UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF THE MIT APPLICATION IN ENHANCING

THE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN THE ICT STRAND

A Research Proposal Presented to the Faculty of Senior High School

Department
Cainta Catholic College

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject Practical Research 1

(Qualitative Research) (ICT)

Yabut , Miguel

Peregrin , Em-Jhay R.

Velbis , Aldred

Ariola , Leopoldo L.

Destajo , Duque JM Deyv

Guituerrez , Christopher
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter presents the introduction, purpose of the study, statement of the

problem, scope and delimitation of the study, significance of the study, theoretical

framework, and definition of terms.

Introduction

Collaborative learning is a significant part of school, due to how it teaches

students what it’s like to work alongside their peers, this also gives them

experience and an idea on how they should act once they reach a point in their

lives where they need to interact with coworkers. With MIT App Inventor, users

can create fully working Android mobile apps by simply dragging and dropping

visual programming elements into an app template. Through App Inventor, users

can design, develop, and utilize individually meaningful mobile technology

solutions for their everyday lives in a plethora of unique settings, ushering in a

new era of personal mobile computing. Because of App Inventor's easy

programming model and progressive development features, developers can

concentrate on the logic of creating an app rather than the coding language's

syntax, promoting digital literacy for everybody (Pokress & Veiga ,2013).The

invention of the MIT App will be beneficial to the ICT students as it help to the

individual’s improvements as it seeks to democratize software development by

empowering users, especially ICT students , to move from technology

consumption to technology creation.

( provide explanation why are you conducting this research) in one

paragraph

Purpose of the study

This study, Understanding the Role of the MIT Application in Enhancing the

Collaborative Learning in the ICT Strand, will try to comprehend how the MIT

software improves and simplifies collaborative learning.

Specifically, it will aim to:

1. Determine how do the students in the ICT strand collaborate and engage with

the MIT application.

2. Identify the role of the MIT application in enhancing collaborative learning

within the ICT strand.

3. Understand what the MIT application provides to enhance collaborative

learning.

Statement of the Problem

This study, Understanding the Role of the MIT Application in Enhancing the

Collaborative Learning in the ICT Strand, will try to comprehend how the MIT

software improves and simplifies collaborative learning.

Specifically, it will answer the following questions:

1. How do the students in the ICT strand collaborate and engage with the MIT

application?
2. What is the role of the MIT application in enhancing collaborative learning

within the ICT strand?

3. How do these roles improve and simplify collaborative learning within the ICT

strand?

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The scope of our study is to understand how the MIT application enhances

collaborative learning of the students in the ICT strand.

This study is delimited only for the ICT students of Cainta Catholic College,

located in Cainta, Rizal. The sole focus of this study is to deduce what role the

MIT application plays when it comes to enhancing collaborative learning within

the ICT strand. The study will not tackle any programming software other than

the MIT application. In addition, this study will not look into any other ways to

improve collaborative learning in ICT classes.

Significance of the Study

This study, Understanding the Role of the MIT Application in Enhancing the

Collaborative Learning in the ICT Strand, will be beneficial to the following:

ICT Students. It will let them reflect on how they and fellow ICT students behave

when using the MIT application while participating in collaborative learning.

ICT Teachers. This study will provide valuable information to those who want to

apply it into their classes and will serve as feedback to those who already have.
MIT Administrators. This study will provide MIT administrators insights on the

experience of their users. They may use this information to further improve their

application.

Future Researchers. Our study will give future researchers a hand in learning

more about this topic as they conduct their own study.

Theoretical framework

Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)

The theoretical model of UTAUT suggests that the actual use of technology is

determined by behavioral intention. The perceived likelihood of adopting the

technology is dependent on the direct effect of four key constructs, namely

performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating

conditions. Performance expectancy is defined as "the degree to which an

individual believes that using the system will help him or her to attain gains in job

performance" Effort expectancy is defined as "the degree of ease associated with

the use of the system" Social Influence is defined as "the degree to which an

individual perceives that important others believe he or she should use the new

system" Facilitating conditions is defined as "the degree to which an individual

believes that an organization’s and technical infrastructure exists to support the

use of the system" (Venkatesh et al., 2003).

Researchers prefer to use the aforementioned theory has been aware that it

deals with the actual use of technology connecting to the sole focus of this study

which is to deduce what role the MIT application plays when it comes to

enhancing collaborative learning within the ICT strand. It leads also to justify the

objectives of the study which is to know the role of the MIT application in

enhancing collaborative learning within the ICT strand.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally by the researchers for better

understanding of this study:

MIT App Inventor/MIT Application. According to Kong and Abelson (2019) the

MIT App Inventor is an online platform designed to teach computational thinking

concepts through developing simple mobile applications. ( provide the definition

of this term in this study)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It is said in this study

Asafe (2014) that Information Technology Communication is the combination of

audio-visual, telephone and computer networks through a link system. . ( provide

the definition of this term in this study)

Collaborative Learning. In this study Yongzhe + (2023) it is said that

collaborative learning is a style of learning that focuses on teamwork, interactive

communication, and learning directed by one’s self. In collaborative learning

students are to work in small groups to achieve common goals. Researchers on

what steps or actions they should make in order to conduct such a study. .

