Arduino-Based Device Control Through App Inventor: Curricular Transversality in Upper-Secondary Education At BUAP

Abstract

This qualitative action research study evaluates the academic impact of an interdisciplinary cross-curricular project between the fifth and sixth semesters of the Computer Science program at a technical high school. The project integrates Arduino-based programming with the development of mobile applications using MIT App Inventor for controlling electronic-digital prototypes via wired and wireless communication. The research problem stems from curricular fragmentation, which hinders students' ability to transfer knowledge between semesters and reduces motivation, computational thinking, and the development of a strong digital literacy. The intervention, conducted with 120 students, is based on Jonassen's (1999) Constructivist Learning Environments (CLE) model and Papert's (1980) principles, organized into a five-phase instructional sequence: exploration, design, implementation/assembly, testing/debugging, and presentation. The resulting prototype—a basic system composed of sensors, actuators, Arduino, and MIT App Inventor—organically integrates the content of both semesters, constituting the central pedagogical artifact of the achieved interdisciplinarity. The results show that 95% of the portfolios evaluated with a five-criteria analytical rubric reached adequate or excellent levels, with the collaborative work and semester integration criterion achieving the highest percentage (97%). The 14-item Likert survey registered an overall average of 4.60/5, with the dimensions of interest-interactivity and knowledge integration reaching 4.70/5. The study concludes that interdisciplinary practice generates a positive and quantifiable impact on academic performance, technological motivation, knowledge integration across semesters, and students' vocational orientation toward STEM and ICT fields.