Ej 1290797
Ej 1290797
Gülhanım DENİZ
Department of Computer and Teaching Technology Education, Gazi Faculty of Education, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
[email protected]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0932-6133
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the effect of Tinkercad use in computer programming education on
students ' computational thinking skills and perceptions. In this context, 583 secondary school students studying
in Ankara province of Turkey at the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade level in the 2019-2020 academic year
constitute the sample of the research. The research was carried out using an enriched pattern, one of the mixed
research methods in which quantitative and qualitative research designs were used together. Research data were
collected using Personal Information Form, Student Perception Questionnaire about Tinkercad Software and
Information Processing Thinking Scale (For Secondary School Level). The data obtained were analyzed using
the SPSS 25 program. Using the results of normality analysis, Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H test
were used among non-parametric tests. In addition, Tamhane's T2 and LSD tests from Post Hoc analyzes and
Spearman correlation test from correlation tests were used. When looking at students' perceptions of Tinkercad,
it was determined that they were highly motivated for interest and appreciation and found Tinkercad to be
generally useful and easy to use according to research findings. It was determined that the students ' perception
of computational thinking was moderate. It was found that there was a positive low-level relationship between
the frequency of Tinkercad use of students and their perception of Tinkercad, while there was a positive
moderate-level relationship between their perception of Tinkercad and their computational thinking skills. In
addition, it has been determined that the frequency of students ' use of Tinkercad is affected by internal and
external reasons, so recommendations for parents and programmers are included.
Keywords: 3D Design, Computational Thinking, Programming, Tinkercad
INTRODUCTION
The perspective of technology has changed with the expansion of the opportunities offered to us by
technological developments. Steps are being taken towards the transformation of the new generation from being
individuals who only use technology, to becoming individuals who produce with technology. This process has
accelerated with the introduction of 3-D printing technologies into our lives. Instead of being a user of many
objects that we use in everyday life, research is being conducted on the way to becoming the manufacturer of
these objects.
Designing new objects emerges as a new necessity, considering the ever-changing human needs. The fact that
individuals cannot find the products that are suitable for the features they enliven in their imaginations in
industrial products made in uniform form and the high costs of specially made or built objects show us the need
for 3D Design and Printing technologies. But the fact that some 3D design and printing devices are quite
expensive prevents them from being bought or used by all segments of society. In this case, online tools are
applied using the facilities provided by technology. Programs such as Tinkercad, 3Dtin, ShapeSmith, Cubify,
and Autodesk 123D design are examples of the online tools used (Canessa, Fonda & Zennaro, 2013).
Tinkercad allows students to gain 3D design skills through ready-made projects or through students ' own
designs. The fact that the program is a web-based program, meaning that it does not require installation, is seen
as a great way to teach 3D design to students (Avila & Bailey, 2016). Instead of purchasing the objects they need
in daily life problems, the students can design and produce them in 3D using Tinkercad.
Computers, which affect us in all aspects of our lives in the 21st Century, present the concept of “computational
thinking” as an important skill in searching for solutions to problems. According to Wing (2006), computational
thinking is a skill that everyone should learn and this skill is defined and explained by many researchers (Aho,
2012; Barr & Stephenson, 2011; Bundy, 2007; Csizmadia et al., 2015; Czerkawski, 2013; Dede, Mishra &
Voogt, 2013; Denning, 2009, 2017; Hemmendinger, 2010; Hu, 2011; Kafai, 2016; Lee et al., 2011; Leon,
Gonzalez, Harteveld & Robles, 2017; Lu & Fletcher, 2009; Selby & Woollard, 2014; Wing, 2014; Yadav et al.,
2014; Tedre & Denning, 2016).
