Coder and Coder Cards: A Novel Tangible Programming Approach for Young Programmers

This paper introduces the VEX 123 Coder and Coder cards, a novel approach for supporting novices programming a small robotic device. The VEX 123 Coder is a plastic device, similar in size and shape to a smartphone, that connects to the VEX 123 Robot via Bluetooth, and allows young users to define robot instructions by sliding predefined Coder cards into slots on the Coder. This approach blends features of tangible programming with key conceptual underpinnings and interaction patterns used in block-based programming and beyond. In this paper, we present key design and technical features of the Coder and Coder cards, and the results of elementary classroom testing sessions showing how the Coder and Coder cards can support youth in authoring programs. This work contributes a new programming approach to the literature on how to introduce youth to the practice of programming.