On Pre-requisite Skills for Universal Computational Thinking Education

Cole, E. C. (2015) On Pre-requisite Skills for Universal Computational Thinking Education. In: ICER '15: International Computing Education Research Conference, Omaha, Nebraska, USA, 9-13 Aug 2015, pp. 253-254. ISBN 9781450336307 (doi: 10.1145/2787622.2787737)

Abstract

Computational thinking (CT) has been hailed as valuable to everyone in the population, and if so, it should be taught to all. This research builds on existing work identifying pre-requisite skills for developing CT skills, referred to here as foundational CT skills. To add weight to the validity of the "CT for all" claim, this research attempts to determine whether foundational CT skills are of value to non-IT industry and for pupils elsewhere in their studies. The foundational CT skills will be trialled with pupils in the 5-8 yr age range and evaluated for their contribution to the pupils' ongoing education. Findings will be used to inform the curriculum and help to develop worthwhile computational thinking skills irrespective of the child's chosen career.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Cole, Elizabeth
• Authors: Cole, E. C.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering
• ISBN: 9781450336307