Computational thinking skill being a skill associated with other thinking skills such as mathematics, engineering,
design, system, criticism, algorithm, creativity, spatial reasoning and mental rotation has been effective in
making studies to integrate it into the educational environment in a wide curriculum from pre-school to graduate
school (Citta et al., 2019; Giannakopoulos, 2012; Hershkovitz et al., 2019; Selby & Woollard, 2014; Shute et al.,
2017; Shute, Masduki & Donmez, 2010; Sneider et al., 2014; Razzouk & Shute, 2012; Voskoglou & Buckley,
2012) . For this reason, researchers have chosen to use various media and tools to improve students'
computational thinking skills (Basawapatna et al., 2011; Bers et al., 2014; Brennan & Resnick, 2012; Chen et al.,
2017; Howland & Good , 2015; Isnaini & Budiyanto, 2018; Israel et al., 2015; Kazimoglu et al., 2012; Morelli et
al., 2011; Repenning, Webb & Ioannidou, 2010; Repenning, Basawapatna & Escherle, 2016; Roscoe & Fearn,
2014; Shute et al., 2017).
While Tinkercad allows students to make three-dimensional designs with its 3D Design menu, it also enables
designs to be created with codes with the Circuit and Code Blocks menus. This leads to the idea that Tinkercad is
a good tool that can affect all the sub-dimensions of computational thinking (creativity, algorithmic thinking,
collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving). For example, it is thought that students' individual making
3D designs has an effect on the development of their creativity skills. It is thought that students' designing by
forming groups has an effect on their development of collaboration and critical thinking skills, and that students'
doing this process using code has an effect on their development of algorithmic thinking and problem solving
skills. Lim and Kim (2019) determined that Tinkercad has a positive effect on the development of students'
computational thinking ability.
It is known that programming is frequently used in teaching computational thinking (Shute et al., 2017).
Repenning, Basawapatna, and Escherle (2016) stated that any programming tool can be used in the development
of computational thinking. Various visual programming tools (Scratch, Alice, Code.org et al.) are used to
facilitate the teaching of this skill (Bennett, Koh & Repenning, 2011; Brennan & Resnick, 2012; Israel et al.,
2019).
In this context, the effective and efficient use of Tinkercad, which is used in design education in order to ensure
that students in our country are with individuals who produce with technology, will be through determining
students' perceptions of Tinkercad. In addition, determining the impact of Tinkercad on the development of
students ' computational thinking skills is important for whether the program is used for educational purposes.
METHOD
This research was carried out using a pattern enriched from mixed research designs, in which quantitative and
qualitative data collection methods were used together in terms of the process followed and its subject. In the
quantitative dimension of the research pattern, descriptive scanning method was used from non-experimental
research methods. In this way, students ' perceptions and computational thinking skills related to Tinkercad
software were tried to be determined. In the qualitative dimension of the research, the case study method was
used.
Of the total 583 students in Table 1, 298 students (51.1%) were male and 285 students (48.8%) were female. The
reason for the small number of fifth and eighth grade students participating in the study is as follows: Eighth-
grade students are not taught Tinkercad in public schools affiliated with the Ministry of education, these students
received three weeks of training in a special course Center. Fifth grade students received 1 hour of training per
week during a four-week special course by a private school affiliated to the Ministry of Education. Sixth and
seventh grade students are given Tinkercad education within the scope of the “Production with Informatics”
Project in public schools affiliated to the Ministry of Education. This training was carried out within the scope of
Information Technology and Software course.
The Personal Information Form consists of two option questions prepared to learn the gender and level of
education of students. This form has been prepared for pre-determined research purposes.
The computational thinking scale (for secondary school level) is a scale used to measure students ' computational
thinking skills and the scale developed by Korkmaz et al. (2015) was used. The scale is a five-point Likert type
scale and consists of 22 items that can be grouped under five factors. The item discrimination powers of the scale
were found to be between 3,818 and 23,287. Accordingly, it can be said that each item and each factor contained
in the scale serve at a meaningful level the purpose of measuring the property that needs to be measured in
general, and each item is distinctive at the desired level . Furthermore, the Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient
of the scale was determined to be 0.809.
