Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability

IntroductionTeaching computer programming can be challenging, especially for individuals with intellectual disability (ID) who exhibit a wide range of learning abilities and behavioral characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to teach computer pr...

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Main Authors: Maria Agatina Stimoli, Francesco Domenico Di Blasi, Silvestro Maccarrone, Angela Antonia Costanzo, Paola Occhipinti, Serafino Buono
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1484921/full
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author Maria Agatina Stimoli
Francesco Domenico Di Blasi
Silvestro Maccarrone
Angela Antonia Costanzo
Paola Occhipinti
Serafino Buono
author_facet Maria Agatina Stimoli
Francesco Domenico Di Blasi
Silvestro Maccarrone
Angela Antonia Costanzo
Paola Occhipinti
Serafino Buono
author_sort Maria Agatina Stimoli
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionTeaching computer programming can be challenging, especially for individuals with intellectual disability (ID) who exhibit a wide range of learning abilities and behavioral characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to teach computer programming skills to individuals with ID.MethodFour women with ID, aged 27 to 54 years, were selected to participate in the study. Participants were taught computer programming using authoring software to create multimedia educational activities. A discrete trial teaching (DTT) approach was employed to teach specific skills and to gradually fade prompts to promote independent learning. A multiple-probe design across subjects was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. This design involved a baseline phase, a training phase with a most-to-least prompting procedure, and a 1-month follow-up phase to assess skill maintenance.ResultsThe results demonstrated that all participants were able to acquire the necessary programming skills and complete the assigned tasks independently.ConclusionComputer programming can provide valuable learning and development opportunities for individuals with ID. However, it is essential to tailor the instruction to individual needs and provide appropriate support.
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publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Education
spelling doaj-art-bc6eddb6c37f4c17a962f70540a67b832025-08-20T02:07:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2024-11-01910.3389/feduc.2024.14849211484921Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disabilityMaria Agatina StimoliFrancesco Domenico Di BlasiSilvestro MaccarroneAngela Antonia CostanzoPaola OcchipintiSerafino BuonoIntroductionTeaching computer programming can be challenging, especially for individuals with intellectual disability (ID) who exhibit a wide range of learning abilities and behavioral characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to teach computer programming skills to individuals with ID.MethodFour women with ID, aged 27 to 54 years, were selected to participate in the study. Participants were taught computer programming using authoring software to create multimedia educational activities. A discrete trial teaching (DTT) approach was employed to teach specific skills and to gradually fade prompts to promote independent learning. A multiple-probe design across subjects was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. This design involved a baseline phase, a training phase with a most-to-least prompting procedure, and a 1-month follow-up phase to assess skill maintenance.ResultsThe results demonstrated that all participants were able to acquire the necessary programming skills and complete the assigned tasks independently.ConclusionComputer programming can provide valuable learning and development opportunities for individuals with ID. However, it is essential to tailor the instruction to individual needs and provide appropriate support.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1484921/fullintellectual disabilityexplicit instructionsoftware authoring toolinclusionteaching
spellingShingle Maria Agatina Stimoli
Francesco Domenico Di Blasi
Silvestro Maccarrone
Angela Antonia Costanzo
Paola Occhipinti
Serafino Buono
Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability
Frontiers in Education
intellectual disability
explicit instruction
software authoring tool
inclusion
teaching
title Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability
title_full Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability
title_fullStr Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability
title_full_unstemmed Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability
title_short Teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability
title_sort teaching basic computer programming to young adults with intellectual disability
topic intellectual disability
explicit instruction
software authoring tool
inclusion
teaching
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1484921/full
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