Demystifying computational thinking

Valerie J. Shute; Chen Sun; Jodi Asbell-Clarke

Educational Research Review Vol. 22, No. 1 (November 2017) pp. 142–158

This paper examines the growing field of computational thinking (CT) in education. A review of the relevant literature shows a diversity in definitions, interventions, assessments, and models. After synthesizing various approaches used to develop...

Language: English

Computational Thinking, Redefined

Osman Yasar

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2018 (Mar 26, 2018) pp. 72–80

The term computational thinking (CT) was popularized a decade ago as an “attitude and skillset” for everyone. However, since it is equated with thinking by experts in solving problems, more than a decade of discourse to capture its cognitive essence ...

Topics: Science Education, Computational Thinking, Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

Computational Thinking in Education

Miroslava Černochová; Diane van der Linde; Allard Strijker; Erik Bolhuis; Wim Trooster; Kevin Oliver; Jennifer Houchins; Joke Voogt

EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2019 (Jun 24, 2019) pp. 449–452

Computational Thinking has been given an important place in education. Embedding computational thinking in curricula or attainment levels requires attention for this subject in teacher training programmes, as well as in the design of teaching...

Topics: Education reform with technology

Computational Thinking Patterns

Andri Ioannidou; Vicki Bennett; Alexander Repenning; Kyu Han Koh; Ashok Basawapatna

Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association 2011 (Oct 05, 2011)

The iDREAMS project aims to reinvent Computer Science education in K-12 schools, by using game design and computational science for motivating and educating students through an approach we call Scalable Game Design, starting at the middle school...

Computational What? Relating Computational Thinking to Teaching

Ugur Kale; Mete Akcaoglu; Theresa Cullen; Debbie Goh; Leah Devine; Nathan Calvert; Kara Grise

TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning Vol. 62, No. 6 (2018) pp. 574–584

Computational thinking is one of the skills critical for successfully solving problems posed in a technology driven and complex society. The limited opportunities in school settings to help students develop computational thinking skills underscores...

Computational Thinking via Toy Problems

Gerard Rambally

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2016 (Mar 21, 2016) pp. 105–112

This paper examines the idea that toy problems represent an informal, motivational context in which complex computational thinking (CT) occurs. Using a range of toy problems, this paper demonstrates how key CT skills including algorithmic thinking,...

Topics: Computational Thinking

AdventureCode: Computational Thinking Through Games

Jaelle Scheuerman

EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2015 (Jun 22, 2015) pp. 1832–1837

Computational thinking is a skill that is important in nearly all careers today, yet it is not often taught to elementary school aged children. Young children regularly interact with technology, so there is potential to use digital games and...

Topics: WWW-based Course Sites & Learning Resources, Children, interactive learning environments, Games

Instructional Design for Computational Thinking

Betul Czerkawski

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2013 (Mar 25, 2013) pp. 10–17

Computational thinking (CT), while not a new concept, is becoming an increasingly important analytical skill that every child should master in order to be successful in the digital age. Computational thinking refers to a new set of problem solving...

Children’s Engineering and Computational Thinking

Manorama Talaiver; Irene Lee; Glen Bull; Alexander Repenning

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011 (Mar 07, 2011) pp. 58–61

Both Engineering and Computational Thinking are recognized as keys to economic success in our global knowledge society. How soon should these be introduced in schools? The Fab@School initiative provides elementary students with hands-on...

Computational Thinking in Cooperative Games

Lorraine Jacques; Parsa Jahanlou

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2022 (Apr 11, 2022) pp. 33–38

Computational thinking (CT) can occur naturally within gameplay, especially within cooperative games. The mechanics of the game, however, influence what opportunities players have for using these skills. This study sought to identify how and when...

Topics: Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking and Cognitive Hangovers

Yaroslav Senyshyn

Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education Vol. 141 (1999) pp. 135–38

Argues the limits of reductionism vis-a-vis computational-algorithmic approaches to music education and computers. Presents four paradoxes to support the notion of the mind as more complex than a cognitive device that could be simulated by computers....

Discourse Practice of Computational Thinking

Sasha Wang; Yu-hui Ching; Steve Swanson; Youngkyun Baek; Dazhi Yang; Bhaskar Chittoori

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2019 (Mar 18, 2019) pp. 341–346

This paper provides a snapshot of a teacher’s discourse practice while facilitating a group of two students in a computational thinking infused robotic activity while completing a task. The interactions between the teacher and her students have...

