“Can Molecules Change Their Color?” Exploring Students' Non-Canonical Ideas While Programming a Model of Diffusion

Abstract

This study investigates students' non-canonical ideas while creating computational models. Four 5th-grade students individually observed a diffusion experiment and created a model to explain the experiment using domain-specific programming blocks. Results illustrate that translating ideas into code reveals various non-canonical ideas. We argue that a limited number of blocks does not interfere with students expressing their ideas. However, creating domain-specific blocks for modeling needs to be a thoughtful and carefully designed process.