer skills and the degree of this skill. Based on the results obtained, it is necessary to adapt the learning process to the characteristics of this student population.
Current control is carried out at each lesson, therefore it must be prompt and varied in methods and forms. It consists of monitoring the educational activities of students, their assimilation of educational material, the completion of homework, and the formation of educational skills. Such control performs an important feedback function, so it must be systematic and operational in nature, i.e. Each student should be monitored for all important operations. This allows you to record mistakes made in a timely manner and correct them immediately, preventing the consolidation of incorrect actions, especially at the initial stage of training. If during this period you control only the final result, then correction becomes difficult, since the error can be caused by various reasons. Operational control allows you to quickly regulate the learning process based on emerging deviations and prevent erroneous results. An example of such operational control is control of mouse and keyboard skills, in particular, the correct placement of the fingers of the left and right hands over the keys.
Related information.
5.1. FORMATION OF REGULATORY AND GENERAL EDUCATIONAL COGNITIVE UNIVERSAL LEARNING ACTIONS WHEN TEACHING ALGORITHMIZATION AND INFORMATION FUNDAMENTALS OF MANAGEMENT
In a broad sense, the term “universal learning activities” means the ability to learn and characterizes supra-subject, meta-subject learning results. Universal learning activities underlie the organization and regulation of any student activity, regardless of its subject content.
In the process of teaching the basics of algorithmization in elementary school, first of all, the formation of regulatory and cognitive universal educational actions (UAL) occurs. Regulatory learning activities reflect the content of the leading activities of children of primary school age: the ability to act according to a plan and plan their activities, the ability to control the process and results of their activities, the ability to see a mistake and correct it. General educational cognitive UUDs include the following: independent identification and formulation of a problem; search and selection of necessary information; independent creation of activity algorithms when solving problems of a creative and search nature; sign-symbolic modeling; choosing the most effective ways to solve problems depending on specific conditions; reflection on methods and conditions of action, control and evaluation of performance results.
The thinking of younger schoolchildren is concrete in nature, since the age period from 7 to 11 years is the period of organization (formation) of specific operations. At the same time, the role of visual teaching tools increases: subject, symbolic, verbal. However, visualization alone is not enough for effective knowledge acquisition. To visibility “we must also add the active activity of the student himself. The student’s activity reaches its highest limit when he does something himself, when not only his head, but also his hands are involved in the work, when there is a comprehensive perception of the material, when he deals with objects that he can move at his discretion, according to -combine them in different ways, put them in certain relationships, observe them and draw conclusions from observations.”
This is largely facilitated by computer science training: children master new mental operations, a new view of the world around them, they develop work planning skills, the habit of an accurate and complete description of actions, an understanding of methods of analysis and the skills of such analysis. All this is conventionally characterized as algorithmic thinking, which is based on the idea of a sequence of actions aimed at processing initial information about a particular object (this or that situation), which then makes it possible to transform this object (this situation) itself in the desired direction or achieve some goal . Algorithmic thinking is the ability to plan a sequence of actions, as well as the ability to solve problems for which the answer is a description of the sequence of actions.
An analysis of the Federal State Educational Standards in the context of the subject of computer science allows us to conclude that the achievement of meta-subject learning outcomes is directly related to the formation of algorithmic thinking - the most important goal of school education at different levels of teaching the subject. At the same time, it is obvious that mastering the elements of algorithmic thinking should occur in elementary school - both within the framework of the theoretical component of the subject, implemented through the component of the educational institution, and within the framework of mastering the computer as a universal tool for executing algorithms in the subject “Technology”. Interdisciplinary connections with other disciplines and, above all, with mathematics can also meet the same goal.
Most programs for elementary school (E. P. Benenson, A. V. Goryachev, N. V. Matveeva, M. A. Plaksin, A. L. Semenov) contain a section devoted to the basics of algorithmization and familiarization with work in environment of performers.
Questions studied:
- concept of an algorithm;
- ways to write algorithms;
- algorithm executor;
- system of performer commands;
- a person as an executor of an algorithm.
