The Impact of Robotic Programming Environments on Computational Thinking with an Effect on Word Reading Fluency and Decoding

Word reading fluency and decoding can be important determinants when primary school students learn programming in order to develop computational thinking (CT). The question that arises is whether an interaction can be established regarding a growth on CT and the level of reading ability of students. Therefore, our experimental research aims to investigate whether different robotic programming environments can be applied to improve students’ level of CT and thus reading skills. The study was conducted among Dutch primary school students grade 3 and 4, aged 6 to 8. For both experimental groups, either BeeBot or Ozobot were applied as robotics programming interventions. The control group followed regular reading lessons. Reading exercises to be solved through programming applications were designed for both experimental groups. Via pre-test-posttest design, proficiency on CT was determined by administering the Beginners Computational Thinking Test (BCTt). To establish reading proficiency, the “three-minute test” (DMT) was administered. Our research indicates a correlation between a development on CT and the level of reading fluency and decoding. Although not all subcategories of CT are a predictor on reading skills, programming tangible or code-based robotics did prove to be an explanatory model regarding the results of the reading test taken. The findings obtained imply that the application of programming and related CT development may be beneficial for the development of reading ability. Follow-up research is recommended to be able to make more specific statements on the effect of development on CT related to the reading level of students in primary education.