( provide the definition of this term in this study)

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter thematically presents both local and foreign literature and studies

that are related to the current research undertaking. Here are some of the 2023

related studies to MIT app, these are some of the research and studies that

helped prove that MIT app is useful,

Mingyan Claire Tian conducted a BA dissertation titled 'The Design and

Implementation of Stateful Convo Blocks' in the Computer Science department at

Wellesley College in 2023. The study explores the impact of recent education

policies advocating for computer science and artificial intelligence (A.I.)

instruction in K-12 education. It acknowledges the varying outcomes of these

initiatives and emphasizes the importance of motivating students to 'succeed in

the classroom but to advance beyond introductory classes and develop satisfying

professional pathways.'

The computational action framework, proposed by Tissenbaum, Sheldon, and

Abelson in 2018, serves as a guiding principle in empowering young individuals

to create technology projects that address 'real issues in their communities,

rather than "just coding".' In this thesis, the author presents the computational

action process, which encompasses a curriculum and a suite of tools built upon

the original framework.

The research study involved U.S. and international students aged 11 to 18, and

its outcomes are based on pre- and post-intervention surveys conducted using

the Likert scale. The analysis of the data revealed significant findings. Following

the intervention, students demonstrated an increase in 'computation skill and

identity,' as well as a boost in confidence in their ability to 'make a prosocial

impact' and solve 'ambiguous problems on their own.' Notably, students'

responses after the intervention showcased a shift towards 'more impact-driven,

community-oriented thinking.'

These promising results underscore the potential of integrating the computational

action process into computer science and A.I. education programs to motivate

student learners. As the author's thesis has been accepted, it highlights the value

of incorporating this approach to enhance student engagement, skill

development, and social responsibility within the field of computer science and

A.I."

Another research supports the MIT app, H. Nicole Pang, Robert Parks, Cynthia

Breazeal, and Hal Abelson conducted a study titled 'The Effect of Computational

Action on Students' Computational Identity and Self-Efficacy,' which is currently

submitted to EDULEARN23. The study focuses on the implementation of

computer science and artificial intelligence (A.I.) instruction in K-12 education, as

mandated by recent education policies in the U.S. and globally. The researchers

explore the varying outcomes of these initiatives and the importance of

motivating students not only to succeed in the classroom but also to pursue

further education and career pathways in these fields.

To address these goals, the researchers introduce the computational action

framework, originally proposed by Tissenbaum, Sheldon, and Abelson in 2018.

This framework goes beyond simple coding instruction and instead encourages

students to create technology projects that tackle real-world issues in their

communities. The paper presents the computational action process, a curriculum

and toolset based on the original framework.

The researchers conducted a human-subject research study involving students

aged 11 to 18 from the U.S. and international settings. They collected pre- and

post-intervention data using Likert scale surveys to assess various aspects. The

analysis of the surveys revealed noteworthy findings. Following the intervention,

students exhibited an improvement in their computational skills and identity. They

also displayed increased confidence in their ability to have a positive social

impact and in solving ambiguous problems independently. Moreover, the

students' post-intervention responses indicated a shift towards more impact-

driven and community-oriented thinking.

These promising results suggest that incorporating the computational action

process into computer science and A.I. education programs can effectively

motivate student learners. It offers a valuable addition to the existing curriculum,

fostering skill development, identity formation, and a sense of social responsibility

among students. While this study is currently in the preprint stage, it provides

encouraging insights into the potential benefits of implementing computational

action in educational settings."

Xiaoxue Du, Robert Parks, Selim Tezel, Jeff Freilich, H. Nicole Pang, and Hal

Abelson presented a paper titled 'Designing a Computational Action Program to

Tackle Global Challenges' at the SIGCSE 23 proceedings. The paper addresses

the crucial need to cultivate and prepare individuals as AI-enabled problem-

solvers, considering the increasing involvement and influence of artificial

intelligence in personal and professional spheres.

The researchers developed FutureMakers, a six-week program aimed at

introducing foundational knowledge and essential skills to foster innovative

solutions with AI in a responsible manner. To assess the impact of the

FutureMakers program, a convergent mixed-method design was employed,

combining quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative analysis revealed a

significant shift in students' AI literacy, with a large effect size. On the other hand,

the qualitative data, derived from student interviews, demonstrated an increased

awareness of ethical engineering design processes when applying technical

skills to solve real-world problems.

The findings highlight the effectiveness of the computational action approach in

addressing authentic challenges within the Future Makers program. By

incorporating this approach, students not only enhance their technical proficiency

but also develop a broader perspective on the ethical implications of AI. This

research emphasizes the potential of computational action-based educational

programs to empower students in tackling global challenges in a responsible and

innovative manner.
David Y.J. Kim, Ashley Granquist, Evan Patton, Mark Friedman, Hal Abelson

presented a submission titled 'Speak Your Mind: Introducing APTLY, The

Software Platform That Turns Ideas Into Working Apps' at iCERi. The paper

introduces MIT Aptly, a tool that leverages large language models to

automatically generate mobile apps based on written or spoken natural language

descriptions. Similar to Github's Copilot, Aptly utilizes OpenAI's Codex, a

specially tuned version of GPT-3, to enable individuals to create programs

without the need for coding or programming knowledge.