The main object of algorithmic thinking is algorithm. When explaining this concept, it is advisable to give several examples that are close to younger schoolchildren: “Daily routine”, “How to cross the street?”, “Safety rules and behavior in a computer class”, and also offer tasks of two types:
- 1) “describe in detail one of the actions of the algorithm” - reflects the “top-down design, or method of sequential detailing” approach: first, an enlarged algorithm is created, and then the algorithms for performing each step are refined (, );
- 2) “make an algorithm from given commands”, for example, “arrange words (events, numbers for actions) so that you get an algorithm...” - corresponds to the “bottom-up design” approach ().
After which we can formulate an intuitive definition: “The description of actions that must be performed in a certain order in order to solve a given problem is called an algorithm.” In addition, it is useful to simultaneously acquaint students with ethical standards for working with information within the framework of the cross-cutting topic for the entire computer science course, “Rules for working with information.” The structure of the lesson at the stage of explaining new material can include the method of heuristic conversation, and the stage of generalization and systematization of knowledge can be carried out in the form of practical work.
Next, it should be explained that the algorithm must always have a finite number of commands, and to make it clear that the algorithm has ended, you must write the word after all the commands stop. To acquire this skill, students can be offered the following task (reproductive teaching method), for example: “Follow the “Cat” algorithm: 1) take pencils; 2) connect all the points with lines in numerical order; 3) color; 4) put the pencils back; 5) stop" Then, to check your understanding, it is advisable to ask several questions: 1) what rules or regulations do you follow in everyday life, give 2-3 examples; 2) can the task be considered well-posed: “Go there, I don’t know where. Bring something, I don’t know what”; 3) what is an algorithm; 4) what algorithms did you study at school? Students should come to understand that algorithms are executed formally(literally) and that the same result can be obtained using different algorithms, i.e. it is necessary that children strive to develop optimal a way to obtain a result using the fewest number of commands.
Primary school students have access to the following ways to describe algorithms: verbal notation, flowchart (block diagram) and graph diagram. The manual outlines a method for introducing younger schoolchildren to presenting algorithms in the form of a flowchart as one of the graphical methods. Students should understand that an algorithm is written using different blocks: a block for the beginning and end of the algorithm, a block for entering data or reporting results; block of arithmetic operations; block for checking conditions, learn to compose and write algorithms (for example, for solving examples of addition and subtraction) in the form of a flowchart, and also reconstruct examples using a graphical recording of the algorithm. “Children really like to take an active part in creating algorithms. They take great pleasure in checking and finding errors in the algorithms they compiled."
A special place in the course of early education in computer science is occupied by performers. When considering this issue, it is necessary to start with the fact that modern man is surrounded by many different technical devices, and give several examples using the explanatory and illustrative method, and then introduce a new concept: “The executor of algorithms is a person or some devices (computers, robots) capable of executing a specific set of commands." Students should be reminded that each device is designed to solve its own problem and is capable of performing a certain limited set of actions, or commands
Next, it should be said that the commands that a specific performer can execute form executor command system(SKI) 1, introduce such concepts as “performer’s environment”, “elementary action”, “refusal”. For example, the performer Entik, whose SKI includes the commands: “go”, “left”, “right” and numbers from 1 to 3, the environment is a field of 5x4 cells, an elementary action (command) corresponds to movement to an adjacent cell. A refusal occurs if, in accordance with the commands of the algorithm, the performer must move beyond the field boundary. This executor allows you to compose linear algorithms, as well as implement them on a computer.
For the first time, software implementation of performers (Dezhurik, Malyar, Ant) as a means of teaching algorithmization appeared in the environment of the Robik language (created in the group of Academician A.P. Ershov), later - in the developments of the group of A.G. Kushnirenko (Robot, Draftsman), A. G. Gein (Robot Manipulator, Parquet Man), A. L. Semenov (Robot), etc. According to A. G. Gein, the student must deal with a developing performer. This means that according to
‘It is important that each session includes a discussion of the commands used by the performer in the algorithm.
As the learner acquires new conceptual tools, the same tools should appear in the performer. Currently actively used: software and methodological complex (PMK)
“Robotlandia”, which united, firstly, a set of individual performers intended for a relatively narrow pedagogical task - the formation of a specific skill. This includes performers Carrier, Perelivashka, Groom, etc. Secondly, performers demonstrating the interdisciplinary connections of computer science - arithmetic: Automatic and Plusik, as well as specialized ones focused on humanitarian education: Coloring - drawing, Organ Grinder - music, Pravilka - Russian language , Guessing game - mathematics; a set of computer programs for the educational complex “Prospective Primary School”, which includes the performers Schitayka, Draftsman, Fireman, which allow you to work with variables, commands with parameters, and create nested algorithmic structures.
