MicroWorlds JR is a version of Logo that teaches non-readers or early readers to program in Logo. Logo was created by Seymour Papert

Seymour Papert

Seymour Papert is an MIT mathematician, computer scientist, and educator. He is one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence, as well as an inventor of the Logo programming language....

 to provide children with a robust computer language with which to explore mathematical concepts. Papert invented Logo as part of a team at MIT, after spending time during the late 1950s and early 1960s working in Switzerland with Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget was a French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology"....

 to investigate how children learn mathematics. Papert is considered a pioneer in connecting computers to students, schools and learning, and in 1993, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Software Publishers Association.

MicroWorlds JR was first launched in 2004 by LCSI, and as in other versions of Logo such as MicroWorlds

Microworlds

MicroWorlds is a program that uses the Logo programming language, a dialect of Lisp programming language. It uses a turtle object which can be moved around, given commands, and eventually make shapes or even an animation....

 (which allows for multi-tasking, or parallel processing; several processes can be launched independently) or StarLogo

StarLogo

StarLogo is an agent-based simulation language developed by Mitchel Resnick, Eric Klopfer, and others at MIT Media Lab and MIT Teacher Education Program in Massachusetts. It is an extension of the Logo programming language, a dialect of Lisp...

 (an even more massively parallel system), the object on the screen begins as a turtle and can be controlled with basic commands to make it move. Turtle graphics

Turtle graphics

Turtle graphics is a term in computer graphics for a method of programming vector graphics using a relative cursor upon a Cartesian plane...

 automatically replace the command names and are selected when children click on the controls. The turtle object can be given a variety of shapes that act as a costume for the turtle, and therefore lends itself to a variety of animations and creative stories and projects for younger students.

Constructivist Learning Theory

MicroWorlds JR supports constructivism

Constructivism (learning theory)

Constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it was an interaction between human experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. Piaget called these systems of...

 by putting control in the hands of the student. The program allows the child to interact actively with the computer, applying logic and problem solving skills to create their own 'microworld', often through project-based learning

Project-based learning

Project-based learning, or PBL, is the use of in-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student competence . Students use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge...

.

Constructivists believe that:

1. children are innate, natural learners
2. all people have the desire and ability to learn
3. learning is a social activity
4. development results from interaction between students and a stimulating intellectual environment
5. when cognitive conflicts arise, effective learning may follow
6. teachers can promote development of knowledge
   Knowledge
   Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
   
    through apprenticeship
   Apprenticeship
   Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
   
    and dialogue
   Dialogue
   Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
   
   

Constructionism and the Spirit of Logo

Seymour Papert

Seymour Papert

Seymour Papert is an MIT mathematician, computer scientist, and educator. He is one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence, as well as an inventor of the Logo programming language....

 and Idit Harel have developed Constructionist learning

Constructionist learning

Constructionist learning is inspired by the constructivist theory that individual learners construct mental models to understand the world around them. However, constructionism holds that learning can happen most effectively when people are also active in making tangible objects in the real world...

 theory, based upon the premise that children learn best by making things, not just by doing. Being involved in the creation of that which is new enables the teacher to join students as an authentic co-learner, thereby modelling the strategies of expert learners. Working through problems enhances a child's ability to see transfer in the knowledge they have acquired, and when creating with Logo much of the learning has to do with 'debugging

Debugging

Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware, thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge...

' the programs to see intended results, as well as the understanding of what is relevant and efficient in deciphering and creating the code (Skillen, 2003).

