Leo & Maya: a game to help teaching computational thinking
Abstract
In a world with more and more computers, it is essential that people know how to solve problems using computers effectively. To do this, it is necessary to introduce people to Computational Thinking: a way to solve problems that consist in interpreting and dividing large problems into smaller problems with known solutions and describing the solution in the form of an algorithm. The Leo & Maya game is a way to help teach Computer Thinking to children ages seven to eleven. It consists of twenty-two levels with increasing complexity where the player is led to assemble algorithms using a specific set of instructions to complete specific objectives, sometimes making use of Parallel Computational Thinking to control more than one character within a level. Despite the validation having taken place during the Covid-19 pandemic, which limited access to the interviewed volunteers, the reception of the interviewed teachers, responsible for students within the intended age group, was positive, pointing to a promising future for the project
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