Ioanna Bellou

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About

Ioanna Bellou is a leading researcher in educational technology, with a primary focus on constructivist and constructionist approaches to learning. Her work centers on how digital tools, particularly educational robotics and block-based programming environments, can serve as powerful "mindtools" for young learners. Her most influential paper, "Educational Robotics as Mindtools" (2013), with 62 citations, establishes a foundational framework for using robotics not merely as a subject of study, but as a cognitive tool that enables students to construct knowledge through hands-on, project-based activities. This work critically examines the limitations of existing robotics education and repositions it within a robust theoretical model. More recently, Bellou has advanced the practical application of these ideas with "CodeOrama: A Two-Dimensional Visualization Tool for Scratch Code" (2021). This innovative tool addresses a key challenge in teaching computer programming: helping young learners understand complex code structures. By translating linear block-based code into a two-dimensional table, CodeOrama makes abstract programming concepts more concrete and navigable, directly supporting students in debugging and comprehension. Bellou’s contributions bridge theory and practice, providing both a conceptual foundation and tangible tools that empower educators to foster deeper computational thinking in the classroom.