An Operational Definition for Computational Thinking
Abstract
Computational Thinking (CT) is a prominent concept in the field of computing education, and it is part of several K-12 computing curricula. It is often described as a problem-solving process by means of cognitive skills. Nonetheless, there is no consensus on which skills make up Computational Thinking. Thus, there is also no consensus on how to measure it, which makes it hard how to establish learning strategies and how to evaluate the acquisition of CT. In this context, we present an operational definition for Computational Thinking that relates its acquisition with learning computer programming, with the goal of providing a framework to build assessment exams to measure the acquisition of Computational Thinking. The definition presented is based on several works in the field. It was improved through an expert panel composed of ten Brazilian researchers from the field of computing education. Our conception considers that Computational Thinking skills are fostered through the exercise of concepts, practices and perspectives. We list such concepts, practices and perspectives, and present a definition for each one of them. The presented operational definition can be the foundation for assessment exams that target middle school students or later levels of education.
Keywords:
computational thinking, assessment, framework
References
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Maria Cutumisu, Cathy Adams, and Chang Lu. 2019. A Scoping Review of Empirical Research on Recent Computational Thinking Assessments. Journal of Science Education and Technology 28, 6 (2019), 651–676. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09799-3
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Lindsey Gouws, Karen Bradshaw, and Peter Wentworth. 2013. First year student performance in a test for computational thinking. In Proceedings of the South African Institute for Computer Scientists and Information Technologists Conference (SAICSIT '13). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 271–277. https://doi.org/10.1145/2513456.2513484
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Shuchi Grover, Roy Pea, and Stephen Cooper. 2015. Designing for deeper learningin a blended computer science course for middle school students. Computer Science Education 25, 2 (2015), 199–237.
Ting-Chia Hsu, Shao-Chen Chang, and Yu-Ting Hung. 2018. How to learn and how to teach computational thinking: Suggestions based on a review of the literature. Computers & Education 126 (2018), 296–310.
Filiz Kalelioglu, Yasemin Gulbahar, and Volkan Kukul. 2016. A Framework for Computational Thinking Based on a Systematic Research Review. Baltic Journal of Modern Computing 4 (05 2016), 583–596.
Sze Yee Lye and Joyce Hwee Ling Koh. 2014. Review on teaching and learning of computational thinking through programming: What is next for K-12? Computers in Human Behavior 41 (2014), 51–61.
Jesús Moreno-León, Gregorio Robles, and Marcos Román-González. 2015. Dr. Scratch: Automatic Analysis of Scratch Projects to Assess and Foster Computational Thinking. RED - Revista de Educación a Distancia 46 (09 2015), 1 - 23.
Luiz Pasquali. 2011. Psicometria: Teoria dos Testes na Psicologia e na Educacao (5ed.). Vozes.
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Priscila S C Santos, Luis Gustavo J Araujo, and Roberto A Bittencourt. 2018. A Mapping Study of Computational Thinking and Programming in Brazilian K-12 Education. In 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). IEEE, 1–8.
SBC. 2017. Referenciais de Formação em Computação: Educação Básica. http://www.sbc.org.br/files/ComputacaoEducacaoBasica-versaofinal-julho2017.pdf .
Deborah Seehorn, Stephen Carey, Brian Fuschetto, Irene Lee, Daniel Moix, DianneO’Grady-Cunniff, Barbara Boucher Owens, Chris Stephenson, and Anita Verno. 2011. CSTA K–12 Computer Science Standards: Revised 2011. Technical Report. CSTA/ACM, New York, NY, USA. 104111.
