Comparing computational thinking skills of engineering students in urban and rural areas of Peru

Abstract

The present study focuses on comparing the achievement levels of computational thinking skills in first-year engineering students at two Peruvian universities, one located in an area with a high human development index (Lima) and the other in a more vulnerable area (Amazonas). The study is based on a computational thinking competence assessment model carried out with 112 students who were given challenges and problems. The results show that: (a) the achievement levels of computational thinking competences differ significantly between the Lima group and the Amazonas group, (b) the highest levels of competence achievement are associated with students who had some level of previous instruction in secondary education, and (c) the differences in the achievement of computational thinking skills according to student gender are not significant.