Development of Computational Thinking Concept

Abstract

In this study, the development processes of the concept of computational thinking and its reflections on education are examined. This review study creates a perspective on the concept by synthesizing the studies conducted from the emergence of the concept to its acceptance as a basic skill in today's educational perspective. Computational thinking, which brings a new perspective to the teaching of technology and explains it with the human reasoning system, offers a new method that affects all fields of education. At the same time, the reflections of the concept of computational thinking and the set of skills integrated with the concept on educational environments and practices in different countries of the world are emphasized and highlights the importance of considering the skills that students are expected to have when planning.

Keywords

• Computational thinking
• literature review
• educational technologies.

Bilgi İşlemsel Düşünme Kavramının Gelişim Süreci

Öz

Bu çalışmada; bilgi işlemsel düşünme kavramının gelişim süreçleri ve eğitime yansımaları incelenmiştir. Derleme yöntemi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilen bu inceleme çalışması; kavramın ortaya çıkışından günümüzün eğitim perspektifinde temel bir beceri olarak kabul edilmesine kadar ortaya konan başlıca çalışmaları sentezleyerek kavrama ilişkin bir bakış açısı oluşturmaktadır. Teknoloji öğretimine yeni bir bakış açısı getiren ve bunu insanın akıl yürütme sistemiyle açıklayan bilgi işlemsel düşünme kavramı, eğitimin tüm dallarına etki eden yeni bir yöntem sunmaktadır. Aynı zamanda bilgi işlemsel düşünme kavramıyla bütünleştirilen beceri setinin dünyanın farklı ülkelerinde eğitim ortamlarına ve uygulamalarına yansımaların üzerinde durularak, öğrencilerin sahip olması beklenen becerileri planlarken dikkate değer önemine de vurgu yapılmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Bilgi işlemsel düşünme
• literatür taraması
• eğitim teknolojileri

References

1. Acevedo-Borrega, J., Valverde-Berrocoso, J., & Garrido-Arroyo, M. D. C. (2022). Computational thinking and educational technology: A scoping review of the literature. Education Sciences, 12(1), 39.
2. Akçay, A. O., Karahan, E., & Türk, S. (2019). Bilgi İşlemsel Düşünme Becerileri Odaklı Okul Sonrası Kodlama Sürecinde İlkokul Öğrencilerinin Deneyimlerinin İncelenmesi. Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Türk Dünyası Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi Eğitim Dergisi, 4(2), 38-50.
3. Alkıs Küçükaydın, M., & Akkanat, Ç. (2022). Adaptation into Turkish of the Computational Thinking Test for Primary School Students. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 80(6), 765-776.
4. Alkış Küçükaydın, M., Çite, H., & Ulum, H. (2024). Modelling the relationships between STEM learning attitude, computational thinking, and 21st century skills in primary school. Education and Information Technologies, 29, 16641–16659 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12492-7
5. Amante, L., Souza, E. B., Quintas-Mendes, A., & Miranda-Pinto, M. (2023). Designing a MOOC on Computational Thinking, Programming and Robotics for Early Childhood Educators and Primary School Teachers: A Pilot Test Evaluation. Education Sciences, 13(9), 863. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090863
6. Angeli, C., Voogt, J., Fluck, A., Webb, M., Cox, M., Malyn-Smith, J., & Zagami, J. (2016). A K-6 computational thinking curriculum framework: Implications for teacher knowledge. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 19(3), 47-57.
7. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2023). Version 9 Australian curriculum: technologies. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/technologies#technologies
8. Barr, D., Harrison, J., & Conery, L. (2011). Computational thinking: A digital age skill for everyone. Learning & Leading with Technology, 38(6), 20-23.

