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<p>Computational thinking (CT) is an essential 21st -century competency that can be learned in early childhood. While both plugged (digital) and unplugged (non-digital) programming activities are advocated for developing CT in young children, their comparative effectiveness remains inadequately explored. This quasi-experimental study addressed this gap by evaluating the impact of plugged <i>versus</i> unplugged programming on CT skills and programming interest in 104 5-6-year-old kindergarteners from China with no prior exposure. Compared to a business-as-usual control group, both experimental interventions significantly enhanced CT. Crucially, children in the plugged programming environment demonstrated significantly greater gains in CT skills and programming interest than those in the unplugged group. These findings carry important implications for educational practice and policy in the AI era: they provide evidence-based guidance for selecting tools, suggest that plugged approaches offer distinct advantages for CT development, and inform decisions about resource allocation and technology integration in early childhood education. The study further advances our theoretical understanding by identifying feedback mechanisms as a key factor explaining the differential outcomes.</p>

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Plugged versus unplugged: effects on kindergarten children’s computational thinking and interest in programming

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月14日

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  • Yue Zeng,
  • Weipeng Yang

摘要

Computational thinking (CT) is an essential 21st -century competency that can be learned in early childhood. While both plugged (digital) and unplugged (non-digital) programming activities are advocated for developing CT in young children, their comparative effectiveness remains inadequately explored. This quasi-experimental study addressed this gap by evaluating the impact of plugged versus unplugged programming on CT skills and programming interest in 104 5-6-year-old kindergarteners from China with no prior exposure. Compared to a business-as-usual control group, both experimental interventions significantly enhanced CT. Crucially, children in the plugged programming environment demonstrated significantly greater gains in CT skills and programming interest than those in the unplugged group. These findings carry important implications for educational practice and policy in the AI era: they provide evidence-based guidance for selecting tools, suggest that plugged approaches offer distinct advantages for CT development, and inform decisions about resource allocation and technology integration in early childhood education. The study further advances our theoretical understanding by identifying feedback mechanisms as a key factor explaining the differential outcomes.