An Embodied Learning Based Method for Teaching Object-Oriented Programming Concepts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5753/rbie.2026.5628Keywords:
Object-Oriented Programming, Embodied Learning, Embodied Cognition, Programming Education, Sensorimotor ExperienceAbstract
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is fundamental to software development; however, teaching it poses challenges due to the abstract nature of its concepts. This article presents the EPLM (Embodied Programming Learning Method), an innovative method based on Embodied Learning for teaching OOP. The method integrates interactive activities with tangible and technological tools to facilitate the understanding of key OOP concepts such as classes, objects, methods, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. The research involved developing and applying the method with 39 technical school students, divided into an experimental and a control group. The results suggest gains in understanding the concepts, with the experimental group showing superior performance across all concepts evaluated, ranging from 80% to 90% of use, compared to 58–65% in the control group. The results also suggest that the method increased engagement and motivation, with 95% of students recommending its application in other educational contexts. This work contributes to the literature by presenting a practical approach to teaching OOP that integrates embodied experiences into the learning process.
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