Touch Your Program with Hands: Qualities in Tangible Programming Tools for Novice

Abstract

This paper presents two tangible programming tools, which are designed to make programming concepts more accessible to novice programmers of all ages. Our design approach consists of two tangible environments with different features. The first system programs a virtual butterfly in a maze and the second is dedicated to the programming of a Lego NXT robot. Both approaches are presented and their function is analyzed in short. Moreover, the paper provides information about the advantages and innovations of the design approach. Finally, we compile a list of open questions for future research in the domain of tangible programming interfaces.