The Student Perception Questionnaire about "Tinkercad" Software was used to measure students' perception of
programming with Tinkercad. This scale was adapted by Akçay (2009) from the scale developed by Turşak
(2007) for the Small Basic programming tool, and its reliability coefficient was determined as 0.946. In addition,
the scale was developed by referring to seven expert opinions for language and field assessment. The scale was
adapted for Tinkercad within the scope of the research, and it was made appropriate by taking the expert opinion
of an academic member. The scale includes quantitative and qualitative research questions and consists of a total
of 40 items under 5 factors. The scale has 9 items aimed at measuring students ' technological competence and 4
items aimed at learning about their past experience in online and web-based learning environments. There are 27
items about Tinkercad software aimed at students ' perception of motivation, usefulness and ease of use.
Data Collection
While collecting the research data, the students in Keçiören Private Youth Center were firstly applied the Pre-
determined “Tinkercad” Software Student Perception Questionnaire and then Computational Thinking Scale (for
Secondary School Level). These questionnaires were applied to students in a private school in Yenimahalle
district of Ankara, a public school in Keçiören district, an imam hatip secondary school in Mamak district and a
public school in Altındağ district, respectively.
Data Analysis
The data obtained at the end of the study were analyzed using the SPSS 25 program in line with the
predetermined study objectives. As part of the sub-objectives of the research, descriptive analysis was carried out
primarily for quantitative data. Later, a normality analysis was performed to determine whether the tests were
parametric. The results were analyzed by considering the kurtosis-skewness and variance coefficient, histogram
graph, Detrended normality graph and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test from normality tests. In this context, non-
parametric tests Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H test were used. By checking the homogeneous
distributions of groups, Tamhane's T2 test and LSD test were applied from post Hoc analysis methods to
determine which group differed in favor. Spearman correlation test was used in correlation scales since the tests
did not comply with the normal distribution. The qualitative data collected by using the Student Perception
Questionnaire on the "Tinkercad" Software was analyzed using the content analysis method, one of the
qualitative data analysis methods.
FINDINGS
This section includes findings on students' technology usage competencies, past experiences in online and web-
based learning environments, motivation for using Tinkercad, perceived usefulness, ease of use, and
computational thinking skills.
Neither agree
nor diasgree
Disagree
Strongly
Strongly
disagree
Agree
Motivation
agree
% % % % % X̄ S
Interest /
4.3 13.7 27.3 35.5 19.2 3.82 1.00
Enjoyment
Perceived
7.7 9.4 22.5 35.0 24.9 3.60 1.18
Competence
Willingness 3.1 17.3 33.5 34.3 11.8 3.65 0.92
Participation 6.7 14.7 33.3 33.1 12.2 3.49 1.02
Average 5.45 13.7 29.1 34.4 17.0 3.68 0.83
When Table 2 is examined, it is seen that the items of interest and enjoyment in the motivation theme in the
questionnaire have the highest average (X̄ = 3.82). This can be interpreted as a sub-theme in which Tinkercad
has the most influence. Participation-oriented substances were identified as substances that affect motivation at
the lowest rate (X=3.49). This can be interpreted as a sub-theme in which Tinkercad has the most influence.
Participation-oriented items were identified as items that affect motivation at the lowest rate (X=3.49).