Topics: Computational Thinking

Mobile learning and computational thinking

José Freixo Nunes; Teresa Loureiro Cardoso

Italian Journal of Educational Technology Vol. 25, No. 2 (Nov 10, 2017) pp. 51–58

Computational thinking can be thought of as an approach to problem solving which has been applied to different areas of learning and which has become an important field of investigation in the area of educational research. [continue]

Language: English Translations: English, Italiano/Italian

Children’s Engineering and Computational Thinking

Manorama Talaiver; Glen Bull; Steven Moore; Katherine Hayden

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011 (Mar 07, 2011) pp. 53–57

Both Engineering and Computational Thinking are recognized as keys to economic success in our global knowledge society. How soon should these be introduced in schools? The Fab@School initiative provides elementary students with hands-on...

Computational Thinking and Educational Technology

Betul Czerkawski; Li Xu

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2012 (Jun 26, 2012) pp. 2607–2610

The latest National Educational Technology Standards (NETS, 2011) put forward a new set of resources on computational thinking (CT) and pointed out computer science teachers’ changing roles in the classrooms. According to the ISTE website (2012),...

Computational Thinking with Educational Robotics

Amy Eguchi

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2016 (Mar 21, 2016) pp. 79–84

Educational robotics is an effective tool for providing students with opportunities to learn computational thinking skills and concepts. Computational thinking, as introduced by Jannette Wing in 2006 (Wing, 2006), is a problem-solving process...

Topics: Computational Thinking, Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technologies

Computational Thinking Guiding Change in Online Education

Brigette Quinn

Issues and Trends in Educational Technology Vol. 4, No. 2 (Dec 01, 2016)

As a result of instant access to data, information and knowledge anywhere, anytime, today\u2019s students have rapidly acquired educational opportunities. Online education continues to grow at a pace much faster than face to face enrollments. There...

Computational Thinking in Virtual Learning Environments

Betul Czerkawski

E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2015 (Oct 19, 2015) pp. 1227–1231

There is a growing interest in examining how computer scientists think and the way these thinking methods could be used by the students whose major is not computer science. The reason for this focus on computer science is in direct response to the...

Topics: Virtual Environments, Teaching Methods, Computers, Other, E-Learning Trends and Innovations (social learning, mobile, augmented etc.)

Computational thinking and women in computer science

Christie Lee Lili Prottsman

(2011) pp. 1–50

Though the first computer programmers were female, women currently make up only a quarter of the computing industry. This lack of diversity jeopardizes technical innovation, creativity and profitability. As demand for talented computing...

Design engaging environment to foster computational thinking

Chih-Kai Chang; Gautam Biswas

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2011 (Jun 27, 2011) pp. 2898–2902

Computational thinking is a fundamental analytical ability to solve problems, design systems, and understand human behavior based on the fundamental concepts of computer science. The influence of computational thinking almost takes place on every...

Community-Based Learning to Foster Computational Thinking

Betul Czerkawski

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2017 (Mar 05, 2017) pp. 40–45

Computational thinking (CT) is a fundamental skill for all students and in the recent years there is a growing interest in improving students’ problem solving skills via CT. However, when traditional education institutions are slow in adopting the...

Topics: New Possibilities with Information Technologies, Computational Thinking, Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technologies

Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of Computational Thinking

Yu-hui Chang; Lana Peterson

Journal of Technology and Teacher Education Vol. 26, No. 3 (July 2018) pp. 353–374

Computational thinking (CT) is a process and skill set that is being expected of our students after their K-12 education. The issue is that most teachers do not know how to build CT expertise within their students. To address this challenge and...

Computational Thinking in Constructionist Video Games

David Weintrop; Nathan Holbert; Michael Horn; Uri Wilensky

International Journal of Game-Based Learning Vol. 6, No. 1 (January 2016) pp. 1–17

Video games offer an exciting opportunity for learners to engage in computational thinking in informal contexts. This paper describes a genre of learning environments called constructionist video games that are especially well suited for developing...

Computational Thinking in Mathematics Teacher Education

George Gadanidis; Rosa Cendros; Lisa Floyd; Immaculate Namukasa

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education Vol. 17, No. 4 (December 2017) pp. 458–477

As computational thinking (CT) is increasing in focus in K-12 education, it is important to consider how teacher education programs may better prepare teacher candidates (TCs). Previous studies have found that TCs do not always have a firm...

A Mathematical Computing Approach to Computational Thinking

Gerard Rambally

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2015 (Mar 02, 2015) pp. 114–122

Computational thinking (CT) includes epistemic and representational practices such as problem reduction, transformation, and modularization; recursion and iteration; parallel processing; constructing multiple layers of abstraction; problem...

Topics: Mathematics, mathematics education, Secondary Education, Programming, Computational Thinking

Developing Computational Thinking Through Grounded Embodied Cognition

Cameron Lawrence Fadjo

(2012) pp. 1–304

Two studies were conducted to examine the use of grounded embodied pedagogy, construction of Imaginary Worlds (Study 1), and context of instructional materials (Study 2) for developing learners' Computational Thinking (CT) Skills and Concept...

