Visual Programming and Playful Strategies, A Pathway to the Development of Computational Thinking in Childhood
Keywords:
game-based learning; programming; gamification; computational thinking; ScratchAbstract
Introduction: Teaching programming at an early age is a priority in the Third Improvement of Cuban Education, which requires methodologies that integrate computational thinking with playful strategies. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a pedagogical methodology based on game-based learning and the modification of game mechanics through visual programming, to teach programming fundamentals and develop computational thinking in children aged 9 to 11 years. Materials and methods: A qualitative case study was implemented with 30 children (15 girls and 15 boys) with no prior programming experience, who participated in a two-week intensive course at the University of Oriente, Cuba. The intervention, structured in three phases (guided analysis, reproduction and modification, and free creation), used Scratch 3.0 as a tool. Data were collected through unstructured participant observation, a checklist, a digital portfolio, and a daily log; they were processed through thematic analysis. Results: A high level of sustained motivation, applied understanding of programming concepts (sequences, loops, conditionals), development of computational thinking (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction), gender equity in performance, and strengthening of collaborative work were evidenced. Conclusions: The proposed methodology constitutes an effective, replicable, and recommended pedagogical innovation for integration into the Cuban school curriculum, provided it is accompanied by specific teacher training.
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