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Meet MicroCode: a Live and Portable Programming Tool for the BBC micro:bit

Published: 17 June 2024 Publication History

Abstract

Physical computing has emerged as an effective approach to introducing computing and coding to students. One of the most popular enabling tools is the BBC micro:bit, well-known for its positive impact on teaching programming and driving engagement in the classroom. We extend these benefits by developing a new approach to coding with micro:bit: MicroCode. Unlike other experiences, MicroCode couples the micro:bit with a low-cost handheld accessory to enable live and portable programming via an on-device visual programming language; no separate host computer is needed. We present the design of MicroCode and the findings of a study in which we interviewed five primary school teachers and 60 children aged 10-11 working with MicroCode. The outcomes of the study show that MicroCode raised children’s engagement and stimulated the development of a strong sense of agency on coding activities, while teachers felt empowered to adopt situated and cross-curricular learning approaches.

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  • (2024)MicroCode: live, portable programming for children via roboticsAdjunct Proceedings of the 37th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3672539.3686334(1-3)Online publication date: 13-Oct-2024

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cover image ACM Conferences
IDC '24: Proceedings of the 23rd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference
June 2024
1049 pages
ISBN:9798400704420
DOI:10.1145/3628516
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial International 4.0 License.

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Published: 17 June 2024

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  1. child-computer interaction
  2. micro:bit.
  3. physical computing education

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IDC '24
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IDC '24: Interaction Design and Children
June 17 - 20, 2024
Delft, Netherlands

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  • (2024)MicroCode: live, portable programming for children via roboticsAdjunct Proceedings of the 37th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3672539.3686334(1-3)Online publication date: 13-Oct-2024

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