Impact of an educational robot-based intervention on second-graders computational thinking skills: experimental evaluation of the Irûmi program in Paraguay

Abstract In this article, we present the impact evaluation of Irûmi , an educational robot-based intervention aimed at developing second-grade students' computational thinking (CT) skills in Paraguay. Our results indicate that the program had an effect of 0.089 standard deviations on the students' CT skills, focusing on abilities such as abstraction, algorithmic thinking, and evaluation. These findings suggest that with age-appropriate instructional design, young children could develop CT skills, and that smart devices and electronic toys can contribute to their development. Beyond its effects on CT skills, Irûmi generated additional benefits for students. In particular, it increased preferences for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related toys and promoted greater gender flexibility regarding who can play with them, particularly among girls, while improvements in attitudes toward technology were observed for both boys and girls. In addition to its impact on students, the intervention also affected teachers who implemented the activities. First, Irûmi increased the likelihood that teachers would use educational technology in the classroom, including devices not explicitly provided by the program. Second, the program contributed to the development of teachers’ CT skills, possibly due to the novelty of the curriculum and methodology in the Paraguayan context. Third, Irûmi may have increased teachers’ motivation to use technology, thereby strengthening their positive attitudes toward its integration into teaching. Our study contributes to the literature by focusing on a middle-income country, using an experimental design with pre- and post-intervention measures and a large sample of students, and analyzing the impact on both students and teachers.