Strongly
disagree
Usefulness
Agree
% % % % agree
% X̄ S
Working More Effectively and
1.4 9.4 31.6 39.9 17.7 3.82 0.87
Quickly
Job Performance 2.2 10.0 32.1 37.8 17.5 3.79 0.91
Increasing Productivity 7.5 9.8 25.9 32.4 24.0 3.55 1.17
Effectiveness 6.7 8.9 21.3 36.0 25.7 3.66 1.15
Makes Job Easier 6.0 10.3 19.7 32.2 31.4 3.72 1.18
Useful 6.9 13.2 29.9 34.9 15.1 3.56 1.05
Average 5.1 10.2 26.7 35.5 21.9 3.69 0.78
When Table 3 is examined, it is seen that the average score of the items related to the students' perception of
usefulness of Tinkercad is X̄ = 3.69. Students 'perceptions of” working more effectively and quickly“,” job
performance “and” makes job easier" seem to be above average. "Effectiveness", "Useful" and "Increasing
Productivity" perceptions, on the other hand, show that although they are below the average, they are highly
positive (X̄ = 3.66, X̄ = 3.56 and X̄ = 3.55). In this case, it was determined that students generally found
Tinkercad useful.
Strongly
disagree
Ease of Use
Agree
agree
% % % % % X̄ S
Easy to Learn 4.1 12.9 28.6 34.2 20.2 3.71 1.01
Easy to Use 7.7 10.8 14.1 34.6 32.8 3.73 1.23
Easy to Become Skillful 5.8 15.1 29.2 28.8 20.9 3.43 1.14
Clear and Understandable 3.4 22.0 42.0 18.5 4.1 3.34 0.76
Average 5.2 15.2 28.4 29.0 19.5 3.44 0.70
When Table 4 is examined, it is seen that the average of students' perception of the ease of use of Tinkercad is X̄
= 3.44. It is seen that students' perception of "Easy to Learn" (X̄ = 3.71) and "Easy to Use" (X̄ = 3.73) towards
Tinkercad software is above the average of ease of use (X̄ = 3.44). However, students' perception of "Easy to
Become Skillful" (X̄ = 3.43) and "Clear and Understandable" (X̄ = 3.34) were found to be positive, although
they are below the general ease of use perception. In this case, Tinkercad software is easy to learn and use.
Findings Regarding Students' Perceptions of Motivation, Usefulness and Ease of Use According to Their
Gender
The Mann Whitney U Test, one of the non-parametric tests, was used to determine whether there is a significant
difference according to gender for the subthemes of motivation, usefulness, and ease of use of the Student
Perception Questionnaire about Tinkercad Software.
Average Sum of
Gender N U z P
Rank Rank
When looking at Table 5, there were no significant differences in students ' perceptions of motivation, usefulness
and ease of use for Tinkercad use according to the gender (boys and girls) group (p>.05).
Findings Regarding Students' Perceptions of Motivation, Usefulness and Ease of Use by Class Levels
Kruskal Wallis H test was applied to determine whether the students' perceptions of Tinkercad motivation,
usefulness and ease of use differ significantly according to their grade levels.
As seen in Table 6 (p <0.05), there is a significant difference between students' motivation and usefulness
perceptions according to their grade levels. Tamhane's T2 analysis from Post Hoc analysis methods was used to
determine which group this difference was in. In addition, when looking at Table 6, it was found that the ease of
use of Tinkercad did not differ significantly according to the students ' class level (p>0.05).
Average Standard
(I) Grade (J) Grade difference (I-J) Error P
5 6 ,53257* ,15229 ,014
7 ,66290* ,15265 ,002
When Table 7 is examined, it has been determined that the 5th grade level significantly differs according to the
motivation perceptions of the 6th and 7th grades (p <0.05). Accordingly, Tinkercad software significantly affects
5th grade students' motivations.
Average Standard
(I) grade (J) grade difference (I-J) Error P
5 6 ,46717 ,16103 ,054
7 ,57888* ,16169 ,012
8 ,09150 ,19808 ,998
6 5 -,46717 ,16103 ,054
7 ,11171 ,06680 ,451
8 -,37566 ,13250 ,111
7 5 -,57888* ,16169 ,012
6 -,11171 ,06680 ,451
8 -,48737* ,13330 ,030
8 5 -,09150 ,19808 ,998
6 ,37566 ,13250 ,111
7 ,48737* ,13330 ,030
When Table 8 is examined, it is determined that Tinkercad usefulness perceptions differ significantly in the fifth
grade level according to the sixth grade and the seventh grade and that they differ significantly in the 7th grade
level according to the 8th grade (p<0,05).
