Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trial

The research aims to evaluate the effect of a robotics-based computational thinking program on executive functions and visuospatial skills in preschool children. Additionally, the study will explore the relationship between these three variables and early experiences with toys. The study will be a c...

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Main Authors: Carolina Robledo-Castro, Camilo Vieira Mejía, Jennifer Chiu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:MethodsX
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221501612400596X
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author Carolina Robledo-Castro
Camilo Vieira Mejía
Jennifer Chiu
author_facet Carolina Robledo-Castro
Camilo Vieira Mejía
Jennifer Chiu
author_sort Carolina Robledo-Castro
collection DOAJ
description The research aims to evaluate the effect of a robotics-based computational thinking program on executive functions and visuospatial skills in preschool children. Additionally, the study will explore the relationship between these three variables and early experiences with toys. The study will be a cluster-randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-intervention measures. Participants will be preschool children aged 5 to 6 years from both public and private institutions. The intervention will involve a new educational robotics device called ROVERSA and will consist of eight sessions distributed over four weeks, with the experimental group placed on a waitlist. To assess executive functions and visuospatial skills, standardized and validated neuropsychological measures will be used, including the Flanker task, the NIH Toolbox Card Sorting Test, the Corsi Block Test, the NEPSY-II Mental Rotation Test, the Pyramid of Mexico from the ENI-2 battery, and the Computational Thinking Test (CTt). Data analysis will begin with a hypothesis tested through ANOVA-MR, and linear regressions will be implemented to assess the relationship between variables. It is expected that the results will contribute to the discussion on teaching computational thinking and educational robotics as early learning experiences and their impact on the cognitive development of children.
format Article
id doaj-art-58f5ec8d446e4d309585cdd84b3b9e28
institution Kabale University
issn 2215-0161
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
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series MethodsX
spelling doaj-art-58f5ec8d446e4d309585cdd84b3b9e282025-01-09T06:14:03ZengElsevierMethodsX2215-01612025-06-0114103145Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trialCarolina Robledo-Castro0Camilo Vieira Mejía1Jennifer Chiu2Grupo de investigación Currículo, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia; Corresponding author.Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, ColombiaUniversidad de Virginia, Charlottesville, United StatesThe research aims to evaluate the effect of a robotics-based computational thinking program on executive functions and visuospatial skills in preschool children. Additionally, the study will explore the relationship between these three variables and early experiences with toys. The study will be a cluster-randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-intervention measures. Participants will be preschool children aged 5 to 6 years from both public and private institutions. The intervention will involve a new educational robotics device called ROVERSA and will consist of eight sessions distributed over four weeks, with the experimental group placed on a waitlist. To assess executive functions and visuospatial skills, standardized and validated neuropsychological measures will be used, including the Flanker task, the NIH Toolbox Card Sorting Test, the Corsi Block Test, the NEPSY-II Mental Rotation Test, the Pyramid of Mexico from the ENI-2 battery, and the Computational Thinking Test (CTt). Data analysis will begin with a hypothesis tested through ANOVA-MR, and linear regressions will be implemented to assess the relationship between variables. It is expected that the results will contribute to the discussion on teaching computational thinking and educational robotics as early learning experiences and their impact on the cognitive development of children.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221501612400596XProtocol
spellingShingle Carolina Robledo-Castro
Camilo Vieira Mejía
Jennifer Chiu
Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trial
MethodsX
Protocol
title Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trial
title_full Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trial
title_fullStr Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trial
title_full_unstemmed Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trial
title_short Exploring computational thinking, executive functions, visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood: Protocol for a controlled trial
title_sort exploring computational thinking executive functions visuospatial skills and experiences with toys in early childhood protocol for a controlled trial
topic Protocol
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221501612400596X
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AT jenniferchiu exploringcomputationalthinkingexecutivefunctionsvisuospatialskillsandexperienceswithtoysinearlychildhoodprotocolforacontrolledtrial