Unplugged Cross Array Task (CAT) Assessment: Supplementary Documentation and Experimental Protocol

This repository contains supplementary materials for the paper “The CT-cube: A framework for the design and the assessment of computational thinking activities” [1]. Specifically, it includes a protocol template for administering the unplugged CAT assessment. 

The protocol template provides a detailed framework for the experimental setup and recording procedures used in the unplugged test. It is intended to support the replication of the study and offer transparency regarding the methodology employed.

The protocol template includes the following sections:

• General information:
  • Session ID
  • School ID/Name
  • Pupil ID
  • Date
  • Administrator
  • Class/Grade
  • Pupil Age
  • Pupil Sex
• Legend for Interaction Types:
  • A legend defining the types of interaction available to the pupil, including voice commands (V), voice commands with hand gestures on an empty cross array (VS), and voice commands with hand gestures including visual feedback (VSF).
• Legend for Algorithm Dimensions:
  • A legend outlining the possible algorithm dimensions used in the assessment, such as 2D (polychromatic coloring of patterns of dots, repetitions, and symmetries), 1D (monochromatic coloring of patterns), and 0D (coloring of individual dots).
• Schema Table:
  • A table featuring images of the 12 different cross array schemas used for assessment. Each schema is accompanied by:
    • A list of possible interaction types, with a section to record which interaction type was used to solve the current schema.
    • A list of algorithmic dimensions, with a section to mark which dimension was employed in solving the schema.
    • Space for additional notes and observations relevant to each schema.

[1] Piatti, A., Adorni, G., El-Hamamsy, L., Negrini, L., Assaf, D., Gambardella, L., & Mondada, F. (2022). The CT-cube: A framework for the design and the assessment of computational thinking activities. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 5, 100166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100166