When Figure 9 is examined, it was determined that 66% of the students used the Tinkercad "1-3 times a week"
during the computer lesson or during the course training, and 41% of the students used the Tinkercad "1-3 times
a week" outside the computer lesson or course training. About 40% (N=257) of the students who participated in
the study responded to the cause of Tinkercad use frequency. When the answers given are examined, during
training:
Students who never used Tinkercad stated that they did not prefer to use Tinkercad in the education
process because it was "unremarkable, uninterested, boring, incomprehensible, very difficult to learn,
he/she was dealing with other lessons, he/she was listening only to the lecturer and preferring to learn
from the book".
Students who used Tinkercad 1-3 times a week stated that they prefer to “design and circuit, which they
are interested in.”
It has been stated that students who used Tinkercad 3-5 times a week were interested in the program and
that they used Tinkercad because it is fun, as well as effective in their homework or tasks given to the
student.
Students who use Tinkercad every day stated that they are interested in the program, the program is fun,
they are curious about the program, and the program improves their imagination. One student stated
that he used Tinkercad for 3D printing.
Two of the students who used Tinkercad more than once a day stated that they used it to be more
successful, as well as for the reasons mentioned above.
When the answers given beyond the training process are examined:
Students who have never used Tinkercad have stated that their reasons were “due to the fact that they do
not have a computer and do not find Tinkercad fun.” Instead of dealing with Tinkercad, other students
chose to play “games” on the computer, deal with “other lessons” and do their “homework”, use “other
applications” or not use them because they “don't need them”. Four of the students stated that they did
not use Tinkercad because it was “difficult” to learn.
Students who used Tinkercad 1-3 times a week stated that they preferred Tinkercad because they “liked it
very much”, “wondered about it”, “found it fun”, and “liked it”. Some students use Tinkercad to
“improve themselves”, "repeat what they do in class” and “do their homework”. Some noted that they
only use it for reasons that “they don't have a computer,” “they can't log in from the phone,” “a parental
ban,” and “they don't need it.”
Students who used Tinkercad 3-5 times a week stated that they used the program because they “liked it
very much” and because it was “fun.” Again, some of them stated that they used Tinkercad to do their
homework.
The students who use Tinkercad "Everyday" and "More than once a day" beyond their education period
stated that they used Tinkercad as "very entertaining", "enjoyable", "nice program" and "easy".
Findings Regarding the Relationship Between Students' Tinkercad Usage Frequency and Tinkercad
Perceptions
In this context, Spearman test was used to determine the relationship between Tinkercad usage frequency and
Tinkercad perception of students.
Table 9: Findings Regarding the Relationship Between Tinkercad Usage Frequency and Tinkercad Perceptions
(TYHÖA-A)
Correlations
TYHÖA-A
Average Usage Frequency Avg.
Spearman's rho TYHÖA-A Correlation Coefficient 1,000 ,241**
Average Sig. (2-tailed) . ,000
N 583 583
Usage Frequency Correlation Coefficient ,241** 1,000
Sig. (2-tailed) ,000 .
N 583 583
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Accordingly, when Table 9 is examined, it is seen that there is a relationship (r=, 241) between the frequency of
Tinkercad use of students and their perception of Tinkercad software. This relationship is positive. However ,it
is stated that if this value is greater than 0.70, it shows a high level of relationship and if it is less than 30, it
shows a low level of relationship. Therefore, it was determined that there was a positive low correlation between
the frequency of Tinkercad use of students and their perception of Tinkercad.
When Table 10 is examined, the students' computational thinking skill average is X̄ = 3.56. It was determined
that the students have intermediate level computational thinking skills. When the averages of the other themes of
the scale are examined, it is seen that the highest average score is related to "creativity (X̄ = 3.82)" and
"collaboration (X̄ = 3.74)" skills. At the lowest skill level, there are "problem solving (X̄ = 3.37)" and
"algorithmic thinking (X̄ = 3.44)" skills.
