Abstract:
Research on Computational thinking (CT) has already entered its second decade, but still lacks a clear definition that researchers would agree upon. There are even suggestions that the definition of CT is not indispensable and that researchers should focus on other aspects, such as how to include CT in courses, curriculums and how to observe the acquisition of CT. However, it is generally agreed that CT is an important skill within the computer science, while it also extends beyond computing as being a fundamental skill for problem solving in all scientific and engineering disciplines. Moreover, there is a great interest of researchers and educators to explore how to include CT in K-12 context. Our study builds upon the consensus, that multiple skills are involved in CT. Based on the literature review, this study tries to identify a basic, domain independent dimensions of CT that researchers agree upon. The results of this study identify abstraction and algorithms as relevant, domain independent dimensions to build upon consensus. We hope that the study results will encourage further research towards consensus about general, domain independent set of skills that forms CT. This would be particularly beneficial in assessing and teaching CT.
PPIG 2019 - 30th Annual Workshop
Towards a Consensus about Computational Thinking Skills: Identifying Agreed Relevant Dimensions