Open peer commentary on the article “Early Programming Education Based on Concept Building” by Jiří Vaníček. Abstract: Vaníček proposes a developed curriculum of basic programming informed by sound constructivist-based principles. Two questions for reflection are brought forth, one concerning the expected constructivist approach to teaching and one about the development of pupils’ computational perspectives.

Abstract: In this response we emphasize the core elements of the MICA course, and how its focus is on providing programming experiences for “doing” mathematics. This implies an epistemological shift from traditional mathematics instruction at university.

Context: There seem to be relatively few sustained implementations of microworlds in mathematics instruction. Problem: We explore the roles of and demands on university instructors to create an environment that supports students’ constructionist learning experiences as they design, program, and use interactive environments (i.e., microworlds) for doing mathematics. Method: We draw on the experiences of instructors in programming-based courses implemented since 2001 at Brock University, Canada, as a case study, and use Ruthven’s model on the professional adaptation of classroom practice with technology to guide our analysis of these experiences. Results: We describe how, in adapting to a design of empowering students to engage in programming for authentic mathematical explorations, instructors adopt characteristics of constructionist teaching that, nevertheless, demand expertise, a shift in traditional roles, and time from instructors. Implications: The results contribute to our understanding of roles of and demands on “ordinary” instructors in classrooms, who aim to create rich environments for supporting students’ constructionist learning experiences of computational thinking for mathematics. Constructivist content: The teaching approach aligns with Papert’s constructionism: a constructivist learning theory, but also a pedagogical paradigm. However, the approach presented has two salient characteristics: it is a university-level constructionist implementation, and it is a sustained long-term authentic classroom implementation. The focus is on the roles of and demands on instructors in that kind of implementation. Through the analysis using Ruthven’s work, we enrich our understanding of constructionist teaching features.

Key words: Computational thinking, constructionism, mathematics, programming, microworlds, university, teachers.