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DOI

10.22550/2174-0909.3933

Abstract

The development of computational thinking has become one of the educational priorities in several countries around the world. In this article, two experiences are described in which two block programming tools are used. The first experience only used BlocksCAD, while the second added the use of Blockly and the work on some mathematical algorithms in a maths classroom. The number of participants in the experience was twenty-eight in the group that only used Blocky and thirteen in the group that combined the use of both tools, all of them of the third year of secondary education (between 14 and 15 years old) in a school in Spain. The results show that, although the use of Blocks- CAD alone allows an increase in the development of CT, if other resources such as Blockly are also used in the mathematics classroom, the effect is multiplied. In addition, considering the satisfaction results of the participants in the experience, together with the possibility of printing their own creations through 3D modelling (a fact claimed by the students themselves), this encourages us to continue using both tools and even to try to combine them with other tools and to design experiences that encompass entire academic courses or, at least, entire trimesters.

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Author Biography

Ángel-Alberto Magreñán-Ruiz. He has a doctorate (cum laude and special award) in Mathematics, a certificate in teaching, a licentiate degree in Mathematics and a technical engineering degree in Business Computing from Universidad de La Rioja. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Mathematics Teaching Area of the Mathematics and Computing Department at Universidad de La Rioja.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6991-5706

Rubén-Arístides González-Crespo. He is a doctor of Engineering in Computer Engineering and has a degree in Engineering in Industrial Organisation from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. He also holds a master’s in Project Management and Administration and a master’s in Web Engineering from the same university, as well as a diploma in International Studies from Sociedad de Estudios Internacionales. He is a Professor at Universidad Internacional de La Rioja.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5541-6319

Cristina Jiménez-Hernández. She has a degree in Mathematics from Universidad del País Vasco. She is currently studying for a PhD at Universidad Politécnica de Valencia while working in a secondary school in Spain.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0189-4910

Lara Orcos-Palma. She has a doctorate (cum laude and special award) from Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. She holds a licentiate degree in Chemistry from Universidad de La Rioja and a licentiate degree in Biochemistry from Universidad de Salamanca. In addition, she studied a master’s in Teacher Training at Universidad de La Rioja and a master’s in Chemical Science and Technology with Spain’s Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). She is currently an Associate Professor in the Mathematics Teaching Area of the Mathematics and Computing Department at Universidad de La Rioja.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8138-551X

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Palabras clave | Keywords

computational thinking, problems, mathematics, mathematical modelling, technologies, BlocksCAD, Blockly, Secondary, Spain, education, 3D printing, group comparison, satisfaction