Keeping it real: helping learners navigate the concrete and abstract

Chesterman, Mick (2024) Keeping it real: helping learners navigate the concrete and abstract. In: Inclusive Computing Education in the Secondary School: linking theory and practice. Routledge, London, pp. 34-44. ISBN 9781032045405 (paperback); 9781003193685 (ebook); 9781032045382 (hardback)

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Abstract

This chapter highlights the value and challenges of implementing hands-on teaching approaches in a UK schooling context. It begins by looking at interpretations of inclusion and specifically the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. The terms concrete and abstract and their relevance to coding and definitions of computational thinking are explored. The second half of the chapter then turns to practical ways teachers can help learners navigate abstract concepts and benefit from hands-on experience of coding. To do this, it outlines some techniques promoted by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE). Throughout this part of the chapter, there is a focus on linking these educational practices with inclusive approaches and learner engagement.