Computational Thinking
About
“What would we like our children - the general public of the future — to learn about computer science in schools? We need to do away with the myth that computer science is about computers. Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes, biology is about microscopes or chemistry is about beakers and test tubes. Science is not about tools, it is about how we use them and what we find out when we do.”
– Micheal R. Fellows, Ian Parberry (1993) “SIGACT trying to get children excited about CS”. in: Computing Research News. January 1993.
There is an increasing interest in teaching Computer Science and Coding to K - 12 students. Many countries have recognised that students should be taught these skills, which are essential for creating and innovating with technology. Computer Science and Coding make technology that we use every day of our lives possible, and employees with these skills work in very diverse (and sometimes surprising) areas. Computer Science drives 60 percent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) jobs.
In Australia, Computer Science concepts and Coding are present in the Digital Technologies area of the national curriculum. The Digital Technologies curriculum is focused on teaching a few main skills, including: Computational Thinking, Coding and Systems Thinking, all of which are used by Computer Scientists and Software Engineers. However, these skills are not just useful for students that want to pursue these careers. Learning these skills can help students understand the digital world, become more informed “digital citizens”, give them another tool for reasoning with, and give them skills to create and express themselves using computers.
Computational thinking, the focus of today’s workshop, means looking at a problem in a way that a computer can help us solve it. It can be applied to many different subjects and even combined with students’ passions (sometimes referred to as CS + X).