The following errors are typical for algorithms compiled by students:
- 1) the initial conditions are not formulated (the initial position of the performer);
- 2) some elementary steps were missed;
- 3) elementary actions are written in the wrong sequence;
- 4) there is no check of the task completion condition (endless loop).
It is important to note that in many cases the humans are the executors of algorithms. For a better understanding of the above, it is advisable to give the following example: “Each of us, when crossing the street, is the executor of the algorithm: 1) stop on the sidewalk; 2) look to the left; 3) if there is no transport, then go to the middle of the street and stop, otherwise follow step 2; 4) look to the right; 5) if there is no transport, then go to the opposite sidewalk, otherwise follow step 4.”
Younger students are able to think much more consistently and purposefully when they reason out loud. Therefore, even if a computer is used in classes, it is important to pay attention to the analysis of algorithms that are executed by a person. “This helps students better understand the differences in the way computers and humans complete tasks. In addition, children develop a sense of the boundaries of what is possible and what is impossible for computers.”
It should be emphasized that solving a problem using a ready-made algorithm requires the performer to strictly follow the given instructions. An important mental skill of a primary school student related to figurative thinking is role-playing game, which can be a stimulator of the process of learning algorithmization, especially when it requires the ability to enter into the role of a performer and understand that the performer does not delve into the meaning of what he is doing and acts formally. Related to this is the possibility of automating human activity: the process of solving a problem is represented as a sequence of simple operations; a machine (automatic device) is created capable of performing these operations in the sequence specified in the algorithm; a person is freed from routine activities, the execution of the algorithm is entrusted to an automatic device.
- 1) know/understand: the concepts of “algorithm”, “performer”; “executor command system”;
- 2) be able to: give examples of algorithms found in mathematics, in the language of communication, in everyday life; compose and write linear algorithms, algorithms with branching, algorithms with repeated actions in a description language and in the command system of the educational executor; find and correct errors in algorithms; implement algorithms on a computer in the executor’s environment;
- 3) to form an algorithmic approach to problem solving - an approach based on the use of algorithms.
The ability to solve problems, develop a strategy for solving it, put forward and prove hypotheses experimentally, predict the results of one’s activities, analyze and find rational ways to solve a problem by optimizing, detailing the created algorithm, presenting the algorithm in a formalized form in the language of the performer - all this allows one to judge the level formed™ of reflexive and general educational cognitive universal actions of junior schoolchildren.
Let us turn to the problem of teaching junior schoolchildren the information fundamentals of management.
Questions studied:
- performer management;
- execution of the algorithm;
- "black box" method;
- auxiliary algorithm.
As already mentioned, it is advisable to organize the process of teaching computer science in a secondary school “in a spiral,” which will allow a gradual transition to a deeper and more comprehensive study of the main content lines. The study of information fundamentals of management is an integral component of a continuous course in computer science. This is explained by many factors: knowledge about the essence and properties of information, information processes, formalization, and algorithmization is being updated; propaedeutics of the cybernetic aspect of computer science is carried out (cybernetics studies the general laws and principles of control in systems of various natures) and modeling; development of thinking of junior schoolchildren to the level of understanding causality
Direct
control
investigative connections.
The concept " control"(as a process of purposeful influence on an object) must be considered at the propaedeutic level through the activities of students, since management itself is of an activity nature.
Feedback control
One of the management components is control object, and this is nothing more than executor. It is advisable to introduce the concepts of “control” and “feedback” on an intuitive level in the context of working with a computer and support them by drawing up algorithms for controlling performers in virtual environments, thereby providing the opportunity to create educational situations for managing formal performers at a level accessible to a primary school student.
Students' first acquaintance with the world of performers and how to control them occurs in team mode (Fig. 5.1).
Obviously, there is no need to explain the term “direct control” to children, but the teacher must operate with its meaning. Students should pay attention to the fact that the control process is impossible without the control object and the control system exchanging information with each other (Fig. 5.2).