Cynthia Collins Selby and John Woollard. 2013. Computational thinking: the developing definition. University of Southampton (E-prints) 6pp. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/356481/
Cynthia Collins Selby. 2014. How can the teaching of programming be used to enhance computational thinking skills? Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Southampton. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/366256
Cynthia Collins Selby. 2015. Relationships: Computational Thinking, Pedagogy of Programming, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. In Proceedings of the Workshop in Primaryand Secondary Computing Education (London, United Kingdom)(WiPSCE ’15). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 80–87. https://doi.org/10.1145/2818314.2818315
Matti Tedre and Peter J. Denning. 2016. The Long Quest for Computational Thinking. In Proceedings of the 16th Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research (Koli, Finland)(Koli Calling ’16). Association forComputing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 120–129. https://doi.org/10.1145/2999541.2999542
The College Board. 2017. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description. College Board. https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-computer-science-principles-course-and-exam-description.pdf
Henry M. Walker. 2015. Computational thinking in a non-majors CS course requires a programming component. ACM Inroads 6, 1 (March 2015), 58–61. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/2727126
Jeannette M. Wing. 2006. Computational thinking. Commun. ACM 49, 3 (March 2006), 33–35. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/1118178.1118215
Baichang Zhong, Qiyun Wang, Jie Chen, and Yi Li. 2016. An exploration of three-dimensional integrated assessment for computational thinking. Journal of Educational Computing Research 53, 4 (2016), 562–590.
Ana Liz Souto O. Araujo, Wilkerson L. Andrade, Dalton D. Serey Guerrero, and Monilly Ramos Araujo Melo. 2019. How Many Abilities Can We Measure in Computational Thinking? A Study on Bebras Challenge. In Proceedings of the 50th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE '19). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 545–551. https://doi.org/10.1145/3287324.3287405
David Barr, John Harrison, and Leslie Conery. 2011. Computational thinking: A digital age skill for everyone. Learning & Leading with Technology 38, 6 (2011), 20–23.
Karen Brennan and Mitchel Resnick. 2012. New frameworks for studying and assessing the development of computational thinking. In Proceedings of the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, Canada. 1–25.
CIEB. 2018. Currículo de Tecnologia e Computação da Educação Infantil ao Ensino Fundamental. http://curriculo.cieb.net.br/
Stephen Cooper and Wanda Dann. 2015. Programming: A Key Component of Computational Thinking in CS Courses for Non-majors. ACM Inroads 6, 1 (Feb.2015), 50–54. https://doi.org/10.1145/2723169
Maria Cutumisu, Cathy Adams, and Chang Lu. 2019. A Scoping Review of Empirical Research on Recent Computational Thinking Assessments. Journal of Science Education and Technology 28, 6 (2019), 651–676. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09799-3
Valentina Dagiene and Gabriele Stupuriene. 2016. Bebras - A Sustainable Community Building Model for the Concept Based Learning of Informatics and Computational Thinking. Informatics in Education 15 (05 2016), 25–44. https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2016.02
Lindsey Gouws, Karen Bradshaw, and Peter Wentworth. 2013. First year student performance in a test for computational thinking. In Proceedings of the South African Institute for Computer Scientists and Information Technologists Conference (SAICSIT '13). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 271–277. https://doi.org/10.1145/2513456.2513484
Joan S Grant and Linda L Davis. 1997. Selection and use of content experts for instrument development. Research in Nursing & Health 20, 3 (1997), 269–274. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1098-240x(199706)20:3<269::aid-nur9>3.0.co;2-g
Shuchi Grover and Roy Pea. 2017. Computational Thinking: A Competency Whose Time Has Come. In Computer Science Education: Perspectives on teaching and learning, Sentance, S., Carsten, S., & Barendsen, E. (Eds). Bloomsbury.
Shuchi Grover, Roy Pea, and Stephen Cooper. 2015. Designing for deeper learningin a blended computer science course for middle school students. Computer Science Education 25, 2 (2015), 199–237.
Ting-Chia Hsu, Shao-Chen Chang, and Yu-Ting Hung. 2018. How to learn and how to teach computational thinking: Suggestions based on a review of the literature. Computers & Education 126 (2018), 296–310.
Filiz Kalelioglu, Yasemin Gulbahar, and Volkan Kukul. 2016. A Framework for Computational Thinking Based on a Systematic Research Review. Baltic Journal of Modern Computing 4 (05 2016), 583–596.
Sze Yee Lye and Joyce Hwee Ling Koh. 2014. Review on teaching and learning of computational thinking through programming: What is next for K-12? Computers in Human Behavior 41 (2014), 51–61.
