Preliminary Study of Algorithmization at Primary School in the Scratch Environment

Abstract

Nowadays, there is a technologically advanced and fast-paced world around us, and it makes high demands on the citizens. One of these requirements is mastering algorithmic culture and algorithmic thinking. The research is focused on developing a course of extracurricular activities for primary school students targeted at developing programming skills and algorithmic thinking. The special study involved 80 second-fourth grade (primary school) students from Engels, Omsk, Yoshkar-Ola, Yakutsk, and Osh. The thematic course of the research Algorithmic thinking and programming in Scratch was designed with the original proprietary technology of ‘easy’ creative research mini-projects for creating practically relevant games and cartoons. It should take no longer than 45-60 minutes to accomplish them, representing the ‘from Knowledge to Competence’ general concept. A set of basic skills of algorithmic literacy that primary school students could develop successfully was identified. They are the following: realizing the nature of the algorithm, its features; the ability to find out algorithms in the processes in the world around; the ability to visualize (depict) an algorithm; the ability to differentiate the type of the algorithm; the ability to follow the algorithm accurately; the ability to modify the algorithm; the ability to choose an advanced algorithm; the ability to compile an algorithm while solving a learning and cognitive problem. The suggested technology has proved the effective mastering the necessary basic set of skills in the field of project performance. After completing the full-year cycle of training, the students were engaged with further literacy improvement.