Teaching Computer Programming to Post-millennial Kids: Overview of Goals, Activities and Supporting Tools

摘要

Post-millennial kids have experienced Internet technologies from their early age both at home and at school. Although this familiarity can trigger interest in learning how to engineer software, the learning itself needs teaching instruments that are adapted to their generation. In this paper, we focus on early steps where the teenager is mainly in a discovery phase. Starting from key education goals and skills to develop as children of the 21st century, we look how they relate with computer programming and computational thinking. We also look how synergies can be established with other matters like Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). We analyse how such goals can be met using different kinds of activities and supporting tools. Our work is illustrated by practical experiences carried out in Belgium. Based on this, we also propose a general roadmap for setting up education programs targeting those kids.