Effects of programming in relation to working memory span on cognitive ability

This study compared the effects of programming and innovation on cognitive abilities and whether the effects varied with working memory span (high vs. low). Sixty-seven children in 5th grade in one elementary school in Iceland were randomly assigned to two groups, involving seven weeks of interventi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Silja Runólfsdóttir 1990-
Other Authors: Háskólinn í Reykjavík
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1946/16687
Description
Summary:This study compared the effects of programming and innovation on cognitive abilities and whether the effects varied with working memory span (high vs. low). Sixty-seven children in 5th grade in one elementary school in Iceland were randomly assigned to two groups, involving seven weeks of interventions; programming lessons and innovation lessons. Three cognitive ability tests, WISC-IV part 2, WISC-IV part 7 and Ravens, were administered before and after intervention. A working memory test, OSPAN, was used to measure children’s working memory span. Mixed design ANOVA revealed that after innovation lessons children improved significantly from pre-test to post-test on WISC-IV part 2. Change in children’s performance on WISC-IV part 7 depended on working memory span. Children with low working memory span performed significantly higher on WISC part 7 post-test after innovation lessons while children with high working memory span scored significantly higher on WISC part 7 post-test after programming lessons. These results indicate that working memory span is a factor in the relationship between programming and increased cognitive ability. Þessi rannsókn bar saman áhrif forritunarkennslu og nýsköpunarkennslu á vitræna getu. Þessi áhrif voru skoðuð með tilliti til vinnsluminnisspannar. Sextíu og sjö börnum í fimmta bekk í einum grunnskóla á Íslandi var skipt tilviljunarkennt í tvo hópa, sem fólu í sér sjö vikna íhlutun; forritunarkennslu og nýsköpunarkennslu. Þrjú hugræn próf, WISC-IV hluti 2, WISC-IV hluti 7 og Ravens voru lögð fyrir bæði fyrir og eftir íhlutun. Vinnsluminnispróf var notað til að meta vinnsluminnisspönn barnanna. Niðurstöður blandaðrar dreifigreiningar leiddu í ljós að eftir nýsköpunarkennslu var frammistaða barna á eftirmælingu á WISC-IV hluta 2 marktækt hærri en á grunnmælingu. Breytingar á frammistöðu barna á WISC-IV hluta 7 fór eftir vinnsluminnisspönn þeirra. Börn með lága vinnsluminnisspönn stóðu sig marktækt betur á WISC-IV hluta 7 eftirmælingu eftir nýsköpunarkennslu meðan börn með háa ...