Jesús Moreno-León, Gregorio Robles, and Marcos Román-González. 2015. Dr. Scratch: Automatic Analysis of Scratch Projects to Assess and Foster Computational Thinking. RED - Revista de Educación a Distancia 46 (09 2015), 1 - 23.
Luiz Pasquali. 2011. Psicometria: Teoria dos Testes na Psicologia e na Educacao (5ed.). Vozes.
Denise Polit and Cheryl Beck. 2006. The Content Validity Index: Are you sure you know what’s being reported? Critique and recommendations. Research in nursing & health 29 (10 2006), 489–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20147
Wouter Rijke, Lars Bollen, Tessa Eysink, and Jos Tolboom. 2018. Computational Thinking in Primary School: An Examination of Abstraction and Decomposition in Different Age Groups. Informatics in Education 17 (04 2018), 77 - 92. https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2018.05
Marcos Román-González, Juan-Carlos Pérez-González, Jesús Moreno-León, and Gregorio Robles. 2018. Can computational talent be detected? Predictive validity of the Computational Thinking Test. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction (07 2018), 47-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2018.06.004
Bianca Santana, Christina Chavez, and Roberto Bittencourt. 2020. Uma Proposta de Avaliação de Conceitos, Práticas e Perspectivas de Pensamento Computacional. In Anais do V Congresso sobre Tecnologias na Educação, julho 31, 2020, Evento Online, Brasil. SBC, Porto Alegre, Brasil, 158-167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/ctrle.2020.11393.
Priscila S C Santos, Luis Gustavo J Araujo, and Roberto A Bittencourt. 2018. A Mapping Study of Computational Thinking and Programming in Brazilian K-12 Education. In 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). IEEE, 1–8.
SBC. 2017. Referenciais de Formação em Computação: Educação Básica. http://www.sbc.org.br/files/ComputacaoEducacaoBasica-versaofinal-julho2017.pdf .
Deborah Seehorn, Stephen Carey, Brian Fuschetto, Irene Lee, Daniel Moix, DianneO’Grady-Cunniff, Barbara Boucher Owens, Chris Stephenson, and Anita Verno. 2011. CSTA K–12 Computer Science Standards: Revised 2011. Technical Report. CSTA/ACM, New York, NY, USA. 104111.
Cynthia Collins Selby and John Woollard. 2013. Computational thinking: the developing definition. University of Southampton (E-prints) 6pp. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/356481/
Cynthia Collins Selby. 2014. How can the teaching of programming be used to enhance computational thinking skills? Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Southampton. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/366256
Cynthia Collins Selby. 2015. Relationships: Computational Thinking, Pedagogy of Programming, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. In Proceedings of the Workshop in Primaryand Secondary Computing Education (London, United Kingdom)(WiPSCE ’15). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 80–87. https://doi.org/10.1145/2818314.2818315
Matti Tedre and Peter J. Denning. 2016. The Long Quest for Computational Thinking. In Proceedings of the 16th Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research (Koli, Finland)(Koli Calling ’16). Association forComputing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 120–129. https://doi.org/10.1145/2999541.2999542
The College Board. 2017. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description. College Board. https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-computer-science-principles-course-and-exam-description.pdf
Henry M. Walker. 2015. Computational thinking in a non-majors CS course requires a programming component. ACM Inroads 6, 1 (March 2015), 58–61. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/2727126
Jeannette M. Wing. 2006. Computational thinking. Commun. ACM 49, 3 (March 2006), 33–35. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/1118178.1118215
Baichang Zhong, Qiyun Wang, Jie Chen, and Yi Li. 2016. An exploration of three-dimensional integrated assessment for computational thinking. Journal of Educational Computing Research 53, 4 (2016), 562–590.
Published
2021-04-26
How to Cite
SANTANA, Bianca Leite; CHAVEZ, Christina von Flach Garcia; BITTENCOURT, Roberto Almeida.
An Operational Definition for Computational Thinking. In: BRAZILIAN SYMPOSIUM ON COMPUTING EDUCATION (EDUCOMP), 1. , 2021, On-line.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2021
.
p. 93-103.
ISSN 3086-0733.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/educomp.2021.14475.
