Classroom Implementations of Computational Thinking: Examples from Education Majors
Abstract: After Jeanette Wing’s (2006) call to consider computational thinking as a fundamental analytical skill for all students, many educators at K-12 and higher education further explored computational thinking (CT) and its potential as a means of digital literacy and problem solving skill much needed in the 21st century. Following a decade long concentration on CT, today the main issue is how to effectively embed computational thinking in curriculum. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and Computer Science Education Association (CSTA) along with profit (e.g. Google) and non-profit organizations (e.g. Code.org; SRI International) lead the way for K-12 schools to integrate CT but higher education and especially teacher education institutions are following a less structured and scattered approach when it comes to computational thinking curriculum. This paper reviews a few examples from education majors and provides implementation ideas for higher education faculty.