Findings for Comparing Computational Thinking Skills of Students According to Their Gender
Mann Whitney U test was applied to determine whether there is a significant difference between the
computational thinking perceptions of the students according to their gender.
* p<.05
When Table 11 is examined, it is seen that there is no significant difference (p> 0.05) between the computational
thinking skills of the students participating in the study.
Findings for Comparing Computational Thinking Skills of Students According to their Grade Levels
Kruskal Wallis H test was conducted to determine whether there is a significant difference between the
computational thinking skills of the students according to their grade levels.
Table 12: Computational Thinking Kruskal Wallis Test Results by Grade Levels
Grade N Average Kruskal Wallis-H P
Rank
5 17 367,76 8,050 ,045
6 272 296,72
7 286 280,14
8 8 394,69
When Table 12 is examined, it is found that there is a significant difference (p <0.05) in computational thinking
skills according to the grade levels of the students. LSD analysis from Post Hoc analysis was conducted to
determine which group favored this difference.
Average
(I) Grade (J) Grade Difference (I-J) Std. Error P
5 6 ,27266 ,16495 ,099
7 ,34033* ,16472 ,039
8 -,08316 ,28289 ,769
6 5 -,27266 ,16495 ,099
7 ,06766 ,05588 ,226
8 -,35582 ,23668 ,133
7 5 -,34033* ,16472 ,039
6 -,06766 ,05588 ,226
8 -,42349 ,23652 ,074
8 5 ,08316 ,28289 ,769
6 ,35582 ,23668 ,133
7 ,42349 ,23652 ,074
In Table 13, it was determined that the computational thinking skills of fifth grades differ significantly compared
to seventh grades.
Findings On The Relationship Between Students ' Perceptions Of Tinkercad Use And Their
Computational Thinking Skills
Spearman correlation test was conducted to determine the relationship between Tinkercad usage perceptions of
students and their computational thinking skills.
Table 14: Findings Regarding the Relationship Between TYHÖA-A and Computational Thinking Skills
Correlations
TYHÖA-A Average Frequency
Average of Use
Spearman's rho TYHÖA-A Correlation Coefficient 1,000 ,405**
Average Sig. (2-tailed) . ,000
N 583 583
Computational Correlation Coefficient ,405** 1,000
Thinking TestSig. (2-tailed) ,000 .
Average N 583 583
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
When Table 14 is examined, it is seen that there is a relationship (r =, 405) between students' general perception
of Tinkercad software and their perceptions of computational thinking skills. Therefore, it can be said that there
is a medium-level positive relationship between students' perceptions of Tinkercad software and their
computational thinking skills.
It seems that there is a moderate positive directional relationship (r=,405) between students ' perceptions of
Tinkercad software and their computational thinking skills. It was determined that students have intermediate
level (X̄ = 3.56) computational thinking skills. Looking at the averages of the other themes of the scale, it is seen
that the highest average score is related to "creativity (X̄ = 3.82)" and "collaboration (X̄ = 3.74)" skills. "Problem
solving (X̄ = 3.37)" and "algorithmic thinking (X̄ = 3.44)" skills constitute the lowest skill level.
Creativity is closely related to computer science and plays a central role in developing motivation and interest in
this field (Hershkovitz et al., 2019). Teachers' freeing students while designing can be interpreted as influencing
the development of creativity skills of students who are interested in 3D design. Miller et al. (2013) found that
adding creative thinking activities to a computer science course increased the learning of computer-related
knowledge and skills. Moreover, it is thought that the activities carried out by forming groups within the scope
of the project studies are also effective in the development of the collaboration skills of the students. However,
the reason for the low problem solving and algorithmic thinking skills of the students can be given as an example
of the students not doing enough design work with codes by using the circuit and code blocks menus. According
to Selby and Woollard (2014), the concept of algorithms is key to computational thinking. Erdem (2018) and
Sırakaya (2019) determined that programming education is effective in the development of students' problem
solving and algorithmic thinking skills. The fact that students did not do design work using Tinkercad's menus of
circuits and code blocks can be interpreted as causing students to have low skills in the lower dimensions of
computational thinking and algorithmic thinking.
