Describing elementary students' interactions in K-5 puzzle-based computer science environments using the collaborative computing observation instrument (C-COI)

Despite efforts to integrate computer science (CS) into K-12 education, there are numerous unanswered questions about how students learn CS, how to provide positive computing experiences, and how students interact with each other during CS instruction. To begin to deconstruct these complexities for a diverse range of students, it is important to not only study the outcomes and products of students' computational experiences, but also the processes they take in creating those products. In recognizing the necessity for targeted, narrow research questions, this paper focused on how elementary students interacted with each other during puzzle-based CS instruction. Future work will focus on comparing these findings to students' collaborative interactions in more open-ended computing situations. Data analysis made use of the Collaborative Computing Observation Instrument (C-COI) [6] to analyze video screen captures of nine students as they engaged in CS activities within Code.org's Code Studio. Findings confirmed three predominant types of collaborative interactions: Collaborative problem solving, excitement and accomplishment related to CS activities, and general socialization.