Effects of Cognitive Styles on Computational Thinking and Gaming Behavior in an Educational Board Game
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine the effects of different cognitive styles on the elementary students’ computational thinking and gaming behavior in an educational board game for computer programming. This quasi-experimental design study lasted four weeks with 3 hours per week. The subjects were 25 field-independent and field-dependent 6th grade students (assessed by the Group Embedded Figures Test) who participated in a programming foundation course. An ANCOVA and U-test analysis were performed on the definitive test data. The results showed that the field-independent learners achieved significantly improved computational thinking over field-dependent learners in the educational board game, and although no significant difference was found in gaming behavior between them, the field-independence group demonstrated more learning behavior related to the execution of complex thinking. This study suggests to provide differentiated instruction for learners of different cognitive styles, should be more to enhance the effectiveness of programming performance and positive gaming behavior.
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