Nature Of Computational Thinking Research Articles

Preparing Teachers for Teaching Spatial Computational Thinking With Integrated Data Viewer Visualization of Weather Data: A Discipline-Based Perspective of Computational Thinking

This study was grounded in the spatial computational thinking model developed by the 3D Weather project funded by the NSF STEM+C program. The model reflects a discipline-based perspective towards computational thinking and captures the spatial nature of computational thinking in meteorology and the reliance of computational thinking on spatial thinking for geospatial analysis. The research was conducted among nineteen teachers attending the summer workshop offered by the project in its third project year to prepare them for teaching spatial computational thinking with IDV ( Integrated Data Viewer, downloadable at https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/idv/ ) visualization of weather data. Quantitative survey data were collected measuring these teachers’ meteorology content knowledge, spatial computational thinking, self-efficacy for teaching spatial computational thinking, and epistemic cognition of teaching meteorology. The data were analyzed to examine the effects of the workshop in terms of these variables and the correlations among them were also explored.

Formative Assessment of Computational Thinking: Cognitive and Metacognitive Processes

ABSTRACT We describe the use of think alouds to examine substantive processes involved in performance on a formative assessment of computational thinking (CT) designed to support self-regulated learning (SRL). Our task design model included three phases of work on a computational thinking problem: forethought, performance, and reflection. The cognitive processes of seven students who reported their thinking during all three phases were analyzed. Ratings of artifacts of code indicated the computational thinking problem was moderately difficult to solve (M = 15, SD = 5) on a scale of 0 to 21 points. Profiles were created to illustrate length and sequence of different types of cognitive processes during the think-aloud. Results provide construct validity evidence for the tasks as formative assessments of CT, elucidate the way learners at different levels of skill use SRL, shed light on the nature of computational thinking, and point out areas for improvement in assessment design.

On Computational Thinking and STEM Education

The recognized importance of computational thinking has helped to propel the rapid development of related educational efforts and programs over the past decade. Given the multi-faceted nature of computational thinking, which goes beyond programming and computer science, however, approaches and practices for developing students’ computational thinking are not always self-explanatory in terms of their foci and feasibility in diverse educational contexts. In this editorial, we first examine relevant publications in computational thinking to identify a trend of integrating computational thinking into disciplinary education. We subsequently build on recent discussions about the concept of computational thinking to (1) frame a review of educational efforts in developing students’ computational thinking, (2) discuss opportunities and challenges to further such educational efforts through not only programming and computer science but also other disciplines, and (3) articulate needed research and scholarship to support educational practices.

Exploring Saudi Computer Science Teachers’ Conceptual Mastery Level of Computational Thinking Skills

The Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia implemented a new computer science curriculum in 2008. There was speculation that many computer science teachers did not possess sufficient knowledge of computational thinking needed to teach this subject. To investigate this topic, a quantitative research study was conducted with 55 male computer science teachers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Results of the study revealed that most of the computer science teachers had a low conceptual level of computational thinking, and some of the teachers had misconceptions about the exact nature of computational thinking. Findings indicated that computer science teachers did indeed need more training in what computational thinking means and how to teach this subject.

Computational What? Relating Computational Thinking to Teaching

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 the need for helping teachers integrate it in their practices. Besides developing the knowledge of technology, content, and pedagogy, teachers need to recognize the relevance of computational thinking to their teaching, a factor influencing their future practice with it. Drawing from the literature on problem-solving and TPACK framework, this paper discusses strategies, including content-specific examples, problem-solving nature of computational thinking, and the methods of teaching problem-solving for enabling teachers to make the connections between computational thinking and their practices.

The Nature of Computational Thinking in Computing Education

The Nature of Computational Thinking in Computing Education

Educational Research Based on the Nature of Computational Thinking

The cultivation of computing thinking is not a requirement of computer science, but the important part of the University's general education. Thinking is not subject to professional restrictions, students with different backgrounds in the professional perspective of thinking, problem-solving methods, and methods of dealing with issues such as commonalities. The popularity and development of computer science make the connection between itself and each specialty more and more closely. The interdisciplinary network research with computer science as the center is gradually forming. Based on the peculiar nature of computational thinking, this paper can explain the proof and the related world, and discuss the relationship between computational thinking and other disciplines.