Candice McKinnon
Papers
1
Total Citations
37
H-Index
1
About
Candice McKinnon is an emerging leader in early childhood education and human-robot interaction, whose work bridges developmental psychology and computational thinking. Her research centers on how young children, particularly preschoolers, can build foundational spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills through guided play with programmable robots. McKinnon’s most-cited paper, “An exploration of robot programming as a foundation for spatial reasoning and computational thinking in preschoolers’ guided play” (2023), has already garnered 37 citations, reflecting its timely impact on both educational practice and technology design. In this work, she demonstrates that even very young learners can develop early computational concepts—such as sequencing, debugging, and directional language—when robot play is carefully scaffolded by adults. Her contributions are notable for integrating hands-on robotics into developmentally appropriate curricula, offering a concrete pathway to nurture STEM readiness from the start. McKinnon’s research is helping to shape how educators and technologists think about the cognitive benefits of tangible programming, making her a key voice in the growing field of early childhood computing education.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1