Spark: The First Choice for Novices
Spark, one of the products offered by MyQ (formerly Plethora), is a game-based platform meticulously designed to introduce students to the foundational concepts of computer science. By navigating through logical challenges, users delve into topics like abstraction, loops, and graph patterns. Setting...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Vilnius University
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Informatics in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://infedu.vu.lt/doi/10.15388/infedu.2024.26 |
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| _version_ | 1850127078330990592 |
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| author | Judith Gal-Ezer Smadar Szekely |
| author_facet | Judith Gal-Ezer Smadar Szekely |
| author_sort | Judith Gal-Ezer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spark, one of the products offered by MyQ (formerly Plethora), is a game-based platform meticulously designed to introduce students to the foundational concepts of computer science. By navigating through logical challenges, users delve into topics like abstraction, loops, and graph patterns. Setting itself apart from its counterparts, Spark boasts an innovative formal language and a rich set of features. Unlike traditional platforms, Spark emphasizes computational problem solving over programming syntax, making it accessible to learners of all levels. With progressively challenging levels and an intuitive graphical interface, students engage in problem solving, content creation, and collaboration within the MyQ community. Using Spark makes it less probable for students to utilize generative AI (GAI) to solve challenges, thereby sparing teachers the struggle of assessing tasks that might have been accomplished using GAI.
In this paper, we provide an examination of Spark, its functionalities, the challenges it tackles, its merits, limitations, and prospective trajectories. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-92d1d64de36d408d975b94e0ffec213f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1648-5831 2335-8971 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Informatics in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-92d1d64de36d408d975b94e0ffec213f2025-08-20T02:33:47ZengVilnius UniversityInformatics in Education1648-58312335-89712024-12-0123476778110.15388/infedu.2024.26Spark: The First Choice for NovicesJudith Gal-Ezer0Smadar Szekely1The Open University of Israel, IsraelWeizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, IsraelSpark, one of the products offered by MyQ (formerly Plethora), is a game-based platform meticulously designed to introduce students to the foundational concepts of computer science. By navigating through logical challenges, users delve into topics like abstraction, loops, and graph patterns. Setting itself apart from its counterparts, Spark boasts an innovative formal language and a rich set of features. Unlike traditional platforms, Spark emphasizes computational problem solving over programming syntax, making it accessible to learners of all levels. With progressively challenging levels and an intuitive graphical interface, students engage in problem solving, content creation, and collaboration within the MyQ community. Using Spark makes it less probable for students to utilize generative AI (GAI) to solve challenges, thereby sparing teachers the struggle of assessing tasks that might have been accomplished using GAI. In this paper, we provide an examination of Spark, its functionalities, the challenges it tackles, its merits, limitations, and prospective trajectories.https://infedu.vu.lt/doi/10.15388/infedu.2024.26computer science educationprogrammingfirst choice languagealgorithmic thinkingcomputational problem solving |
| spellingShingle | Judith Gal-Ezer Smadar Szekely Spark: The First Choice for Novices Informatics in Education computer science education programming first choice language algorithmic thinking computational problem solving |
| title | Spark: The First Choice for Novices |
| title_full | Spark: The First Choice for Novices |
| title_fullStr | Spark: The First Choice for Novices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spark: The First Choice for Novices |
| title_short | Spark: The First Choice for Novices |
| title_sort | spark the first choice for novices |
| topic | computer science education programming first choice language algorithmic thinking computational problem solving |
| url | https://infedu.vu.lt/doi/10.15388/infedu.2024.26 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT judithgalezer sparkthefirstchoicefornovices AT smadarszekely sparkthefirstchoicefornovices |