Control using “feedback” commands is characterized by the fact that each subsequent command is transmitted to the performer depending on his behavior (you can ask students to give examples of such performers from life).
Software control
When students study a complex performer (propaedeutics of programming), they will become familiar with the software control method (Fig. 5.3), in which the performer receives a series of commands from a person or program actions (propaedeutics of the principle of program management). “In this case, the person does not see the result of the previous action, but plans or programs it.” It must be said that all performers
(Baby Kangaroo, Vacuum Cleaner, Robot, Machinist, etc.) support both modes: direct and program control.
Executing the algorithm on a computer
It is useful to explain to students how this happens. execution of the algorithm on a computer (Figure 5.4), emphasizing that a person must compose an algorithm, using a recording method that is understandable to the performer.
The propaedeutics of the cybernetic line continues by introducing younger schoolchildren to the concept "black box". In computer science, a “black box” is understood as an algorithm that transforms a given source information into output information, but it is not known by what rule it does this. The operating patterns and structure of “black boxes” are revealed by studying the system’s response to various input data from the output data. The “black box” method develops students’ research skills, the ability to put forward hypotheses and develops creative activity.
The lesson can be built in the form of a game, telling the children: “Today we will get acquainted with a mysterious device. We tell it a number, and it gives a result; we tell it another number, it gives a different result, but we don’t know what mathematical operation the device performs.” As the game progresses, students, together with the teacher (he works at the board), fill out a table of the form: test number, entrance, exit, action. Then the teacher asks them to work in pairs and draw a conclusion about what action the “black box” performs. Tasks of this kind actively include such techniques of mental activity as synthesis, comparison, generalization and generate feedback in mental processes. This topic is supported by the performer Bookvoed from PMK "Robotlandia", providing an environment for guessing more than 60 algorithms, and the performer Turbo-Bookvoed allows the students themselves to create new algorithms in addition to the basic package. The manual suggests, in addition to examples with numerical information, performing tasks on processing textual information (performer Avtomat).
One of the fundamental concepts of the computer science course, directly related to management (more precisely, management of the computing process), are the concepts "recursion" And "auxiliary algorithm". It is advisable to conduct an initial acquaintance with recursion on the basis of solving the well-known “Towers of Hanoi” problem in the environment of the Monk performer, then analyze the recursive algorithm from the Guessing performer (PMK “Robotlandia”), and then, for the purpose of generalization, consider various recursive algorithms (Fibonacci numbers, pyramid Sierpinski, etc.), using numerical, text, graphic information objects.
Students can begin familiarizing themselves with an auxiliary algorithm or procedure in the environment of the Little Kangaroo performer. There is a special design for this. It is necessary for children to remember that the procedure must have Name in accordance with the task (subtask) it solves. The performer Cucaracha (PMK “Robotlandia”) also has a simple language, thanks to which he can very clearly see the result of the algorithm’s work with procedures and even “program” the solution to the problem of the Tower of Hanoi.
As a result of training, students should:
- 1) know/understand: concepts of “control”, “procedure”, “recursion”; connection between information processes and management; technology for executing the algorithm by the executor;
- 2) be able to: manage performers in direct and program control modes; compose recursive and auxiliary algorithms and implement them in the executor environment;
- 3) use acquired knowledge and skills in practical activities and everyday life: to understand the information nature of processes occurring in technology and society.
The process of teaching algorithmization based on performers in primary school, built taking into account the cybernetic aspect of computer science, inevitably entails an intensification of the mental activity of schoolchildren and contributes to the development of intelligence.
- http://www.botik.ru - non-state educational institution "Robotlandia".
- A method used in cybernetics to designate a system whose operating mechanism is very complex or unknown.
Computer science as an academic subject: goals of studying computer science in high school, general educational and general cultural significance of the course.
Methodological system for teaching computer science. Its structure, history of formation and development, general characteristics of structural components
Computer science teaching tools: School computer room: functionality, equipment, equipment. Characteristics and composition of pedagogical software for the JIVT course. Psychological and ergonomic requirements for pedagogical software
Comparative analysis of traditional methodological systems for teaching computer science and corresponding textbooks (Ershov - Kushnirenko, Zhitomirsky - Hein, Kaimin)
Evolution of the goals and content of the school computer science course. Review of new textbooks.
