Coding Instruction in the Context of Algorithmic Thinking: Effects on Task Performance of Students With Mild Intellectual Disability

Coding instruction is an important tool for developing 21st-century skills and supporting digital literacy and problem solving. For students with mild intellectual disability, structured instructional approaches may facilitate access to coding-related tasks. Using a single-case design, this study examined the effects of coding instruction delivered through a direct instruction approach on the task-analyzed coding performance of three middle school students with mild intellectual disability. Maintenance and generalization of participants’ coding performance to robotic coding tasks were also evaluated. All participants improved their performance on task-analyzed coding activities following the intervention, reached criterion levels, maintained their performance at 2- and 5-week follow-ups, and generalized these skills to robotic coding tasks. Social validity findings suggested the instructional process was engaging and positively perceived by both students and teachers.