Computational Thinking for All: Participatory Action Research

Melda N Yildiz

EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2020 (Jun 23, 2020) pp. 1313–1320

The goal of this transdisciplinary participatory action research (PAR) project is to develop a research-based globally connected learning modules and educational app that promotes computational thinking, geospatial, media and informational literacy...

Topics: Teacher education and technology integration, Innovative online learning and educational programming, Global learning communities

Eye Tracking in Assessing Computational Thinking

Abdu Arslanyilmaz; Bonita Sharif

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2018 (Mar 26, 2018) pp. 9–14

Multiple methodologies have been utilized to assess learning of computational thinking (CT) including student-created artifacts, interviews with students about their artifacts, tests consisting of multiple-choice, fill-in-blank, open-ended items,...

Topics: Computational Thinking

An Ontology-Based Computational Thinking Framework

Hadi Sharifi; Gholamali Rahnavard; Enrico Pontelli

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012 (Mar 05, 2012) pp. 39–46

One aspect that distinguishes problem-solving capabilities is the ability to use different thought processes to analyze problems and solve them. The effective use of different thought processes is a skill achieved through experience. The term...

Designing Learning Trajectories for Computational Thinking

Allard Strijker; Petra Fisser

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2017 (Mar 05, 2017) pp. 80–82

In 2015 a curriculum framework for Computational Thinking was developed for lower secondary education in the Netherlands. The framework is based on ISTE and CSTA, translated for the curriculum in the Netherlands and validated by experts, teachers,...

Topics: Computational Thinking

Integrating Computational Thinking in the Mathematics Curriculum

Gerard Rambally

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2014 (Mar 17, 2014) pp. 120–127

This paper focuses on the integration of computational thinking (CT) skills in secondary school mathematics. Using example concepts from the mathematics curriculum, this paper demonstrates how key CT skills including algorithmic thinking, problem...

Topics: Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking on Primary Education Teacher Education

Diane van der Linde; Joke Voogt

EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2019 (Jun 24, 2019) pp. 684–691

Computational thinking - as part of digital literacy - is given a place in the revision of the core objectives of Dutch primary and secondary education. This will have a direct impact on teacher education programmes, which will have to anticipate...

Topics: Teacher education and technology integration

Building Computational Thinking Through Teachable Machine

Haoyue Zhang; Sara McNeil; Susie Gronseth; Bulent Dogan; Erwin Handoko; Lydia Ugwu

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2020 (Apr 07, 2020) pp. 127–131

This paper describes a professional development plan on teaching pre-service teachers the concept of computational thinking through experiential learning model. Computational thinking refers to the thought process in understanding problems,...

Topics: faculty development, Computational Thinking, Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technologies

Computational Thinking in K-12: Defining the Space

Joyce Malyn-Smith; Bob Coulter; Jill Denner; Irene Lee; Joel Stiles; Linda Werner

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2010 (Mar 29, 2010) pp. 3479–3484

“Computational thinking is creating and making use of different levels of abstraction to understand and solve problems more effectively; thinking algorithmically; and understanding the consequences of scale” (Carnegie Mellon University Center for...

Educational Objectives for Promoting Computational Thinking in E-Learning

Betul Czerkawski

E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2014 (Oct 20, 2014) pp. 448–453

The purpose of instructional design is to create experiences that maximize student learning. Instructional designers for online learning begin instructional design process with defining educational objectives, continue with arranging learning and...

Topics: Instructional Design, E-Learning Trends and Innovations (social learning, mobile, augmented etc.)

Open Online Module for Computational Thinking in Mathematics Education

George Gadanidis; Rosa Cendros Araujo

E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2017 (Oct 17, 2017) pp. 5–10

With the upturn of computational thinking (CT) in K-12 education, teachers require a firm understanding of what CT involves, and how to develop CT in their classrooms In this context, the first author developed an online module for elementary school ...

Topics: Instructional Design, Content Development, Implementation Examples & Issues

The TangibleK Robotics Program: Applied Computational Thinking for Young Children

Marina U. Bers

Early Childhood Research & Practice Vol. 12, No. 2 (2010)

This article describes the TangibleK robotics program for young children. Based on over a decade of research, this program is grounded on the belief that teaching children about the human-made world, the realm of technology and engineering, is as...

A Closer Look at Promoting and Teaching Computational Thinking

Li Xu

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2018 (Mar 26, 2018) pp. 67–71

Since Jeannette Wing proposed a grand vision that “computational thinking will be a fundamental skill used by everyone in the world in the middle of the 21st century” (Wing, 2006), the vision has been realized to a reality in many areas including...