Aptly allows users to communicate their app ideas by speaking or typing

instructions in natural language. For instance, one can instruct Aptly to create an

app with specific components, such as a text box, a list of languages, and a

translation button. Upon receiving the instructions, Aptly generates a complete

functioning app for Android or iPhone that incorporates the specified features. In

the example provided, Aptly autonomously selects six languages, even though it

was not explicitly mentioned in the input text.

Aptly's app generation goes beyond a mere syntactic transformation of the input

text. It leverages a vast repository of code it has been trained on to provide

context for creating the app. The tool's performance relies on the prompts given

to OpenAI's Codex, where prompts consist of example pairs that describe an app

and its corresponding code. Aptly utilizes few-shot prompts, which involve

selecting example pairs that are semantically similar to the desired app

description, to optimize its performance.

The emergence of no-code platforms like Aptly has significant implications for

professional programming careers and computational thinking education in K-12

settings. Traditional curricula often focus on text-based coding using languages

like Python or block-based coding with tools like Scratch or App Inventor.

However, with the advent of tools like Aptly, which facilitate the automatic

transition from ideas to functioning programs, there is a need to reconsider the

foundations of the curriculum. This presentation showcases Aptly's preliminary

performance, its implementation integrating OpenAI Codex, Amazon Alexa, and

MIT App Inventor, and explores the implications of such tools for future

educational approaches.

This paper is currently in the preprint stage and will be presented at iCERi."

Synthesis

In general, there are quite a lot of studies about the MIT app inventor, which was

originally built by Google but is now being maintained by the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology. They go on the explain what the application does, how

it’s revolutionary to potential has despite it is still being in the beta testing phase,

and how it gives people from around the world the chance to learn how to

program, regardless of what age they are or whether they’re completely new to

the subject of novices trying to improve at it. Despite the vast number of studies

regarding the MIT App inventory, there are none that talk about its relationship or

what it can provide for collaborative learning. Collaborative learning is a style of

learning in which students gather themselves into small groups in order to

achieve common goals. Due to the lack of studies regarding the relationship

between the two variables, the researchers in this study feel the need to conduct

one about it.

 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design, research locale, participants of the

study, research instrument, data gathering procedure, and data analysis

procedure to be used in the present study.

Research Design

This study will utilize the qualitative approach in research. More precisely, for this

study, the researchers decided to choose phenomenology as research design.

The philosophical discipline of phenomenology aims to understand the basic

principles of people's subjective realities and experiences. The researcher’s goal

with this design is to provide insight into the underlying meanings and structures

that underpin participants' behaviors, beliefs, and interpretations in the particular

context of this study. ( provide source of your definition )The researchers will

conduct in-depth interviews with selected individuals who have firsthand

knowledge or skills related to the research topic in order to investigate these

qualities. Open-ended questions will guide these interviews, allowing participants

the chance to bring up their lived realities while taking part in profound thought on

their experiences. By adopting that approach, the researchers hope to document

the detailed aspects of participants' thoughts, motivations, and perceptions,

shedding light on the fundamental elements that shape their perspectives.

Participants of the Study

In this study, the researchers will conduct an interview to the Grade 11 ICT

students of Cainta Catholic College. The researchers choose the Gr 11 as

participants because the chosen participant is in the visible area of the campus.

The students would be the Grade 11 of the ICT strand that utilize the MIT App

Inventor.

Research Instrument

The researchers will use the following instruments in gathering the needed data

for this research endeavor:

Interview protocol

In this study, the researcher will use interview protocol as an instrument because

this will improve the availability and usage of the MIT app inventor to the users.

The researchers will use semi-structured interview questionnaire for the

participants to provide additional information since it will allow the researchers to

ask follow up questions. The questionnaires will be aligned with the research

particularly for the improvement of the MIT App Inventor. The follow up questions

will be the guidelines on how the research will be obtained particularly in the

research goal.

Data Gathering Procedure

In this study, in order for the researchers to gather the data, the researchers will

conduct a survey questionary. The researchers will gather the answers of the

grade 11 ICT Students based on what will be the approach to students for the

usage of the MIT App Inventor.

First, the researchers will prepare survey forms for the grade 11 Students from

the ICT strand. Second, the prepared questionaries will be brought by the

researchers to the ICT Strand for surveying. Third, the data gathered from the

ICT Students will be tallied by the researchers and finally, the researchers will

analyze the gathered information whether the data is useful to this study.

Data Analysis Procedure

In this study, the data analysis of the researcher will prepare and organize the

data. The data will be reviewed and explored to attain the correct numbers of the

answers from the survey questionaries. The researchers will create the lists of

the data gathered that will answer the research goal.