Authors:
Jalberth F. Araújo, Edivaldo G. dos Santos Júnior, Tarso V. Ferreira, Henrique D. Silva
Abstract:
Traditional engineering education, centered on the instructor and lecture-based classes, ensures a solid scientific foundation but does not fully develop the cognitive skills required to meet contemporary challenges and labor market demands. To address the needs of the 21st century, it is essential to rethink teaching methodologies by incorporating digital, social, and cognitive skills, especially in the context of the Fifth Industrial Revolution. This work proposes an active methodology based on Project-Based Learning and Design Thinking, applied to electrical engineering education. The methodology aims to make students the protagonists of their learning process, fostering the development of both technical and interpersonal skills through the resolution of real-world problems. The methodology was implemented in two core courses in the Electrical Engineering curriculum, where student teams developed practical solutions to everyday problems by integrating course content with knowledge from other areas. The results show an average increase of 7.57% in the pass rate for the courses in which the methodology was applied. Moreover, 63.6% of students reported significant changes in their learning approach, contributing to improved academic performance. There was also an average increase of 60.3% in competencies and skills demanded by the current job market. The methodology proved effective and shows potential for application in other programs, promoting student agencies, meaningful learning, and better preparation for the demands of the modern professional world.
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Authors:
Miguel Matey-Sanz, Carlos Granell, Ramón A. Mollineda
Abstract:
Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly transforming higher education, requiring a consequent shift in teaching methodologies. This article describes a two-year teaching experience (2024/2025 and 2025/2026) integrating the free, responsible, and critical use of GenAI into a coordinated, complex software development project for fourth-year Computer Science students. The study aimed to explore GenAI’s potential as a learning support tool across the software lifecycle and analyze student interaction patterns. The methodology evolved over two academic years: an initial exploratory phase (2024/2025) was followed by a revised implementation (2025/2026) that incorporated active training seminars focused on prompt engineering and critical analysis. Results show that GenAI is highly effective as a “companion” for automating low-level tasks such as code implementation, debugging, and test scenario specification, allowing students to focus on higher-level design and decision making. Initial findings revealed student frustration when GenAI struggled to reason about advanced project contexts, often due to a lack of prompt expertise. However, the corrective training actions successfully mitigated this frustration, significantly improving the critical interpretation of GenAI-generated outputs and the control of “hallucinations”. Usage patterns were asymmetric, with general-purpose tools dominating early stages and specialized tools gaining relevance as project complexity increased. This experience confirms the value of GenAI in promoting critical and responsible use within software engineering education, supporting a shift from a basic skill focus to one centered on analysis, integration, and high-level problem-solving.
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Authors:
Oscar Revelo Sánchez, Manuel Ernesto Bolaños
Abstract:
This study presents an empirical analysis of collaborative performance assessment in engineering learning scenarios. A validated instrument—derived from a previously developed questionnaire measuring seven operational dimensions of collaboration—was applied to evaluate group performance. The study involved 251 students from various engineering courses, organized into experimental groups based on personality traits and a control group formed according to student preference. Findings reveal that personality-based group formation influences collaborative performance, with outcomes varying by group configuration. Homogeneous and mixed groups emphasizing emotional stability (Neuroticism–N) demonstrated higher levels of leadership and collaboration, while heterogeneous groups underperformed compared to the control group. Across all formations, conflict management consistently emerged as the most challenging process, underscoring the importance of targeted strategies for managing interpersonal tensions in team-based learning. From a methodological standpoint, the assessment instrument exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach’s $\alpha \gt 0.9$ ), affirming its reliability for evaluating collaborative dynamics in academic contexts. The study concludes that personality-informed group formation can optimize specific collaborative processes, though its effectiveness depends on the combination of personality traits within each team. These findings hold significant implications for the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), particularly in informing the design of educational technologies that enable adaptive group formation and provide real-time feedback in collaborative learning environments.
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Authors:
Elizabeth Rojas Noguera, Javier Jiménez Toledo, Óscar Revelo Sánchez
Abstract:
Computational thinking (CT) has become a key competency in secondary education; however, identifying instructional approaches that effectively support its development remains a challenge. This study investigates the effects of structured collaborative learning on the development of CT, geometry learning, and collaborative skills in secondary school students. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was employed, including an experimental group that engaged in structured collaborative activities and a control group that worked individually on equivalent tasks (n = 36 per group). Student performance was assessed through a multimodal evaluation approach that combined the Computational Thinking Test (CTT), a geometry test aligned with the instructional intervention, and a collaborative skills instrument based on the OECD framework for collaborative problem solving. Additionally, analytical rubrics were used throughout the intervention to monitor students’ performance across six Scratch-based instructional guides that integrated geometry content with fundamental programming concepts. The results indicate that students who participated in the collaborative intervention achieved significantly greater gains in CT compared to those who worked individually, particularly in pattern recognition and debugging skills. Similarly, the experimental group showed greater improvements in geometry performance, especially in tasks associated with pattern recognition and debugging, compared to the control group. In addition, significant improvements were observed in all evaluated dimensions of collaborative skills.