9. Barr, V., & Stephenson, C. (2011). Bringing computational thinking to K-12: what is Involved and what is the role of the computer science education community? Acm Inroads, 2(1), 48-54. https://doi.org/10.1145/1929887.1929905
10. Bebras.org. (2024). Computational Thinking. https://www.bebras.org/documents.html adresinden 1 Eylül 2024 tarihinde alındı.
11. Boyatt, R., Beynon, M., & Beynon, M. (2014). Ghosts of programming past, present and yet to come. In B. du Boulay and J. Good (Eds.), Proceedings of the 25th Annual Workshop of the Psychology of Programming Interest Group -PPIG, pp. 171-182.
12. Brennan, K., & Resnick, M. (2012). New Frameworks for Studying and Assessing the Development of Computational Thinking. In Proceedings of the 2012 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, 1–25.
13. Cabrera, L. (2019). Teacher preconceptions of computational thinking: A systematic literature review. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 27(3), 305-333.
14. Chen, C. Y., Su, S. W., Lin, Y. Z., & Sun, C. T. (2023). The Effect of Time Management and Help-Seeking in Self-Regulation-Based Computational Thinking Learning in Taiwanese Primary School Students. Sustainability, 15(16), 12494.
15. Chen, M., Xu, J., & Wang, Y. (2024, June). Current Situation and Trend of Computational Thinking Research of Primary School Students in Recent Ten Years in China: An Analysis Based on Visualization Software. In Proceedings of the 2024 9th International Conference on Distance Education and Learning (pp. 301-307).
16. Chen, R. and Lai, Y. (2024) An Empirical Study on the Cultivation of College Students’ Computational Thinking in the Context of Deep Learning. Creative Education, 15, 2212-2223. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2024.1510135
17. Chiazzese, G., Arrigo, M., Chifari, A., Lonati, V., & Tosto, C. (2019, October). Educational robotics in primary school: Measuring the development of computational thinking skills with the Bebras tasks. Informatics.Vol. 6, No. 4, p. 43.
18. Choi, W. C., & Choi, I. C. (2024, April). The Influence of CodeCombat on Computational Thinking in Python Programming Learning at Primary School. In Proceedings of the 2024 5th International Conference on Education Development and Studies (pp. 26-32).
19. CSTA (2017). CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standarts, Revised 2017. https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/2593249 adresinden 24 Haziran 2024 tarihinde alındı
20. Cücü, H., & Dağ, F. (2023). Sınıf Öğretmenleri Açısından Bilgi İşlemsel Düşünme ve Kodlama Öğretiminin Kapsamının Belirlenmesine Yönelik Bir İnceleme. Milli Eğitim Dergisi, 52(239), 1807-1844. https://doi.org/10.37669/milliegitim.1148733
21. Çimsir, S., Kalelioglu, F., & Gülbahar, Y. (2024). Perceptions of Primary School Teachers on Interdisciplinary Computational Thinking Skills Training. Informatics in Education, 23(3), 507-524.
22. Dagienė, V., Jevsikova, T., Stupurienė, G., & Juškevičienė, A. (2022). Teaching computational thinking in primary schools: Worldwide trends and teachers’ attitudes. Computer Science and Information Systems, 19(1), 1-24.
23. Dağ, F., Şumuer, E., & Durdu, L. (2023). The effect of an unplugged coding course on primary school students' improvement in their computational thinking skills. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 39(6), 1902-1918.
24. Denning, P. J. (2009). The profession of IT Beyond computational thinking. Communications of the ACM, 52(6), 28-30.
25. Douadi, B., Tahar, B., & Hamid, S. (2012). Smart edutainment game for algorithmic thinking. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 31, 454–458.
26. El-Hamamsy, L., Zapata-Cáceres, M., Marcelino, P., Bruno, B., Dehler Zufferey, J., Martín-Barroso, E., & Román-González, M. (2022a). Comparing the psychometric properties of two primary school Computational Thinking (CT) assessments for grades 3 and 4: The Beginners' CT test (BCTt) and the competent CT test (cCTt). Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1082659.
27. El-Hamamsy, L., Zapata-Cáceres, M., Barroso, E. M., Mondada, F., Zufferey, J. D., & Bruno, B. (2022b). The competent computational thinking test: Development and validation of an unplugged computational thinking test for upper primary school. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 60(7), 1818-1866.