Implementation of the basic principles of didactics in teaching computer science.
Concepts, methods of studying them in secondary school
Methods of scientific knowledge in teaching computer science
The use of computers in computer science teaching: basic methods, impact on the educational process.
Organization of computer science classes. Lesson as the main form of organization of learning. Features of conducting a lesson in a computer class.
Organization of independent work in a computer science lesson. Project method in computer science lessons
Organization of control in computer science teaching.
Algorithmization in computer science courses: place, role and approaches to study.
General purpose information technologies in computer science courses: place, role and approaches to study.
General methodological characteristics of the section “General-purpose information technologies. Application software."
Design and organization of computer work: place, role and methodology for studying the section.
Methodology for introducing the concept of an algorithm and studying its properties. Writing algorithms, a programming language as a means of formally writing algorithms.
Methodology for studying basic algorithmic structures
Methodology for studying data structures (simple quantities, arrays, strings)
Methodology for studying the topic “Auxiliary algorithms”.
1.Methods of teaching computer science. Its subject, goals and objectives.
MPI– this is a section of pedagogical science that studies the patterns of teaching in general education.
The MPI course is designed to prepare future teachers. The position of the course of the current MPI curriculum is determined by the fact that its study is based on the full cycle of basic knowledge of I, VT, higher mathematics, and on the disciplines of the psychological and pedagogical cycle.
Studying the course assumes the goal: 1) preparing future teachers for creative teaching of joint educational technologies; 2) conducting extracurricular activities on this subject; 3) develop and deepen general ideas about the ways and prospects of informatization of education.
Having studied the MPI course, the teacher must deeply understand the importance of the school subject JIVT in the general education of young people; be able to explain the principles of selecting the content of a school computer science course; understand the relationship of this subject with other disciplines; master the basic methodological and didactic forms and techniques of teaching computer science; master the technologies of prof. use of a computer, as well as an IVT office with a local network. The teacher must have a good knowledge of software in the course of general information technology, be able to analyze and select these tools for specific lessons, must be able to take a creative approach to teaching information technology, and develop his own methods and software. Computer science is not recognized as a substitute for any school subject. It only presupposes for each of the disciplines a tool (computer), which allows the teacher to reveal more deeply the essence of his subject. The introduction of the subject JIVT into schools in 1985 led to the formation of the field of pedagogy. science, the object of which is the study of computer science.
MPI is a section of ped. science, exploring the patterns of teaching computer science at a certain stage. The definition of MPI as a science in itself does not mean the existence of this scientific field in a ready-made form. MPI is currently developing intensively; many problems arose in it quite recently and have not yet received either a deep theoretical justification or experimental verification. At the end of the MPI course, you need to know: CONTENTS: 1) Basic teaching methods (let’s call them MP according to Ershov, Kaimin, Hein-Zhitomirsky, Robotlandia methodological system for teaching junior schoolchildren); 2) Methodology for studying specific topics; 3) Features of methods for conducting various forms of classes (clubs, electives); 4) Requirements for a school computer science classroom; 5) Pedagogical software.
BE ABLE TO: 1) determine the content of the subject taking into account the age characteristics of students; 2) draw up a thematic calendar plan for the entire course, revealing in detail the following issues: topic of theoretical material, content of practical work, software; 3) be able to write a lesson summary; 4) the teacher must be proficient in the technology of professional use of a computer, as well as an office with a local network; 5) be able to select and effectively use pedagogical software products in the learning process.
REMEMBER: 1) MPI is not established as a science, this requires a creative approach and search for a solution; 2) computer science is rapidly developing both as a science and as a discipline. The object of study is changing rapidly. It is necessary to independently study what needs to be taught.
Contents of the MPI: 1) study of basic teaching methods; 2) methods of teaching classes in the main sections of the subject: organizing introductory lessons for the OIVT course, teaching the basics of algorithmization, teaching the basics of computer technology, teaching the basics of programming, teaching how to solve problems on a computer; 3) school VT office: equipment, software products, organization of work in the office; 4) pedagogical software products: educational (database, text and graphic editors, emulator, operating systems, spreadsheets), educational models of performers, various training programs (keyboard simulator); 5) prospects for the development of VT.