Topics: Computational Thinking

Integrating Computational Thinking in Mathematics and Science Teacher Education

Rosa Cendros Araujo; Lisa Floyd; George Gadanidis

EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2018 (Jun 25, 2018) pp. 2379–2384

With current advocacy to include computational thinking (CT) skills in the elementary and secondary curriculum, the demands on teacher education have focused on improving teacher knowledge about CT and how to integrate it into their teaching...

Topics: online learning environments, course, Teacher education and technology integration, program, project, and other forms of evaluation

Developing Confident Computational Thinking through Teacher Twinning Online

Elizabeth Oldham; Pamela Cowan; Richard Millwood; Glenn Strong; Nina Bresnihan; Mags Amond; Lisa Hegarty

International Journal of Smart Education and Urban Society Vol. 9, No. 1 (January 2018) pp. 61–75

In view of the current focus on computational thinking in schools, professional development is needed so that teachers can help students acquire the requisite skills. Enhancing teachers' confidence is one important aspect. This article describes a...

Computational Thinking and Geospatial Intelligence in Teacher Education: Transdisciplinary Approach

Melda N Yildiz

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2021 (Mar 29, 2021) pp. 1803–1812

The goal of this transdisciplinary participatory action research (PAR) project is to develop a research-based globally connected learning modules and educational app that promotes computational thinking, geospatial, media and informational literacy...

Topics: Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technologies, Geospatial Education

Computational Thinking and Geospatial Intelligence in Teacher Education: Transdisciplinary Approach

Melda Yildiz

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2022 (Apr 11, 2022) pp. 117–125

The goal of this transdisciplinary participatory action research (PAR) project is to develop a research-based globally connected learning modules and educational app that promotes computational thinking, geospatial, media and informational literacy...

Topics: Computational Thinking, Geospatial Education, STEM Innovation

Computational Thinking and Expository Writing in the Middle School

Ursula Wolz; Meredith Stone; Kim Pearson; Sarah Monisha Pulimood; Mary Switzer

ACM Transactions on Computing Education Vol. 11, No. 2 (July 2011)

To broaden participation in computing we need to look beyond traditional domains of inquiry and expertise. We present results from a demonstration project in which interactive journalism was used to infuse computational thinking into the standard...

Promoting Computational Thinking by Developing Apps for Mobile Devices

Kenneth Luterbach

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2013 (Jun 24, 2013) pp. 1817–1822

An analysis of international grade school curricula revealed the absence of opportunities for computational thinking. Accordingly, many young people throughout the world are unnecessarily limited in problem solving methodologies and outlets for...

Computational Thinking in Elementary and Secondary Teacher Education

Aman Yadav; Chris Mayfield; Ninger Zhou; Susanne Hambrusch; John T. Korb

ACM Transactions on Computing Education Vol. 14, No. 1 (March 2014)

Computational thinking (CT) is broadly defined as the mental activity for abstracting problems and formulating solutions that can be automated. In an increasingly information-based society, CT is becoming an essential skill for everyone. To ensure...

Exploring Issues about Computational Thinking in Higher Education

Betul C. Czerkawski; Eugene W. Lyman

TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning Vol. 59, No. 2 (March 2015) pp. 57–65

The term computational thinking (CT) has been in academic discourse for decades, but gained new currency in 2006, when Jeanette Wing used it to describe a set of thinking skills that students in all fields may require in order to succeed. Wing&apos...

Recommendations to Support Computational Thinking in the Elementary Classroom

Anne Estapa; Amy Hutchison; Larysa Nadolny

Technology and Engineering Teacher Vol. 77, No. 4 (2018) pp. 25–29

Computational thinking is an important and necessary way of thinking for computer programmers and other professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Research on emerging practices around computational thinking that is...

Bee-Bot for Computational Thinking: An Artifact Analysis

Parama Bhattacharya; Mathew Brown

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2020 (Apr 07, 2020) pp. 2–7

Computational thinking (CT) offers an approach that helps to introduce students to computing principles. Integrating computational thinking into an education curriculum early on is important as it helps students to make crucial cross-curricular...

Topics: Computational Thinking

Nurturing Secondary School Student Computational Thinking Through Educational Robotics

Dayang Jawawi; Nurul Jamal; Shahliza Abdul Halim; Nor Sa'adon; Rosbi Mamat; Mohd Isa; Radziah Mohamad; Haza Abdull Hamed

International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET) Vol. 17, No. 3 (Feb 18, 2022) pp. 117–128

Digital literacy is becoming a key factor in today’s digital revolution age. Computational Thinking (CT) is a new digital literacy that is gradually being introduced in the school curriculum due to its applicability in the daily problem-solving...

Language: English

Creating Digital Stories with Scratch to Promote Computational Thinking

Lila Holt

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011 (Mar 07, 2011) pp. 31–32

The definition of computational thinking and literacy is currently evolving. While an exact definition does not exist currently the Scratch environment developed by MIT can be used to create digital stories that promote computational thinking. ...