On September 16, the “STEM Roundtable” met for the fourth time at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. In the presence of Minister of State Dr. Stefanie Hubig and Vice President Prof. Dr. Regina Stephan, Prof. Anna-Lisa Schönecker presented the “Codekindy” project, which introduces children between the ages of 4 and 8 to the basics of programming and teaches computational thinking through playful workshops.
“Acquiring programming skills means we can help shape our future. Now, even preschoolers and early-school-age children can gain basic skills in this area. Codekindy enables educators and teachers to teach these important foundational skills in a playful way, without screens or the need for reading skills. It makes sense to start between the ages of four and five,” says Anna-Lisa Schönecker, who teaches information design at Mainz University of Applied Sciences and is a member of the Designlabor Gutenberg institute. Teaching the principles of computer-centered thinking is a complex process, because in addition to the programming language and its syntax, fundamental concepts of abstraction, logic, and mathematics must also be taught. By breaking down these cognitive skills through Codekindy’s teaching materials, these abilities can be taught even by non-experts.
In closing, Anna-Lisa Schönecker presented the minister—who showed great interest—with a book containing teaching materials on Codekindy, as well as the research and documentation report she had prepared on the project.
