Abstract:

In the last few years, new objectives have been integrated into the educational programs of primary and secondary education with the aim of training students in the acquisition of skills related to computational thinking. Computational thinking requires the development of high-level skills such as logical thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, interpersonal communication, data representation and abstraction. These high-quality skills and competences are crucial not only in the development of the professional career of students of STEM-related areas, but also in the understanding of a data-driven world where people relationships are mediated by technology. Understanding how digital devices, online services or telecommunications networks work is an essential part of digital literacy.

Within the framework of the COMPUS project (2018-1-ES01-KA201-050415) have been designed two board games, "MOON" and "Archers of Nand", and a set of unplugged computer science activities to develop these high-quality skills and to get a deeper understanding of digital literacy. For example, in the understanding of system architecture, binary code or database structures. These board games have also been designed for learning context with limited opportunities. Learning computational thinking should not necessarily be linked to large budgets in technological equipment. Therefore, with open cardboard games, ready to print and play, it is possible to facilitate access to this learning for all students.

Board games are excellent educational resources to introduce new concepts to students and help them put knowledge and skills into practice in simulated scenarios. Thanks to the playful component of the games, students awaken new interests in science and technology. In addition, to reinforce the learning generated in the games, a set of activities have been designed around the game components that facilitate the transfer of knowledge to other contexts. These activities complement the learning in digital literacy and the development of high-quality skills.

Currently, about 5,000 primary and secondary school students in different countries are already using these board games. This paper explains the board games, the learning objectives of unplugged computer science activities and summarizes the opinions collected from more than 30 primary and secondary school teachers on the contribution of these learning resources.

Keywords:

Computational thinking, skills, digital literacy, game based learning, board game, STEAM education.