28. Fagerlund, J., Häkkinen, P., Vesisenaho, M., & Viiri, J. (2021). Computational thinking in programming with Scratch in primary schools: A systematic review. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 29(1), 12-28.
29. Fincher, S. (1999, November). What are we doing when we teach programming? In FIE'99 Frontiers in Education. [Conference session], 29th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Designing the Future of Science and Engineering Education. Conference Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No. 99CH37011 (Vol. 1, pp. 12A4-1). IEEE.
30. Furber, S. (2012). Shut down or restart? The way forward for computing in UK schools. Technical report, The Royal Society, London.
31. Futschek, G. (2006, November). Algorithmic thinking: the key for understanding computer science. [Conference session]. In International Conference on Informatics in Secondary Schools-Evolution and Perspectives (pp. 159-168). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
32. Galiç, S., & Yıldız, B. (2021, Mayıs). Matematik Dersinde Merak Duvarı Kullanımı ve Bilgi İşlemsel Düşünme Becerisine Etkisi. [Bildiri özeti]. 2. Uluslararası Bilim, Eğitim, Sanat ve Teknoloji Sempozyumu, İzmir, Türkiye.
33. Grover, S. & Pea, R. D. (2013). Computational Thinking in K-12: A Review of the State of the Field. Educational Researcher, 42(1), 38–43.
34. Guzdial, M. (2008). Education paving the way for computational thinking. Communications of the ACM, 51(8), 25-27. https://doi.org/10.1145/1378704.1378713
35. Guzdial, M. (2011, June). Technology for teaching the rest of us. [Conference session]. In Proceedings of the 16th annual joint conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education (pp. 2-2). https://doi.org/10.1145/1999747.1999750
36. Gürbüztürk, O., & Yılmaz Tanataş, D. (2024). Blok Tabanlı Kodlama Araçlarının Akademik Başarı, Tutum ve Bilgi İşlemsel Düşünme Becerisine Etkisi: Meta-Analiz Çalışması. İnönü Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 11(21), 58-79. https://doi.org/10.29129/inujgse.1425193
37. Hemmendinger, D. (2010). A plea for modesty. Acm Inroads, 1(2), 4-7.
38. Hu, C. (2011). Computational thinking: what it might mean and what we might do about it. Proceedings of the 16th annual joint conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education. Darmstadt, Germany.
39. ISTE. (2011). Operational Definition for Computational Thinking. https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.csteachers.org/resource/resmgr/CompThinkingFlyer.pdf adresinden 29 Mart 2024 tarihinde alındı.
40. ISTE (2015). Computational thinking leadership toolkit (First Edition). https://cdn.iste.org/www-root/ct-documents/ct-leadershipt-toolkit.pdf?sfvrsn=4 adresinden 25 Kasım 2023 tarihinde alındı.
41. ISTE. (2023). What Are the ISTE Standards? Why Are They Important? https://afaeducation.org/blog/what-are-the-iste-standards-why-are-they-important/ adresinden 24 Şubat 2024 tarihinde alındı.
42. Jankowitz, A.D. (2005). Business Research Projects (4th edition), London: Thompson.
43. Jesson, J., Matheson, L., & Lacey, F. M. (2011). Doing your literature review: Traditional and systematic techniques. Sage.
44. Kafai, Y. B., & Burke, Q. (2013, March). The social turn in K-12 programming: moving from computational thinking to computational participation. [Conference session]. In Proceeding of the 44th ACM technical symposium on computer science education (pp. 603-608). https://doi.org/10.1145/2445196.2445373
45. Kale, U., Yuan, J., & Roy, A. (2023). Thinking processes in code. org: A relational analysis approach to computational thinking. Computer Science Education, 33 (4), 545-566. https://doi.org/10.1080/08993408.2022.2145549
46. Kalelioğlu, F., Gülbahar, Y. & Kukul, V. (2016). A Framework for Computational Thinking Based on a Systematic Research Review. Baltic Journal of Modern Computing, 4 (3), 583-596.
47. Lee, I., Martin, F., Denner, J., Coulter, B., Allan, W., Erickson, J., ... & Werner, L. (2011). Computational thinking for youth in practice. Acm Inroads, 2(1), 32-37 https://doi.org/10.1145/1929887.192990
