{"id":1040,"date":"2018-11-30T13:38:02","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T18:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/?page_id=1040"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:26:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T14:26:51","slug":"kodu","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/kodu\/","title":{"rendered":"Kodu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"303\" height=\"272\" src=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/737\/2018\/11\/Kodu-logo.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1070\" srcset=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/737\/2018\/11\/Kodu-logo.png 303w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/737\/2018\/11\/Kodu-logo-300x269.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 303px) 100vw, 303px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Researchers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eng.ufl.edu\/i3e\/contact\/faculty-staff\/ashish-aggarwal\/\">Ashish Aggarwal<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/\">David S. Touretzky<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/christina-gardner-mccune\/\">Dr. Christina Gardner-McCune<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/joseph-isaac\/\">Joseph Isaac, Jr.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Resources<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu\">https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Description<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, the US has begun scaling up efforts to increase access to CS into K-12 classrooms and many teachers are turning to block-based programming environments to minimize the syntax and conceptual challenges students encounter in text-based languages. Block-based programming environments, such as Scratch and App Inventor, are currently being used by millions of students in and outside the classroom. We know that when novice programmers are learning to program in block-based programming environments, they need to understand the components of these environments, how to apply programming concepts, and how to create artifacts. However, we still do not know how are they learning these components or what learning challenges they face that hinder their future participation in Computer Science. In addition, the mental effort\/cognitive workload students exert while learning programming constructs is still an open question. The goal of this project is to leverage advances in Electroencephalography (EEG) research to explore how students learn CS concepts, write programs, and complete programming tasks in block-based programming.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Publications<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Masters Thesis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aggarwal, A. (2017)\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ufdc.ufl.edu\/UFE0051191\/00001\">Developing Computational Reasoning Skill and Mental Simulation Ability in Elementary School Students Using Microsoft Kodu.<\/a>\u00a0MS thesis, University of Florida.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Peer-Reviewed Conference Papers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aggarwal, A., Touretzky, D. S., and Gardner-McCune, C. (2018)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/pubs\/Aggarwal-SIGCSE-2018.pdf\">Demonstating the ability of elementary school students to reason about programs.<\/a>\u00a0<em>Proceedings of SIGCSE \u201918<\/em>, Baltimore, MD. Association for Computing Machinery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Touretzky, D. S. (2017)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/pubs\/Touretzky-Blocks-2017.pdf\">Computational thinking and mental models: From Kodu to Calypso<\/a>.\u00a0<em>Proceedings of the 2017 Blocks &amp; Beyond Workshop<\/em>, Raleigh, NC, October 10, 2017. IEEE Press.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Touretzky, D. S., Gardner-McCune, C., and Aggarwal, A. (2017)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/pubs\/Touretzky-SIGCSE-Semantics-2017.pdf\">Semantic reasoning in young programmers.<\/a><em>Proceedings of SIGCSE \u201917<\/em>, Seattle, WA. Association for Computing Machinery. Click\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu\/pubs\/Touretzky-SIGCSE-2017-slides.pdf\">here<\/a>\u00a0for slides.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aggarwal, A., Gardner-McCune, C., and Touretzky, D. S. (2017)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu\/pubs\/Aggarwal-SIGCSE-Manipulatives-2017.pdf\">Evaluating the effect of using physical manipulatives to foster computational thinking in elementary school.<\/a>\u00a0Proceedings of SIGCSE \u201917, Seattle, WA. Association for Computing Machinery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Touretzky, D. S., Gardner-McCune, C., and Aggarwal, A. (2016)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/pubs\/Touretzky-SIGCSE-Lawfulness-2016.pdf\">Teaching \u2018lawfulness\u2019 with Kodu.<\/a>\u00a0<em>Proceedings of SIGCSE \u201916<\/em>, Memphis, TN. Association for Computing Machinery.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/pubs\/Touretzky-SIGCSE-2016-slides.pdf\">Slides<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00a0Touretzky, D. S., Marghitu, D., Ludi, S., Bernstein, D., and Ni, L. (2013)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/pubs\/Touretzky-SIGCSE-2013.pdf\">Accelerating computational thinking using scaffolding, staging, and abstraction.<\/a>\u00a0Proceedings of SIGCSE \u201913, Denver, CO. Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 609-614.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Peer-Reviewed Conference Posters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Touretzky, D. S., Gardner-McCune, C.,\u00a0<strong>Isaac Jr., J.<\/strong>, and Tomokiyo, L. (2018)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu\/pubs\/SIGCSE-2018-poster.pdf\">Couplets: helping elementary school students recognize structure in code.<\/a>\u00a0Poster presented at SIGCSE \u201918, Baltimore, MD.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aggarwal, A., Gardner-McCune, C., and Touretzky, D. S. (2016)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu\/pubs\/SIGCSE-2016-poster.pdf\">Designing and refining of questions to assess students\u2019 ability to mentally simulate programs and predict program behavior<\/a>. Poster presented at SIGCSE\u201916.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Webinar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Touretzky, D. S. (2016)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu\/pubs\/Touretzky-Kodu-webinar-2016-10-19.pdf\">Using Kodu to teach reasoning about programs<\/a>. Microsoft Webinar slides. Watch the webinar\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/info.microsoft.com\/UK-MSFT-WBNR-FY17-10Oct-19-Using-Kodu-to-Teach-Reasoning-About-Programs-263955_Registration.html\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contributed&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Article<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Touretzky, D. S. (2014)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/pubs\/Touretzky-Inroads-Manipulatives-2014.pdf\">Teaching Kodu with physical manipulatives.<\/a>\u00a0<em>ACM Inroads<\/em>, 5(4):44-51.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researchers Resources https:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~dst\/Kodu Description In recent years, the US has begun scaling up efforts to increase access to CS into K-12 classrooms and many teachers are turning to block-based programming environments to minimize the syntax and conceptual challenges students encounter in text-based languages. Block-based programming environments, such as Scratch and App Inventor, are currently being [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":468,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/page-sidebar-none.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"featured_post":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-1040","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1040"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2367,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1040\/revisions\/2367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/engaging-learning-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}