Share Paper: Algorithmic Thinking, Literacy, and Numeracy: Factors Influencing the Development of Computational Thinking Skills in 9-16 Year Old Students

1. Siri Anderson, St. Catherine University, United States
2. Gerald Ardito, Pace University, United States
3. Hannah Christenson, St. Catherine University, United States
4. Christopher Belanger, St. Catherine University, United States
5. Kathleen Lopac, St. Catherine University, United States

Abstract: Teaching computational thinking (CT) in K-12 education presents new challenges for educators. In this collaborative action research project three teachers taught a series of lessons in computational thinking skills, focusing on three core CT skills algorithmic thinking, loops, and debugging. Then students recorded themselves as they sought to apply those concepts to a novel problem solving scenario presented by the game Tomorrow Corporation: Human Resources Machine. Preliminary results suggest a relationship between the child's literacy and numeracy levels and their ability to integrate computational thinking skills into a problem solving set. Specifically, students who struggle with basic reading comprehension and ...