Edu 210: Computational Thinking 3.1

What is Jeanette Wing’s Grand Vision for the field of computational thinking?

• will be a fundamental skill used by everyone in the world by the middle of the 21at century.

• uses CT as shorthand for: thinking like a computer scientist.

• incestuous: computing and computers will enable the spread of computational thinking in research and education.

Jeanette Wings definition of computational thinking

Computational thinking involves solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior, by drawing on the concepts fundamental to computer science… it represents a universally applicable attitude and skill set everyone, not just computer scientists, would be eager to use.

Royal Society’s definition of computational thinking

Computational thinking is the process of reorganizing aspects of computation in the world that surrounds us, and applying tools and techniques from computer science to understand and reason about both natural and artificial systems and processes.

Concepts of the computational thinker:

logic (predicting and analyzing), algorithms (making steps and rules), decomposition (breaking down into parts), patterns (spotting and using similarities), abstraction (removing unnecessary detail), evaluation (making judgement)

Approaches of the computational thinker:

tinkering (experimenting and playing), creating (designing and making), debugging (finding and fixing errors), persevering (keeping going), collaborating (working together)

decomposition (core concept of CT)

the strategy of breaking a complex idea or challenging problem into its more manageable parts (e.g. writing a paper, teaching reading, planning a wedding, building raised garden boxes, etc)

pattern recognition (core concept of CT)

humans are biological pattern recognition machines. We see patterns everywhere… they help organize the world and make predictions… ex. forming categories, self-driving vehicles, Amazon recommendations, facial recognition. Pattern recognition is one of the core elements of AI

algorithm design (core concept of CT)

set of rules to be followed, for example, when a chef writes a recipe for a dish she is creating an algorithm that others can follow to replicate the dish… a sequence of steps

abstraction (core concept of CT)

carefully selecting the qualities we care about and ignoring the rest of the details (e.g. Google maps, a synopsis of story, explain your idea in 30 seconds, emojis etc.)

Why should k-12 educators teach coding?

Computational Thinking is most apparent and probably most effectively learned, though the rigorous creative process of writing code. Learning code helps develop computational skills

Digital Promise Organization, how CT and CS (includes coding) overlap

1. Gathering and organizing data to investigate question and communicate findings

2. Expressing procedures as algorithms (that is, a series of logical precise, repeatable steps that delivers an expected result) to reliably create and analyze processes.

3. creating computational models that use data and algorithms to stimulate complex systems.

4. Using and comparing computational models to develop new insights about a subject.

computational model

something that is coded or constructed on a computer

what is one way that computational thinking be operationalized in k-12?

through the teaching of computer science.

operationalization

is the process of defining a fuzzy concept (computational thinking) so as to make it clearly distinguishable or measurable, and to understand it in terms of empirical observations.

one of the tools we use to articulate the operationalization process, and to help define this fuzzy concept (computational thinking) is to create what?

an operational definition

operational definition

An operational definition is a description of something (computational thinking) in terms of the operations (procedures, actions, or processes)

operational definition of computational thinking

….

The stages that computational thinking is taught in schools:

Div 1 (k-3) focuses mostly on though processes (CT). no mention of coding

Div 2 (4-6) starts to mention ideas and concepts that strongly suggest a coding environment (CS and CT)

Div 3 (7-9) in process, there will be CS in compulsory curriculum, likely in sciences, Div 3 coming as soon as 2026-2027

Div 4 (10-12) Unknown, CS is currently part of the CTS curriculum and optional. Ideally it would be moved into the science area

why does teaching kids to build computational models enhance computational thinking?

because it can help them understand how to break down complex problems and stimulate real-world scenarios

Develops Problem-Solving Skills:

building models requires students to think critically about the problem, break it into smaller parts, and understand how different elements interact. This process helps students learn to structure and approach problems logically, a core part of computational thinking.

Encourages Experimentation:

by creating and testing models, students can explore “what-if” scenarios, tweaking variables to see the impact on outcomes. This hands-on experimentation builds their understanding of cause and effect, feedback loops, and how systems work.

Strengthens Understanding of Abstraction:

modeling encourages students to focus on the essential aspects of a problem while setting aside irrelevant details. This skill of abstraction is essential in computer science and other STEM fields, as it allows students to manage complex information.

Real-World Application

Many real-world systems—such as climate, economics, or ecosystems are complex. Computational models held students grasp these concepts by providing a simplified, interactive version of the system, which deepens their comprehension.

Prepares for Future STEM Opportunities:

computational thinking and modeling are foundational in STEM careers. Early exposure to these concepts give students an edge and helps them appreciate the relevance of math, science, and technology in solving real-life problems

what is scratch an example of. and what learning process does it exemplify in this example: Using scratch to model the earth around the sun(: point and click on a grid)

scratch in this context is a mind tool and the learning process is constructionism

measure learning

process and production. Teachers assess students' skills by looking at both the process—how students create their models—and the product—whether the models function as intended and how they could be improved. Evaluating both aspects offers a comprehensive way to measure computational thinking skills, in line with the International Society for Technology in Education's operational definition.

The primary way CT is integrated into the k-12 curriculum is by

learning about and learning with technology

What are the three basic building blocks that make up most of the algorithms encountered in the context of K-12 Computational Thinking (CT) learning, according to Grover and Pea (2017)? 

repetition, sequence, and selection