This book constitutes the proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Informatics in Schools: Situation, Evolution and Perspectives, ISSEP 2021, held in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, in November 2020. Due to COVID-19 related travelling restrictions the conference had to be switched to online format. The 12 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 29 submissions. They are organized in topical sections named: Fostering Computational Thinking, Programming Education, Advancing Computing Education, and Teachers’ Professional Development.

This book contains highly effective ways to teach coding and computational thinking skills throughout primary and secondary schooling. It outlines a research informed path for students from birth to 18 years, identifying key skills and learning activities. Based on global perspectives and research at each stage, it outlines how these findings can be applied in the classroom. Teaching coding to students in K-12 has been a skillset that has been debated across educational jurisdictions globally for some time. The book provides examples of schools that are teaching coding to students in engaging and relevant ways, delivering well thought out compulsory curriculums. Additionally, it provides examples of schools where coding is not mandated in the curriculum and is taught in an ad-hoc manner. Through the full discussion of all of these varied examples, the book presents both sides of the serious and ongoing debate in the field as to whether coding should be taught in an explicit way at all. The increasing school of thought that teaching coding is a skill that is already obsolete, and the focus should be on computational thinking is completely examined and presented. In this book, both sides of the argument, as well as the specific, meticulous research underlying each side, are given equal weight. The debate is a serious one and requires a clearly defined thematic response with evidence on all sides of the argument presented rationally. This book does just that. Created by carefully selected authors from around the world, it will be a highly studied research reference.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Informatics in Schools: Situation, Evolution and Perspectives, ISSEP 2021, held in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, in November 2020. Due to COVID-19 related travelling restrictions the conference had to be switched to online format. The 12 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 29 submissions. They are organized in topical sections named: Fostering Computational Thinking, Programming Education, Advancing Computing Education, and Teachers' Professional Development.

The International Conference on Informatics in Schools: Situation, Evolution and Perspectives - ISSEP - is a forum for researchers and practitioners in the area of Informatics education, both in primary and secondary schools. It provides an opportunity for educators to reflect upon the goals and objectives of this subject, its curricula and various teaching/learning paradigms and topics, possible connections to everyday life and various ways of establishing Informatics Education in schools. This conference also cares about teaching/learning materials, various forms of assessment, traditional and innovative educational research designs, Informatics' contribution to the preparation of children for the 21st century, motivating competitions, projects and activities supporting informatics education in school.

This book comprises the latest achievements in research and development in educational robotics presented at the 13th International Conference on Robotics in Education (RiE), which was carried out as a purely virtual conference from April 27 to 28, 2022. Researchers and educators will find valuable methodologies, experiences, and tools for robotics in education that encourage learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) through the design, creation, and programming of robots addressing real-world societal needs. Social robotics is becoming an important topic in education as well. This also involves various modern technologies ranging from robotics platforms to programming environments and languages. Many papers also prove the positive impact of robotics on the students’ interests and competence development. The presented approaches cover the whole educative range from kindergarten to the university level and lifelong learning.

Scholars and educators worldwide are grappling with the challenge of translating innovative research findings into tangible improvements within their classrooms. The chasm between theory and practice hinders the progress of education and leaves a wealth of untapped potential. The need for a process or approach to bridge these elements is urgent. Practitioner Research in College-Based Education serves as this much-needed resource for scholars seeking to overcome this enduring challenge. This innovative book offers a roadmap for academic scholars, providing insights into practitioner-led research across the global landscape of college-based education. This book is more than a collection of theoretical frameworks; it is a solution-oriented guide that illuminates the intricacies of research practices, methodologies, and their real-world applications within the context of academic institutions.