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Authors:
Elkin Martínez-Caro, Miguel Garcés-Prettel
Abstract:
Most research on computational thinking has been conducted in urban or technologically advantaged settings, leaving its applicability in rural environments largely unexplored. This study addresses that gap by evaluating the effectiveness of a computational thinking-based pedagogical strategy on problem-solving skills among tenth-grade students in a rural Colombian school. Using a quasi-experimental design with control group and pre/post-test measurements, three dimensions were assessed: computational concepts, required tasks, and evaluative capacities. The intervention, consisting of six constructivist-oriented sessions mediated through the MakeCode environment, led to significant improvements in the experimental group. A repeated measures analysis of variance confirmed substantial effects across all dimensions, with no significant influence from sociodemographic or academic variables. These findings indicate that complex problem-solving skills can be developed through accessible pedagogical strategies within rural school contexts characterized by limited technological infrastructure. The study provides empirical evidence supporting the integration of computational thinking in rural education through replicable and context-sensitive approaches.
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Authors:
Alberto Gómez, Maria-Jesús Marco-Galindo, Julià Minguillón
Abstract:
Selecting the basic concepts that should be presented in a first-year university course on programming is essential for planning the course and structuring the rest of the curriculum, along with other aspects such as the programming paradigm and the language used. This work reports an exploratory analysis of the syllabi of first programming courses at Spanish universities with the highest number of students enrolled in computer engineering. Using the list of the most frequent concepts, we designed a survey in which expert instructors were asked to identify essential, optional, and unnecessary concepts, as well as to indicate the perceived difficulty of each concept. More than fifty instructors from different universities participated in the study. The results reveal broad consensus on a core set of fundamental concepts in an introductory programming course and highlight those that, according to faculty perceptions, present greater learning difficulty for students. These findings provide a basis for building a map of concepts showing how they relate to one another, helping students to detect gaps in their knowledge and identify learning challenges.
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Authors:
Sergio Abreo, Juan D. Espinoza, Carlos A. Fajardo
Abstract:
This paper presents the evolution of digital systems education at the Universidad Industrial de Santander, beginning with hands-on projects using discrete logic chips on breadboards. The curriculum progressively adopted hardware description languages (VHDL and Verilog) and eventually integrated RISC-V open hardware through the RVfpga project. This transformation has positioned the university as a regional reference in Latin America and contributed to the professional success of its graduates in the global semiconductor industry. The paper describes key milestones, methodological decisions, and pedagogical strategies that enabled this shift, analyzes its impact on student engagement and learning outcomes, and offers recommendations for institutions seeking to modernize their digital systems curricula. The experience illustrates how sustained curricular innovation and project-based learning can foster academic excellence and real-world impact in electronics and computer engineering.
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Authors:
Avia Ben-Ari, Rinat B. Rosenberg-Kima
Abstract:
This study examines how novice learners express virtue-based dispositions through their Expressive Coding (EC) narratives, exploring how coding engagement may reveal moral dimensions in learning processes. Building on Bers’ Coding as Another Language (CAL) curriculum, EC integrates constructionist coding instruction with Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT)-informed principles, wherein projective storytelling allows the expression of children’s inner experiences, while learning basic coding skills on the programming platform ScratchJr. Twenty third-grade children with no prior programming experience participated in a five-session EC intervention, wherein they created personal stories following predefined prompts. A mixed-methods analysis combining the Creative Coding Rubric (CCR) with a directed content analysis informed by Bers’ Palette of Virtues and an inductive thematic analysis were conducted. Quantitative CCR results showed most children reached the Advanced proficiency level, demonstrating meaningful creative-coding knowledge. Qualitative analyses revealed recurrent expression of perseverance (70%), generosity (40%), and optimism (35%) across children’s artifacts, along with courage, loyalty, respect, and faith as emergent virtues additional to those included in CAL. Findings indicate that EC supports both computational and moral growth, positioning coding as a projective space for moral exploration. Linking CCR dimensions with virtue-related manifestations, the study proposes to extend creative coding assessment as a potential proxy for virtue enactment. Overall, EC further demonstrates how coding-based storytelling may nurture children’s developing moral selves alongside foundational coding knowledge acquisition.
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Authors:
Abigail J. Bergman, Claire Mikulski, Annick Manseau, Sofia Migon, Julia Wilder, Kristin Searle, Avneet Hira
Abstract:
The Coding as Another Language (CAL) curriculum offers a means for young children to develop digital coding skills, which is a form of literacy development. The work presented in this paper extends this idea to the domain of physical computing, positing that it leverage the same powerful ideas of computational thinking. Furthermore, this hands-on, often screen-free domain provides an additional venue that invites young children to develop operational, cultural, and critical literacies in developmentally appropriate ways. To illustrate these ideas, this paper describes three prototypes of early childhood physical computing technologies and relevant curricular activities based on CAL. These cases highlight young children’s growing technological fluency as they transferred and deepened their new knowledge through engagement with various physical materials. The materials used to craft tangible artifacts serve as a medium for developing technical skills, expressing ideas, fostering shared values, and questioning established processes. To this end, authors noted how the CAL curriculum can place physical computing in conversation with other technical, experiential, and deeply humanistic pursuits.
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Authors:
Eduardo Díaz, Augusto Morante Castañeda, José Ignacio Panach
Abstract:
Current video game designs often include features that distract users, a problem exacerbated for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To mitigate distractions for this population, specific design guidelines have been proposed. This study evaluates the benefits of applying such guidelines in the software development process of video games for users with ADHD. A controlled experiment was conducted with 16 subjects interacting with two versions of a video game: one designed according to the guidelines and another without them. Metrics analyzed include perceived effort and user satisfaction, measured through Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), and Intention to Use (ITU). Results indicate statistically significant differences in effort and satisfaction; users engaging with the guided design reported lower cognitive effort and higher satisfaction. These findings suggest that integrating ADHD-focused design guidelines enhances game accessibility and improves user experience for this demographic.
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