MicroWorlds JR involves the principles of constructionism that engage young learners:

• the creation of that which is new ensures that the teacher is an authentic co-learner along with students
• the role of the teacher changes from the traditional role of transmitting information to one of facilitator or guide
• the construction of a concrete product not only ensures that the child will strive for something that works effectively, but it will also be available for public scrutiny, sharing, discussion and reflection
• while working through authentic projects students are involved in building personally meaningful artifacts that demonstrate their knowledge
• learners are diverse; they make connections with knowledge in many different ways and therefore are given a variety of choices in how to demonstrate their learning (Kafai and Resnick, 1996)
• technology tools can be used to create something of importance (Resnick, 2002)
• learners will be more likely to persevere to solve problems when topics and projects are of personal interest

Logo

Logo is a computer programming language that requires the student to interact with the turtle (object), and give it commands

Command (computing)

In computing, a command is a directive to a computer program acting as an interpreter of some kind, in order to perform a specific task. Most commonly a command is a directive to some kind of command line interface, such as a shell....

to make it move. For example, to draw a square, the turtle would need to put its pen down, step forward 60 paces, turn 90 degrees and then repeat these two commands four times. Students need to think carefully to command the turtle in a logical manner, and then check to see whether they create the desired effect. Alternatively, procedures can be written whereby students group the commands together and have the actions executed all at once. Older students might type this command using logo as:

To square

Repeat 4 [forward 60 right 90]

End


In MicroWorlds JR, the same procedure would be created graphically:

Using the Turtle Shapes and Turtle Commands Centre, students can create geometric shapes and designs by executing the pendown command and commanding the turtle to move step by step, or by writing procedures to create shapes. They can hatch more than one turtle at a time, and by right-clicking on the turtle they open a backback in which they store and edit their commands.
Alternatively, students can also embed procedures within other procedures thus creating subprocedures, all done with graphic representations of computer code. Procedures and commands can be created on click, on colour, on touch and on signal, which allows the student to create animated, interactive stories or simple video games. Narration or verbal directions and sounds, as well as buttons to flip from page to page, can be added to enhance the projects.

The following textual logo commands are represented iconically using MicroWorlds JR and they are shown in the turtle command centre.

• forward
• backward
• turn right and left
• wait
• stop
• pen up
• pen down
• hide turtle
• show turtle
• head north
• set pen colour and size
• go home

The graphics are put together to form commands, for example, the step graphic selects the forward or backward commands which set the direction the turtle will move, and children then choose a number of steps using a sliding grid.

Multimedia Authoring

On the left hand side of the student desktop, tools are provided to help students create multimedia projects and to add graphics and backgrounds to their work. The following table illustrates the functions of the Tool Centres.

MicroWorlds JR Tool Centre	Functions
Paint Tool	Creates graphics using drawing, painting, stamping and filling
Text Centre	Word processing, spell check, text formatting such as size, colour, font, bold, italic and underline
Recording Centre	Choose existing sound effects or students can record their own to add to projects
Melody Centre	Choose from existing melodies or students can use a variety of instruments, note names and note values to create an original piece of music to be added to projects
Shapes Centre	Provides a variety of existing costumes for the turtle New shapes can be created using the drawing tools
Pages Centre	Allows students to create a multi-page presentation that can be shown in presentation or full screen mode

Curriculum Connections

• MicroWorlds JR can be integrated into primary programs in a wide range of projects

1. patterns and geometry
2. multimedia reports and stories
3. interactive pages
4. procedural and descriptive writing
5. mazes and simple video games
6. comparisons and measurement
7. creating and exploring simple simulations and animations
8. transformational geometry
9. creating, then testing and reflecting upon hypotheses
10. problem solving

External links

• video interview with Seymour Papert
• LCSI The MicroWorlds JR product website includes demos, project examples, project information and important links.
• Seymour Papert An excellent collection of the articles and works of Seymour Papert.
• Gary Stager A teacher and teacher educator specializing in laptop education, Logo, and Robotics.
• Math Cats Some good examples of MicroWorlds EX projects.
• MaMaMedia Idit Harel's excellent site for children. The "For Grown-Ups" section has thought provoking articles about 21st- CENTURY LEARNING, including the use of Logo
• StarLogo Models and explores the workings of decentralized systems and emergent phenomena like bird flocks, traffic jams, and market economies
• Lifelong Kindergarten Mitchel Resnick's Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT; provides information about programmable bricks and crickets
• The Logo Foundation A foundation that provides support for Logo users and educators
• MW Forum New and experienced users share questions, ideas and projects about MW