48. Lehtimäki, T., Monahan, R., Mooney, A., Casey, K., & Naughton, T. J. (2022, July). Bebras-inspired computational thinking primary school resources co-created by computer science academics and teachers. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 1 (pp. 207-213).
49. Li, X., Xiang, H., Zhou, X., & Jing, H. (2023, June). An empirical study on designing STEM+ AI teaching to cultivate primary school students' computational thinking perspective. In Proceedings of the 2023 8th International Conference on Distance Education and Learning (pp. 1-7). https://doi.org/10.1145/3606094.3606130
50. Liu, X., Wang, X., Xu, K., & Hu, X. (2023). Effect of Reverse Engineering Pedagogy on Primary School Students’ Computational Thinking Skills in STEM Learning Activities. Journal of Intelligence, 11(2), 36.
51. Mannila, L., Dagiene, V., Demo, B., Grgurina, N., Mirolo, C., Rolandsson, & L., Settle, A. (2014). Computational thinking in K-9 education. In: Proceedings of the Working Group Reports of the 2014 on Innovation & Technology in Computer Science Education Conference, ITiCSE-WGR, 1–29. ACM, New York. https://doi.org/10.1145/2713609.271361
52. Martin, D. A., Curtis, P., & Redmond, P. (2024). Primary school students' perceptions and developed artefacts and language from learning coding and computational thinking using the 3C model. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 40(4), 1616-1631.
53. MEB (2023). Cumhuriyetin 100. yılı: Eğitimde geleceğe bakış raporu. https://ttkbyayin.meb.gov.tr/yayin/174 adresinden 8 Ağustos 2023 tarihinde alındı.
54. Merino-Armero, J. M., González-Calero, J. A., Cózar-Gutiérrez, R., & del Olmo-Muñoz, J. (2022). Unplugged activities in cross-curricular teaching: Effect on sixth graders’ computational thinking and learning outcomes. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 6(2), 13.
55. Mishra, P., & Henriksen, D. (2013). A new approach to defining and measuring creativity: Rethinking technology & creativity in the 21st century. TechTrends, 57(5), 10.
56. Moreno-León, J., Robles G., & Román-González M. (2016). Comparing computational thinking development assessment scores with software complexity metrics. 2016 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) 10(13):1040–1045. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2016.7474681
57. National Research Council (2011). Report of a Workshop of Pedagogical Aspects of Computational Thinking. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13170 adresinden 19 Mayıs 2024 tarihinde alındı
58. Nouri, J., Zhang, L., Mannila, L., & Norén, E. (2020). Development of computational thinking, digital competence and 21st century skills when learning programming in K-9. Education Inquiry, 11(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2019.1627844
59. Palts, T., & Pedaste, M. (2020). A model for developing computational thinking skills. Informatics in Education, 19(1), 113-128. https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2020.06
60. Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms: Children, computers, and powerful ideas. New York: Basic Books. Inc.
61. Papert, S. (1996). An exploration in the space of mathematics educations. International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning, 1(1), 95-123. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00191473
62. Paucar-Curasma, R., Villalba-Condori, K., Arias-Chavez, D., Le, N. T., Garcia-Tejada, G., & Frango-Silveira, I. (2022). Evaluation of Computational Thinking using four educational robots with primary school students in Peru. Education in the Knowledge Society, 23.
63. Resnick, M., Maloney, J., Monroy-Hernández, A., Rusk, N., Eastmond, E., Brennan, K., ... & Kafai, Y. (2009). Scratch: programming for all. Communications of the ACM, 52(11), 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1145/1592761.1592779
64. Román-González, M., Pérez-González, J. C., Moreno-León, J., & Robles, G. (2018). Extending the nomological network of computational thinking with non-cognitive factors. Computers in Human Behavior, 80, 441-459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.09.030
65. Qualls, J. A., & Sherrell, L. B. (2010). Why computational thinking should be integrated into the curriculum. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, 25(5), 66-71.
