Luis Corral

Instituto Tecnológico de Querétaro, Tecnológico de Monterrey

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Luis Corral is an innovative computer science education researcher whose work centers on computational thinking, programming pedagogy, and the integration of physical computing tools in educational settings. His research explores how emerging technologies can make programming more accessible and engaging for students across diverse educational contexts, particularly those who may feel intimidated by traditional coding approaches. Corral's most notable contributions include pioneering the use of block-based programming environments combined with hardware prototyping to cultivate computational thinking skills. His 2019 study, which has garnered 23 citations, demonstrated how tangible computing experiences can bridge the gap between abstract programming concepts and practical software development competencies. Building on this, his earlier 2017 work on robot programming as a pedagogical tool — with 9 citations — addressed the challenge of motivating students in liberal education environments where programming may feel foreign or inaccessible. His research directly responds to ACM's landmark 2013 recognition of computational thinking as a fundamental graduate competency, positioning Corral as a thoughtful contributor to the ongoing conversation about how institutions can better prepare students for a technology-driven world. His work is particularly valuable for educators designing inclusive, hands-on introductory computing curricula.