Exploring programming language choices to boost student interest in coding and educational robotics

This research explores the impact of two widely used visual programming languages, VPL and Blockly, in educational robotics (ER) to enhance computational skills and address Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) gender disparities in K-12 education. To do so, an escape game was designed wherein children were tasked with programming a robot using either VPL or Blockly. The study gathered responses from 1635 children across 604 groups, primarily aged between 11 and 14. Statistical analysis revealed that girls tended to favour VPL more frequently than boys, while boys showed a preference for Blockly. Furthermore, participants with prior programming experience were more inclined to opt for Blockly, perceiving it as easier and more enjoyable. In sum, VPL emerged as the most utilized and preferred language, hailed for its ease of use and entertainment value compared to Blockly. These findings underscore VPL’s appeal among K-12 students, particularly for girls and those lacking prior programming exposure and can be used to design learning activities and to train future teachers in ER.