66. Selby, C., & Woollard, J. (2013). Computational thinking: the developing definition. University of Southampton 6pp.
67. Shipepe, A., Uwu-Khaeb, L., De Villiers, C., Jormanainen, I., & Sutinen, E. (2022). Co-learning computational and design thinking using educational robotics: A case of primary school learners in Namibia. Sensors, 22(21), 8169.
68. Shute, V. J., Sun, C., & Asbell-Clarke, J. (2017). Demystifying computational thinking. Educational Research Review, 22, 142–158 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.09.003
69. Swaid, S. I. (2015). Bringing computational thinking to STEM education. Procedia Manufacturing, 3, 3657-3662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2015.07.761
70. Tengler, K., Kastner-Hauler, O., Sabitzer, B., & Lavicza, Z. (2021). The effect of robotics-based storytelling activities on primary school students’ computational thinking. Education Sciences, 12(1), 10.
71. Thornhill-Miller, B., Camarda, A., Mercier, M., Burkhardt, J. M., Morisseau, T., Bourgeois-Bougrine, S., ... & Lubart, T. (2023). Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration: Assessment, certifcation, and promotion of 21st century skills for the future of work and education. Journal of Intelligence, 11(3), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence11030054
72. Vee, A. (2013). Understanding computer programming as a literacy. Literacy in Composition Studies, 1(2), 42-64. https://doi.org/10.21623/1.1.2.4
73. Voogt, J., Fisser, P., Good, J., Mishra, P., & Yadav, A. (2015). Computational thinking in compulsory education: Towards an agenda for research and practice. Education and Information Technologies, 20(4), 715-728.
74. Wing, J. M. (2006). Computational Thinking. Communications of the ACM, 49 (3), 33-35. https://doi.org/10.1145/1118178.1118215
75. Wing, J. M. (2008). Computational thinking and thinking about computing. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society a: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 366, 3717e3725. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2008.0118
76. Wing, J. M. (2011). Research Notebook: Computational thinking -what and why? The Link Magazine, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.
77. Wong, G.K., & Jiang, S. (2018). Computational Thinking Education for Children: Algorithmic Thinking and Debugging. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 328-334.
78. Xia, L., & Zhong, B. (2018). A systematic review on teaching and learning robotics content knowledge in K-12. Computers & Education, 127, 267-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.09.007
79. Yadav, A., Mayfield, C., Zhou, N., Hambrusch, S., & Korb, J. T. (2014). Computational thinking in elementary and secondary teacher education. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), 14(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1145/257687
80. Yadav, A., Good, J., Voogt, J., & Fisser, P. (2017). Computational thinking as an emerging competence domain. Competence-based vocational and professional education: Bridging the worlds of work and education, 1051-1067. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41713-4_49
81. Yıldırım, E., & Uluyol, Ç. (2023). Developing computational thinking scale for primary school students and examining students' thinking levels according to different variables. Journal of Learning and Teaching in Digital Age, 8(1), 113-123.
82. Zapata-Cáceres, M., Marcelino, P., El-Hamamsy, L., & Martín-Barroso, E. (2024). A Bebras Computational Thinking (ABC-Thinking) program for primary school: Evaluation using the competent computational thinking test. Education and Information Technologies, 29(12), 14969-14998. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12441-w
83. Zhang, L., & Nouri, J. (2019). A systematic review of learning computational thinking through Scratch in K-9. Computers & Education, 141, 103607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103607
84. Zhong, B., & Xia, L. (2020). A systematic review on exploring the potential of educational robotics in mathematics education. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 18, 79-101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-018-09939-y