Taşçı, Avcı, Yücel and Yalçınalp (2015) concluded that Tinkercad may be preferred due to its features such as
ease of use, easy accessibility and free of charge in order to facilitate students ' learning in courses with abstract
concepts such as mathematics, physics. In addition, it contributes to the development of students ' ability to
create a whole relationship with parts and design (Çetin, Berikan and Yüksel (2019). It has been determined that
this program affects spatial visualization and mental rotation skills, where students can see the shape in detail by
looking at a shape from different angles, think in 3 dimensions, and translate the new shape in the mind, which
will be formed by combining multiple shapes (Dere, 2017). However, a study emphasized that students use
Tinkercad for communication and entertainment purposes and do not realize its production potential, so activities
that allow students to produce should be prepared (Özdemir, Çetin, Çelik, Berikan and Yüksel, 2017).
When the international literature is examined, it is seen that Tinkercad has different uses in different areas.
Cherry (2016) taught students how to design three-dimensional characters through Tinkercad to be used in short
film animation. Kuo, Laiy, and Kao (2018), on the other hand, enabled students to create their own desserts by
printing out the dessert designs they designed in Tinkercad using 3D Food printers. Madar, Goldberg and Lam
(2018) aimed to combine the connection between computer science, Virtual Reality (VR) and 3D printing with
C3d.io, a special tool they developed. This tool enables students to see the designs they make in Tinkercad (such
as home design) as a prototype by transferring them to the virtual reality environment, and allows them to share
the latest developed version with their peers via the web environment. Ng (2017) used the effect of 3D CAD and
3D printing to make it easier for students to learn solid volume in mathematics class. Díaz, Hernández, Ortiz,
and Lugo (2019) introduced Tinkercad's Codebloks to students studying in different undergraduate programs in a
summer course. In the study, they stated that the students who previously thought that the codeblocks were
difficult liked the tool very much after using the tool. However, the fact that the tool is new and has a limited
scope of application (3D modeling only) causes insufficient information on its use. In their study, M. Vera, Vera,
Vásquez, and Panez (2018) used TinkerCad to simulate the connection of a bell, proximity or other components
such as bluetooth, led and other Arduino board and resistor to introduce how to manipulate and program
electronic components. The results obtained in the study conducted by Silva, Malebran and Pereira (2019) using
Scratch and Tinkercad to improve the programming and Arduino-based computational-electronics competencies
of a group of primary school children in Valparaiso-Chile showed that these tools can effectively improve
children's programming and computational-electronic theoretical and practical skills.
As a result, it has been found that using Tinkercad in 3D design education increases students ' motivation for the
lesson, and Tinkercad is perceived as an easy and convenient program to use. In addition, Tinkercad has a
significant impact on the development of students ' computational thinking skills.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In this study, recommendations for parents and programmers were included. Recommendations for parents stated
that some of the students were unable to use Tinkercad at home (outside of school or course) due to parents '
restrictions on internet or computer use.
For this reason, parents should do so in a way that does not interfere with their education and development while
restricting their children's use of the internet or computers. They should support their education by taking the
necessary measures to ensure that their children use the internet safely.
Suggestions for software developers: The fact that the program is not used offline makes it necessary for students
who do not have a computer or have internet problems to study only within the scope of Information
Technologies and Software course. Considering the duration of the Information Technologies and Software
course and the problems of the classroom environment, this situation prevents students from receiving an
efficient education. Therefore, the program needs to be developed so that it can work offline or on other
platforms (smartphones).
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